Fold-up helicopter

[Steve]

http://www.danielkocyba.com/hummel.html

 

[Areeda]

Here are some pictures of one developed in the 1950's by Hiller for the US Navy. The idea was it could be parachute dropped to a downed pilot who would then unfold it and fly himself out.

A description can be found at the Hiller Museum site

I met an engineer who worked on this project. The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

Joe

 

[mikea]

...The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

I would have survived the ditching only to have died from fright on the flight out.

I get queasy looking down from inside my nice cozy aluminum enclosure above 5000 feet.

 

[tonycondon]

Here are some pictures of one developed in the 1950's by Hiller for the US Navy. The idea was it could be parachute dropped to a downed pilot who would then unfold it and fly himself out.

A description can be found at the Hiller Museum site

I met an engineer who worked on this project. The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

Joe

just thinking about that gives my stomach the willies. I don't do well with heights like that.

 

[ClimbnSink]

I want one. George Jetson had this problem solved way back in the 70's.

 

[mikea]

I'm sure it will eb as real as the SoloTrek.

Uh, huh.
http://www.trekaero.com/

 

[wby0nder]

Here are some pictures of one developed in the 1950's by Hiller for the US Navy. The idea was it could be parachute dropped to a downed pilot who would then unfold it and fly himself out.

A description can be found at the Hiller Museum site

I met an engineer who worked on this project. The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

Joe

I imagine it would be quite difficult to even tell when you were hovering at such an altitude AGL. With no near objects it would be almost impossible to judge motion. No sir, I wouldn't like it.

 

[Steve]

Here are some pictures of one developed in the 1950's by Hiller for the US Navy. The idea was it could be parachute dropped to a downed pilot who would then unfold it and fly himself out.

A description can be found at the Hiller Museum site

I met an engineer who worked on this project. The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

Joe

 

[Steve]

Don't fall off...

 

[GigG601XL]

Computer graphics is the best thing to come down the pike for creating ways to seperate people from thier investment money since ... well, pretty much ever.

It's done very little for aviation design.

 

[mikea]

Computer graphics is the best thing to come down the pike for creating ways to seperate people from thier investment money since ... well, pretty much ever.

It's done very little for aviation design.

The 1950's version was huge rooms full of draftsmen.

Those things flew.

The P-51 went from concept to production in 9 months with the only technology being rooms full of draftsmen and engineers with slide rules.

 

[gprellwitz]

Here are some pictures of one developed in the 1950's by Hiller for the US Navy. The idea was it could be parachute dropped to a downed pilot who would then unfold it and fly himself out.

A description can be found at the Hiller Museum site

I met an engineer who worked on this project. The best story was the test pilot proving it was capable of an OGE hover at 10,000'. As you can see from the pictures the pilot sees very little of machine while flying. He said hanging motionless at 10,000 with (essentially) noting around you was eerie to say the least. Sounds like fun to me.

Joe

I note that the hangar in that second photo, which I presume is at NASA Ames -- Moffett Field (KNUQ), says Visiting Aircraft Welcome! Looking on the Airnav site, it says prior permission required from NASA to land there. Anyone know if it's routinely/ever granted? (Not that I see going there anytime soon, just curious.)

 

[GigG601XL]

The 1950's version was huge rooms full of draftsmen.

Those things flew.

The P-51 went from concept to production in 9 months with the only technology being rooms full of draftsmen and engineers with slide rules.

The big difference is that now somebody can do something like the fold up helo in the OP and it looks slick and is on the Internet so it must be real and then just sit back and take investor's money. There is no requirement that it actually ever need to be able to fly.

 

[astanley]

I note that the hangar in that second photo, which I presume is at NASA Ames -- Moffett Field (KNUQ), says Visiting Aircraft Welcome! Looking on the Airnav site, it says prior permission required from NASA to land there. Anyone know if it's routinely/ever granted? (Not that I see going there anytime soon, just curious.)

Grant,

I know that there are few private companies who have permission to base aircraft there. Google has their 767 jet there; this was supposedly at "thank you" for all of the engineering support that Google has donated to NASA in the past.

Cheers,

-Andrew