Cycloidal Rotor Drone: The Cyclocopter

[@TomStantonEngineering]

It looks like it flys (or flew) really well! I've never researched how these things work, but your explanation is really easy to understand!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks Tom, it feels mostly like a tricopter in the air. There’s a bit of control coupling between pitch and roll that can create small oscillations, but a fast enough controller takes care of it just fine

[@rcaviator8408]

I think you need to build one of these tom, with four cyclo-rotors.

[@minercraftal]

@@rcaviator8408 looks like toms goal is mainly on batteries or thing likely for energy storage…

[@rcaviator8408]

@@minercraftal True. But I think he would be great at this.

[@minercraftal]

@@rcaviator8408 I’ve been tried on several objects and got problems of having everything jammed up. Seems it’s way better to get stuck on a single object so that able to finish it…

[@farmanshaikh6405]

Looks like a flying combine harvester! Great video. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@JohnDoeSmith08]

Should call it a "combinecopter".

[@VladIDrago]

Good for kills insects ];-D.

[@processingunit5321]

If you make a helicopter sized one it's a human head harvester

[@rogermccaslin5963]

I was thinking reel mower.

[@luminousfractal420]

Scary thought given that reaper drone

[@ChuckHickl]

This is the kind of stuff I feel KZbin was invented to highlight. Great job and fun video to watch!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks Chuck!

[@alst4817]

Yeah, so cool!

[@Quasihamster]

Reminds me of the Voith Schneider propulsion system that some ships have. It does work, and it has a few advantages over traditional propellers, but there's a reason why only very few ships were equipped with it. Maintenence cost mainly, an awful lot of moving parts.

[@brianb-p6586]

It's the same idea (both use cyclorotors), but the VSP (Voith-Schneider Propulsion) system has a more sophisticated control linkage that adjusts both thrust direction and pitch (and thus thrust) magnitude; this cyclocopter changes rotor speed to control magnitude, which would not be practical in a large size.

[@cryofreezie3943]

Moving parts are always worse than complex geometry

[@reverseuniverse2559]

Imagine it in combat 💥 😂

[@GrassPossum]

Yes, though it runs vertically in this application.

[@beginnereasy]

Yeah i'm holographic speed painter guy. I definitely think there are unexplored inertia powers and cyclone powers.

[@Argosh]

This is the first actually flying Cyclogiro I've seen. I'm impressed! The closest one to free flight was a university project from about a decade ago.

[@AayushSingh]

Really cool design. Especially how forward and backward motion is achieved just by adjusting the pitch of individual blade per cycle. Really impressive.

[@GrassPossum]

That was my favorite maneuver. It is unique to this design, and even a chopper can't do it as smoothly and quickly.

[@jasonbirch1182]

Pretty cool that this concept has been used in boat propulsion for a long time. Voith Schneider is the company. It's used in tugs and some other specialty craft. It can drive any direction basically instantly. Good work!

[@K3end0]

OOOOH. I didn't really understand how this method was meant to work, but your comment reminded me this was how the old steamships with big wheels used to propel themselves forward and it all clicked

[@herseem]

@@K3end0 Actually, that's slightly different. Paddle steamers as they are called, with the big wheels at the sides, have fixed paddles rather than movable ones. Voith Schneider make vertical-axis propellers of the same type as the horizontal axis blades of this cyclocopter. A key advantage is that by adjusting the central point about which the blades are offset, you can change the direction of propulsion to any horizontal direction, 360 degrees. That's why they are used for boats such as tug boats and car ferries that have to be very manoeuvrable.

[@deesnutz951]

VMS for the win!

[@mightymystery9204]

@@herseem Kirsten-Vorth were the other company making cycloidal marine propellers.

[@herseem]

@@mightymystery9204 I didn't know that, thanks

[@moviesfilmsandmotionpictur8364]

This is how I always imagined the ornithopters from Dune. Fantastic model!

[@SMSCOOBY71]

Why are they called "ornithopters"? Because they are modelled after a Hummingbird, the study of birds is ornithology.

[@Project-Air]

I love how this cyclocopter seems to be flapping its wings to stay airbourne. What a crazy little machine! Loved this vid, Nicholas. The editing and graphics were great!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks James! Your Magnus effect vehicle has a little brother now haha

[@Project-Air]

@@NicholasRehm They should hang out! :P

[@brei.z]

Hey, I was just thinking it's a bit like the magnus effect plane you and PS made... although very different and more complicated with it's moving blades

[@Chris.Davies]

Stupid, not crazy. Remember; moving parts really suck.

[@thirtythreeeyes8624]

@@Chris.Davies Then you should really be into free flight gliders. The point is clearly to build a fun experiment and proof of concept it's only stupid if you fail to see that.

[@ahmad_asep]

Nice. I think the reason why this isn't widely used is because of the complexity and more moving parts making reliability harder to achieve

[@illused]

Sweet! I'm sure someone out West would pay for this - they already use drones to check fences and stock and once it moves and has a camera, if it's three times more efficient, clear winner! I envisaged a "planarcopter" which would work with a linear foil like a glider but the idea never got past a sketch. Well done!

[@TheProluthier]

Really sorry for the crash but thank you very much for sharing this marvellous achieved concept! Thanks for sharing!

[@zh84]

Very interesting, if slightly mad! Your talk about how lift varies along the length of a helicopter blade reminds me of another problem helicopters experience: retreating blade stall. As the forward speed of the helicopter increases, so the speed of the retreating blades relative to the air falls until ultimately they aren't going fast enough to generate lift, and the helicopter stalls on one side. This could also happen to a cyclocopter, if you got it to go fast enough, but the "blades" stalling would be the ones underneath the wing assembly, so there would be no change in attitude.

[@peterjones3113]

(If I correctly understand) For a cyclocopter going forward, with blades at the top going forward the top blades would get increased airspeed and lift. The bottom blades going rearward would create lesser lift but the increased lift of the top blades would more than compensate. This would create more drag above the centre of mass but should not increase the angle of attack so there should be no blade stall. I believe for a helicopter the retreating blade has to increase the angle of attack for the lower airspeed while the advancing blade decreases the angle of attack to compensate. which is what creates the stall issue (as speed increases) to one side as opposed to (for the cyclocopter) the load just being transferred to the top blade with similar angle of attach but different airspeed/lift. Once the airspeed approaches/matches/exceeds wingtip speed then you are in trouble and exceeds my understanding right now after a bottle of wine.

[@facepalm7345]

@@peterjones3113 I would think the added drag of the blades when they are between top and bottom position would make it a non-issue though, haha. It would be interesting to see a design of two servo hubs in each end so the pitch angle can be adjusted separately within the pairs of blades, to allow for the blades moving up/down to pitch and get the angle of attack of the blades in transition closer to zero. Though this also requires the servo to be constantly changing positions (4 times per rotation) when the craft is moving at speed. I suppose this would also be an effective way of introducing horizontal acceleration without effecting vertical lift when the craft is hovering, by having only a single pair active with the other pair in a neutral position, if it is even possible to find a neutral position without adding even more complexities.

[@presidentspilot]

From an old military helicopter pilot, I sure enjoyed your venture into the realm of a 'new' VTOL design! Fascinating! GREAT WORK, Nick!! However, if that design were attempted, for a full scale creation, I believe that it would be tough to handle an engine failure, for a pilot!! I don't think that an Autorotation would be possible. But for an RC model,.. GREAT DESIGN THAT EXPLORES NEW AREAS OF ADAPTING DIFFERENT LAWS OF FLIGHT!!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks!! What did you fly??

[@presidentspilot]

@@NicholasRehm T-37's and T-33 fixed wing in Jet fixed-wing flight school,..., then, from Helo School onward: H-19's, UH-1F's,... then, after 2 tours in Vietnam, (including flying President Johnson, and his family, during my 2nd combat tour),...and then going to Washington to fly VIP's: H-21's, UH-1F's, (again),.. and CH-3's, and the twin-engine UH1N model,.. and, after completing the Army's Maintenance Test Pilot training, (at Ft. Eustice),...being assigned as Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's Senior Command Pilot for 4 years. (Nick!! you are TRULY amazing!! I have just recently discovered your work, and you have seemed to fully understand, and employ a WHOLE RANGE of different capacities: Software design, application of different principles of flight, 3D printer designs to make your various parts, etc.!! AMAZING!!) I TIP MY HAT TO YOU, NICK!! and I look forward to see your many other videos as well,... that I have just found to be a REAL TREASURE-TROVE of ideas!!!! Thanks!!

[@arvindkumarts]

Really a beautiful Machine, looks tiny but a lot of engineering is packed into it (kind of makes it look complex), love it👌🏻!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks for the kind words

[@billcallahan9303]

Enjoyed the heck out of it. As far as practicality is concerned though, it doesn't have much payload area for commercial use in large scale....not that you intended it to be. Very interesting. Thanks!

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Regardless if there isnt really a benefit to design it that way, It's definitely cool to see your new design and how it works :)

[@muhammadumair1901]

It's nice to give new exposure and way of thinking of how technology works in different ways

[@alanthefisher]

This is fantastic, I've never seen someone build one of these and it's this stable. I'm sure that tuning this thing was a pain.

[@NicholasRehm]

Not too bad--just like a tricopter

[@kenrhoades8040]

The level lift factor is a great value for pickup and delivery of 4 point loads - I hope this will be the start of some powerful solutions.

[@herseem]

Brilliant. You win my 'youtube video of the day' award, a very prestigious award appointed by me. I do actually watch quite a few, so it does mean something!

[@NicholasRehm]

Hahah many thanks Mike!

[@orderlyhippo1569]

You know, I bet this would make for a nice hover bike set up. One in the front and one in the back. They both spin horizontally. These spinner things have a quick and responsive way to control thrust direction without changing throttle which rotors blades are bad at.

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

A similar take is actually in current use around the world: the Voith Schneider Propeller for ships. It allows excellent maneuverability and is used for tugboats, ferries and other ships requiring omnidirectional control. It's pretty awesome!

[@martinb.770]

Exactly my thought. The mechanism is same, just tilted and wider "propeller blades" Question is: where are the limits for scaling this up? Mechanical stress to the joints? Vibrations? RPM? Torque? Moment of inertia? Stalling-like effects? I think, the by-now wing-like design might be improved dramatically for this motion pattern and airflow, as compressible air makes other conditions than water (Reynolds number)

[@williewonka6694]

I immediately recalled old videos of the early days of flight. Thanks tipping your hat to a long forgotten innovator.

[@kevinshen9391]

When flipping, could you theoretically keep adjusting the airfoils so they always create lift upwards, (making it possible to not only maintain altitude but also have it front flip very slowly)

[@NicholasRehm]

Yes-if my servos have enough travel or I implemented collective control

[@gulfair-cavalry-tango1011]

As it was, it just needed higher initial altitude prior to attempt of the forward flip.

[@darrenthompson6115]

But Helo don't do forward flips, but some can do a 360 loop or roll...?

[@hifinsword]

@@darrenthompson6115 Collective pitch R/C model helicopters can flip forwards, backwards or sideways. Do a search for Radio Control 3D helicopters to see what I'm saying. R/C Pilots fly them like hummingbirds on crack.

[@darrenthompson6115]

@@hifinsword well.... I took you advice and came across Tarek Assardi.... OMGgggghh... never seen precision snd sheer talent flying like that.... totally astounded...🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@sdfft820]

If you built this then my heartiest congratulations to you. We need more people like you

[@whatnextjoe]

WOW! When I saw the early version of this type of design I Was sure it could be made to work, I've seen the four rotor models that have been proven but you have made a craft that is very unique and awesome, Thanks for sharing

[@raunaquepatra3966]

This is the first working cyclocopter model that I saw, previously I any saw CGI models of the concept. So I was really stoked to see it in reality.

[@Aengus42]

I thought it was going to be using the Magnus effect with Flettner rotors... But no! Something new to me. What a great device! I could see miniaturised battlefield drone versions. Great video along with excellent model making! Thanks!

[@NicholasRehm]

Thanks a ton!

[@drewpool4537]

Not practical: yes. Cool as Hell: yes. Best thing I've seen in 2021

[@henriksegercrantz362]

Nice. One tiny question though: How about the efficiency compared?. It must be better to compensate for the added complexity i.e. construction cost.

[@NicholasRehm]

Efficiency is slightly less, but only because it has not been 'optimized to heck' like multirotor propellers yet... Really, its not a fair comparison to directly compare efficiency as your main metric of 'usefulness' since the aerodynamics are so different. There are other benefits/design considerations to factor in too like thrust vectoring ability or disk loading/tip speed!

[@henriksegercrantz362]

In copters/drones tip speed is so to say a resolved issue. The total weight is a factor too, as is construction cost (and also efficiency, as it too determines need for power and fuel to reach set goal.) Interesting anyhow. A comparison to Flettner too would be interesting!

[@NicholasRehm]

@@henriksegercrantz362 it’ll never beat propellers/drones, that’s for sure. But larger scale…

[@janami-dharmam]

@@NicholasRehm Why do you think so?

[@gerrybeylerian5290]

@@janami-dharmam also interested to know why!

[@general5104]

You remind me of genius Mark Rober. He talks 90mph with assurdness on what he's explaining and is SO confident in what he says, that it is a factual truth ! You do the same. Your knowledge quotient must be way up there ! THANKS for a great demonstration. (lesson to be learned...mow the grass first in the landing area, or provide a tray for it to land on, so your landing gear won't get tangled in the grass.) The air foil looks like nothing a strip of clear packaging tape wouldn't fix, & I believe your forward loop would have worked just fine if it had been preformed with more altitude. This would give more "belly" for the recovery to the normal flight aspect.

[@1984xlx]

Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for sharing your Cyclocopter with us!

[@marcusdarkie]

That’s fantastic, from the intro I thought you had invented a flying lawn mower, and when you did the flip, I was gutted. Please more!

[@mr.x1510]

Very cool. I like the design and wholeheartedly agree because it's more manageable Harrison aspect of a squirrel cage design. I believe the market has gone with the four propeller blades like a helicopter for a maneuverability that's more instant. I subscribed to your channel I can't wait to see what else you have.

[@Solnoric]

I built a vertical window turbine using essentially that mechanism. Stunningly efficient but sounded really funky at high speed.

[@NicholasRehm]

That’s so cool

[@Ostsol]

A big worry I have is how it handles motor/engine failures. It's the same problem I have with things like quadcopters. They're basically rocks when the power fails, which is why I have difficulty seeing them as viable for moving humans around.

[@GrassPossum]

Crude as it is, my solution for making quads safe and same thing here would be a parachute. I get why airlines don't issue passengers with a parachute. It's just not good optics, and it will create more panic in those afraid than not thinking about it. However, I doubt anybody who ever got a plane would not be very happy and grateful to know their plane has one. It makes lemonade from lemons so to speak in these cases.

[@hifinsword]

@@GrassPossum In an almost always uncontrollable situation, getting hundreds of passengers out of an airliner would be impossible. The only way parachutes in an airliner would be workable is an emergency where control is possible for about the normal disembarkation time that would be done, not the usual emergency. It's hard enough when there are only a few people trying to bail out. A parachute for light aircraft is already available and used by many. What would make multicopters safer in case of a motor failure would be a hexocopter or octocopter. A failure of one motor wouldn't condemn it to a crash.

[@andreasschaetze2930]

WoW, I always wondered wich machine would really flight when I saw the movie or show where your black and white clip was from. You got to love dedicated engineers and thank them for our technical wonders of the world

[@frankiecrocker]

I remember seeing film of the Grey Goose on TV long time ago as a kid. Very interesting concept! My only concern is all of the moving parts on the outside. A simple failure of a part in flight could be catastrophic.

[@LewisDrakePhD]

This concept could be used to create a very efficient wind mill electrical generator! And the rotation axis could be either vertical or horizontal.

[@4DCResinSmoker]

Awesome copter! Ya just need two Cyclo-wings to be rid of the nose propeller. Edit: My only concern would be how well does it handle wind?

[@NicholasRehm]

It handles wind pretty well in the “slidey mode” as long as the nose is pointed into the wind

[@neillsmit]

or lugwa vtol configurations,

[@jeffrenman4146]

No No No Don't You Dare Give up on Cyclo Copter… This Is Quite Probably the Coolest Flying Machine I've Ever Seen… Do Not I Repeat Do Not Give up … See if you can perfect it a little bit and make a casual everyday flyer reliable one… I repeat no no no no do not give up. This is the most beautiful flying machine I've ever seen… Please please do not give up

[@FredFruehauf]

I've often thought a regular quad copter design with servos tilting all 4 blades is the best design concept. This would keep copter body straight and level but all 4 blades would tilt forward, back or side to side.

