Videos
Podcasts
Blogs
Quizzes
GamesPosts Tagged: ‘helicopter’
Let’s imagine that you would like to do something like mail drop-off and pickup in a remote area where no landing strip is available. Or imagine that you would like to extract a soldier from a remote area where there is no landing strip. The traditional way to solve this problem is by using a [...]
World Record #143 – The Sikorsky X2 helicopter breaks 250 MPH
by Marshall Brain | August 3, 2010
The V-22 Osprey aircraft exists because of a fundamental problem with helicopters; Helicopters have a low top-speed. “The Osprey’s top speed is 315 mph (507 kph), which is twice as fast as a helicopter’s top speed.” The idea behind the V-22 is to have the ability to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then turn into an airplane to fly faster.
One goal of the Sikorsky X2 is to create a helicopter technology that can keep up with with the V-22. Initial tests show that Sikorsky is close….
Invention – the Hexacopter – the speed and stability are amazing
by Marshall Brain | February 16, 2010
The following video presents the hexacopter and demonstrates its (amazing) capabilities: Payload? It is already carrying a respectable Li-on battery pack and a 300 gram camera. Toward the end of the video he adds a 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) bottle of soda on a tether and the hexacopter handles it no problem. There is a [...]
Networked surveillance minicopters can’t be kept down – “The helicopter in this video may weigh only 30 grams, but it carries a compass and motion sensors, can change course and warn fellow craft of obstacles it bumps into, and could even carry a small camera. It can also resist what might be called a King [...]
Invention – the monocopter is the simplest possible helicopter
by Marshall Brain | November 24, 2009
Its design is inspired by a falling maple seed. This is about as simple as a helicopter can get: Here is the project’s web site: Autonomous Flight of a Robotic Samara Micro-Air-Vehicle. And a paper describing the project: Autonomous Flight of a Samara MAV One obvious question: What is a Samara? This page describes a [...]
High Speed Stuff Wrap-up: Motorcycles and Helicopters
by Scott C. Benjamin | October 30, 2009
Well, it’s time for another High Speed Stuff wrap-up. And here’s what Ben and I have been up to on our High Speed Stuff podcast over the past few days…
Most people know a little bit about the history of airplanes. However, the history of the helicopter is remarkably complex. In this episode, Scott and Ben unravel the evolution of vertical flight, from its origins in China to the present day.
Gas turbine engines often power jet airplanes and helicopters, but they may turn up in other applications in the near future. Discover how turbine engines work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
- Sailing, Takes Me Away…To The Seychelles
- Cute Animal Tuesday: Black Vulture
- Traveling on the Orient Express
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- The Seven Deadlies: Pride Cometh Before the Brain
- Warhammer 40K: 25 Years of Orks in Space
- A Visit to the Tellus Science Museum
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Was Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” Super Bowl commercial a little too political?
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
How-to Stuff
- How to Make the Most of a Gallery Crawl (When You’re on a Shoestring Budget)
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 43: Drag Queens: You Better Work!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 42: Road Trip!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 41: Celebrity Couples
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics
