You must log in or register to comment.
The guy with no railings above a rotor is the underdog, at least.
What are those projections underneath?
If I had to guess at a glance, the pipe-looking things are to guard the rotor against striking the ground. If you mean the things hanging off them, I’d guess that they’re inflatated bladders to spread out the time of impact when landing.
EDIT: Rotor guy is apparently flying a de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle, and yeah, that’s apparently what they’re for:
The aircraft’s landing gear consisted of airbags at the end of each arm of the frame along with a large rubber float in the middle, providing amphibious capability,[5] although this arrangement was later replaced by a pair of conventional helicopter-type skids.[8]
EDIT2: The other one is apparently the Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee.
Hmm. I guess that sounds lighter than springs. Do other aircraft have air-based shock absorbers?
Edit:
Intended to be operated by inexperienced pilots with a minimum of 20 minutes of instruction
Lol, so that guy isn’t even a pilot, either. RIP
Depends on the aircraft if it has gas or hydraulic shock absorbers. Some lightweight aircraft just have torsion based shock absorption.
Maybe even during a war they weren’t able to find any pilots wanting to use those things.
According the the article linked it didn’t even pass the testing phase, because surprise-surprise guys kept crashing. That was the 50’s in peacetime, and the whole thing probably started because helicopters were the hype of the era and there was a lot of funding.
The one on the right looks like it might plausibly be able to fly under extremely optimal conditions. The one on the left is a complete shitpost of an idea.
Lol seriously. The one on the left looks like someone strapped 4 pogo-sticks to the corners of a box-fan and called it a day .
Chad ducted fan vs virgin rotor
It never occurred to me that multiple state-funded programs were started by engineers who felt existing rotorcraft were too stable and fail-safe.
Both of these manage to make less sense than the serious and groundbreaking industrial design of Inspector Gadget.
Guy on the right doesn’t look like he has a free hand to shoot, plus he’s on what’s basically a portable version of one of the Mortal Kombat pit levels
I presume he pulls a cobra maneuver and then drops down to swoop the blades at his aerial opponent.
Advanced Jousting