[@rl2769]

That has been done before.

[@cadet8376]

that offset linkage is actually really cool, I don't think I could've ever come up with something like that

[@logiclrd]

Pretty much the same as a helicopter collective, it seems to me.

[@frankvoelker4141]

Congratulations, I didn't think you'd get this to fly! Even with a model there are large structural forces (bending forces) on the wings because of the high rotation speed. There is an application in shipbuilding for ships that need high maneuverability at low speed (harbor tugs, ferries) with a vertical rotation axis of the system. Unfortunately, the description in Wikipedia is only available in German under the title “Voith-Schneider-Antrieb”. If you switch Wiki to English, you get to the title "Cyclorotor", which unfortunately does not describe the application in ships.

[@herseem]

It's used a lot in ships that have to be very manoeuvrable, such as car ferries and tug boats because you can change the direction of thrust to any direction very quickly and efficiently

[@trueaussie9230]

Fascinating concept. Many of those who saw daVinci's plans for a 'traditional' helicopter said it would never work. Stick with it. I think it shows real potential.

[@Hobbityfus]

Great video, from the airflow view it seems a lot simpler than a helicopter, even if less intuitive for us humans. The cycloidal rotor allows for a much more stable flight than the helicopter or quadcopter, the simple mechanical way of steering the "wings" for the movement in two dimensions is also a big improvement compared to the "rolling around" that a "normal" ´copter design has to cope with. Basically it is an ingenious design and I would be very much interested in the forces it throws at the ground compared to the predecessors. The flip would have worked, if you had a bit more ground clearance. You could see in the video how the machine made a complete flip and was just not able to compensate the received downwards thrust. Either build in a limiter, so that it doesn´t power the rotors if the top faces downwards or make the flip at at least double the height. Maybe triple, I am just guessing, but gravity is also a component next to power to weight ratio. And my brain aint no supercomputer. Every writing mistake can be kept by the finder, as I am drunk af.

[@NicholasRehm]

Excellent thoughts. Yes I agree the flip would have definitely worked if I was higher, but I didn’t want to risk missing it on camera haha. Cheers 🍻

[@AndyPanda9]

Excellent job explaining how it works and the blade geometry vs. helicopter. I'm impressed!

[@CmdrKien]

Makes me wonder if you could do collective pitch as well, so that you don't have to vary the speed between the two rotors for roll control, but rather adjust the angle of attack between the two so one makes more lift

[@NicholasRehm]

Sure, just need a linear actuator to extend the offset linkage to change blade pitch amplitude

[@brianb-p6586]

The Voith Schneider propulsion system does that (with huge heavy blades in water for ship propulsion). The control linkage is definitely more complex, but it's viable.

[@darrylrowley7547]

Wow, I'm an older codger, you are a genius. Well done. Surely it makes for very maneuverable vehicle. Great for mustering cattle in our Outback.

[@ahmadmuazYT]

drone: crashed and broke landing gear. “we only need the drone to fly, we dont need landing gear to fly” drone: cant fly immediately after.

[@solarnaut]

"What's a behind me, it's not important" - Cannon Ball Run kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5uqiaFoaZ55mZI B-)

[@darrellparrish1291]

Engineering work in progress, thanks for showing all in such clear manner.

[@poporbit2432]

What is the relative efficiency in power required to lift generated when compared to the quad. I live on a coastal bluff with an afternoon updraft of about 15-20mph. I have considered building a cyclorotor to capture this energy. Is this, in your opinion, worthwhile?

[@NicholasRehm]

Efficiency is slightly less, but only because it has not been 'optimized to heck' like multirotor propellers yet... There are other benefits/design considerations to factor in too like thrust vectoring ability or disk loading/tip speed!

