THE Russian military is building an unusual electric flying vehicle that will look more like a paddle steamer than a conventional aircraft.
In 1909, Russian engineer Evgeny Sverchkov proposed the cyclocopter, which has side-mounted, cylindrical, rotating wings composed of many wing-like blades. Some versions actually flew in the 1930s, but only briefly, as they were unstable due to the lack of electronic flight controls. Russia鈥檚 military research wing, the Advanced Research Foundation (FPI), is now reviving the idea.
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In principle, cyclocopters are appealing because they can take off and land vertically and they fly efficiently. The FPI鈥檚 new design will mean the cyclocopter should be able to carry twice as much weight as a helicopter the same size, said project manager Jan Chibisov in a statement.
However, achieving that won鈥檛 be easy. Researchers have been working with smaller cyclocopters for years. One fundamental issue the team will have to overcome is keeping the weight of the rotors down, because weight grows quickly with size, says Moble Benedict at Texas A&M University, who has built versions (see picture) ranging from insect-sized up to 9 kilograms. Another is ensuring the rotor blades can withstand the higher forces involved, he says.
The FPI is currently constructing the components of its full-scale cyclocopter, with demonstration flights scheduled for 2020.
