NationStates Jolt Archive

I just had to post this as soon as I saw it.

http://www.henram.com/ftzvideos/skycutter40.wmv

#1 coolest thing of all time. I kid you not. Check it out!

I don't know wether to laugh or be very scared.

questions: where are the cables? or how the hell did they get enough lift on that thing?


beware flying lawnmower attacks from now on!

I've got a friend watching it a few times over and over again to figure it out. I'll post what he's got on it in a few minutes.

Holy friggin' crap. Someone should get that kid to mow my lawn for me.

Edit: It kinda looks like it might be a stunt kite or something.

If you pause the movie at 1:02, you can see how it's working. It's an arch, and my friend believes that's how they handle drag and steering. There could be rudders on the back sides of the arch.

As for weight, he believes it's probably replaced with lightweight plastic or airplane grade aluminum.

He thinks lift may be from just the handlebars.

And it's not likely to be a kite, doesn't move like one, and it's got that smoke trail.

Note: all the above are just theories, feel free to post what you think!

I'm lazy, so here's the explanation of what we think it is. All his work though.

Esper the Unseen: so the propellor can be thought of as being pulled forward
BeanRon7: yeah
Esper the Unseen: in that sense, hold the propellor stationary
BeanRon7: k
Esper the Unseen: if you hold it stationary, it becomes a pivot
Esper the Unseen: now gravity is taking its toll on the center of mass
BeanRon7: yeah, i follow
Esper the Unseen: which causes it to torque clockwise about the propeller
BeanRon7: yeah
Esper the Unseen: that causes the whole picture to tilt clockwise, which i couldn't draw in paint
BeanRon7: yeah
BeanRon7: that's why it looks like it's always flying up
Esper the Unseen: so i drew the light blue lines of air relative to the new tilt
Esper the Unseen: when the air hits the bottom of the fins, it bounces "downward"
Esper the Unseen: well air has mass
Esper the Unseen: and if mass is being pushed downward, what it pushes against must be being pushed up
BeanRon7: ok
Esper the Unseen: causing the torque in the other direction
BeanRon7: ohhhhhhh, i think i see
BeanRon7: because of the tilt
BeanRon7: air is pushing ------> against the \
Esper the Unseen: yeah
Esper the Unseen: that's why the flying thing's always angles a little more upward than its path
Esper the Unseen: angled*
BeanRon7: yeah
Esper the Unseen: it flies tilted like that because that's the state where the torques balance
BeanRon7: yeah
Esper the Unseen: and to gain altitude, run the motor faster
Esper the Unseen: that'll increase the red torque
Esper the Unseen: to lower altitude slow the motor
BeanRon7: and the handlebars and the tilt create the lift needed for it to get into the air
Esper the Unseen: yeah
Esper the Unseen: there's always lift on the arch too, but that's just help lifting the center of mass
Esper the Unseen: without contributing to the tilt
BeanRon7: yeah
BeanRon7: hmm
BeanRon7: still assuming rudder control in the arch?
Esper the Unseen: left and right rudder control, yeah

It's still neat... regardless :p

H2O2 boosters, maybe?

Bumping! I think everyone should get a chance to see this, and not just those people on early in the morning.

Thats great! I want one, heh

suddenly i have this urge to mow the lawn....

hmmm, no where did that lawnmower go????

*bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*

:eek:

So this is for that really tall grass out back?