[@rustymozzy]

A conventional 3 blade type horizontal axis wind turbine has efficiency of 40 to 50%. A vertical axis turbine has 10 to 15% efficiency. If you align the axis of a turbine with the direction of air flow, all blades are generating lift, or are used to capture energy. If the axis is across the air flow direction only part of the blade arrangement is working for you, the rest is working against you. No, in my opinion, this is not worthwhile. This propeller arrangement is used in situations that require rapid flow direction changes, like in tugboat applications. They have tremendous power inputs, and the losses are acceptable as the benefits of flow direction control outweigh the need for power conservation. In your application, you want maximum efficiency, and have little need for flow vectoring. Besides, the complexity of the cyclorotor adds many more failure points, increased maintenance and shorter service life.

[@madddogg6904]

You're unduly modest towards the end of the video. I think this concept has a future.

[@zeekjones1]

I wonder if you put two cylinders, one slightly smaller inside the other with a bunch of tiny holes and bridges connecting, or sliding past, for movement in the same way as the flaps on this cycloidal rotor, if this can hybrid with the Magnus effect. It would require many smaller pieces, which also increases complexity. But would it also increase efficiency with multiple downforce generations in one space?

[@newzealandhoris4208]

I'm not trying to take anything away from your video I think it's awesome engineering

[@swishpan]

Awesome work! I'm curious to know how much you can increase thrust and flight time compared to props. Pro tip: if you want to flip, consider having more height so you have space to recover.

[@Dark0neone]

and potentially smash it into the ground even harder! great idea!

[@swishpan]

@@Dark0neone i know what you're thinking but as strange as it sounds, the more height the more time you have to get it back levelled. For the same reason cats survive more falls from 9th floor compared to 5th floor.

[@Dark0neone]

@@swishpan unless you don't level it and then my point still stands. I wouldn't do the first test at a great height. I would rather fix it than rebuild it, especially without getting much useful information.

[@swishpan]

@@Dark0neone I prefer about 10 meters altitude on my stunts. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqeTYXyrmtB7rc0

[@Dark0neone]

@@swishpan I didn't ask lmao.

[@breakthecycle5238]

dude this vid won the internet for me today. crazy stuff!

[@leoleydekkers7024]

Well done! Have you seen "Cyclorotor's" 83kg prototype craft with 4 cyclorotors? I am also interested in producing lift from the blade less ring design

[@richardsuckerson49]

They have a very interesting prototype indeed

[@libertypastor1307]

Looks cumbersome, but love the fact that you thought outside the box and created something so different that actually worked! Good job! Keep usin' yer noggin!

[@xenn4985]

Just in need of some cleverly engineered mechanisms to reduce complexity. Early helos had the same problem. Nearly every machine does.

[@MylesKeef]

Would be awesome to be able to quickly make an electric car into a drone by attaching these to the wheels. Then you could fly somewhere, disconnect, then drive to the final location. Once energy density gets better, who knows!

[@brianthehippy]

Great video! That was my first introduction to cyclo copters. Thank you!

[@DailyDoseOfInternet]

:)

[@FatalShotGG]

"Hey, some hard work I can profit from!"

[@tommydmot7725]

Its pretty insane how quiet the blades are. All you can hear is the strain on the drive train. Stealthy!

[@NicholasRehm]

Yup, need to swap out the noisy gears with belt drive for the next one

[@nothingelsetolose7661]

dude you are totally awesome I think you're pure genius i've been watching your videos and seeing the things that you do and come up with and if you don't have an aerospace engineering degree or some kind of education like that you definitely should pursue it because you're way above and beyond any anybody else I know

[@conradsenior5843]

I like the more pleasant sounds it makes.

[@gabipaduraru2004]

This kind of cyclocopter was patented 40 years ago by a romanian engineer Iustin Capra. He made such a kind af vehicle and he lifted in the ear aproximatly 5 m from the ground. Any how, congrats for your work !

[@hurricanefury439]

This idea was already tried in the 1920s You actually managed to make it work

[@NicholasRehm]

00:58

[@PeterJavea]

pretty amazing. glad you are honest enough to show blips....

[@bedsdavec]

about 1949 as a child in Germany I saw the cool kids had "kites" built on this principle with two slightly swept back rotating wings and a tail fin. I cannot understand why I never saw them in England. Always wanted one

[@wbriggs111]

I love gadgets and this is unique . Thanks for this well produced film.

[@raygokener9716]

That's awesome that you can do something new. So many people build things that have already been made and may tweak them here and there, but to build something new is revolutionary. I have an idea for a very different type of electric vehicle that not only uses regenerative braking but uses the wind to inconspicuously to recharge it, without having visible wind rotors. It would look much like a regular car. I would love to see someone pursue the project. If you want, I can share more details about it. The details may be a bit crude because I don't have a lot of time, but I could share some pictures of parts and explain it the best I could if you're interested.

[@JohanDegraeveAanscharius]

This is very informative, it works! (no discussion about efficiency etc. Just the physics) Only one BIG error: at 1:47: the red arrow is directed in the wrong direction: top & bottom blade give drag in the other direction: so the drawing needs to be mirrored. Using 3 blades and a cam shaft would improve efficiency.(blades will influence each other less)

[@tiredironrepair]

Variable pitch angle VAWT that can be speed controlled by adjusting the angle so in high wind conditions it wont spin apart but can also optomize light wind conditions. Vertical axis turbines spin without the need to track the wind like a propeller style wind turbine.

[@southpark4151]

True. When the wind is strong etc, then that structure becomes like a wind-catcher, and maybe get lots of drag and other issues. Good novelty flying machine though. Although, because it has a helicopter propeller on the back for stabilizing etc, then there's the helicopter solution being used right there.

[@droneflybzz4500]

Good explanation of Cyclocopter principle! Thanks!

[@user-jp2em5hy5f]

Look up: Whale Tubercle wing The effect of these tubercles is a wing with a much higher angle of attack before stall and a much gentler stall. There also seems to be a lot less tip vortex from the research I have seen. I believe this may ease and improve directional control. I note that said Tubercles are easy to make by using thick, rounded wing ribs, completely covered with a somewhat elastic fabric... I also note that the 'wheel hubs' of your rotors can be modded to better emulate winglets and further minimize tip vortices. Especially if given a more aerodynamic profile.

[@is.this.a-real-thing]

Cool video and concept. In fact I think the company's name is Tess, they make some of the world's fastest and strongest tugboats. They use that same concept in just vertical in the water in. Which also can make the boat turn on a dime and crazy amounts of thrust and torque ool video and concept. In fact I think the company's name is Tess, they make some of the world's fastest and strongest tugboats.

[@eligriggs9221]

I like your project and would like to see you advance the concept by 1) trying to make each blade assembly into bi and tri winged mechanisms, and 2) divide bi and tri wing designs into fractal sections, which coordinate into a rapid sequence of correctly positioned airfoils as the assembly makes each quartered rotations, with several fractcal segments creating a back and forth sequence, like a piano keyboard played from one end to the other, which give maximum lift without interfering with the airstream being created. Cheers

[@armandoquintanilla2973]

Sweet, & here I am thinking I was the only one out of the box, welcome to all of this space

[@shaunhall6834]

Wicked cool! I like that you threw in some dry ice too.

[@mumblety]

This is the coolest thing I have seen in months!!

[@bobbilly1869]

That is really neat. I'd love to see a kit production.

[@wendelljf]

Wow, it’s so whimsical. It looks like a vehicle that you would find in a Miyazaki film.

[@o5245607]

Very cool video. There are videos that show how high a object has to be to complete a flip and not smash into the ground. For a crouching person on a roof to do a complete flip and land in a crouching position on both feet is roughly 10 to 11 feet. I know this is true because I did this.

[@robertstark3326]

Nicholas, you have a great KZbin channel and I think you do some of the most amazing projects, this being one of them. Thanks for all the inspiration.

[@subjectofgov]

I liked the honesty when the final review was done. My planned comments aren't needed now.

[@NicholasRehm]

Appreciate you watching till the end!

[@H0urg1ass]

Fascinating to watch, but I agree with your final assessment. I see some aerodynamic issues with this... chiefly that you always have one of the most un-aerodynamic shapes known to man constantly facing forward while it flies. The two wings which aren't producing lift are flat against the wind as this thing moves forward which will greatly reduce forward speed. Now, if you're not as worried about speed as you are about lift and the ability to hover, then perhaps something like this could have a use in high altitude rescues where helicopters have a difficult time reaching, such as injured mountain climbers. Really cool concept. Glad you built and and glad I got to watch it.

[@fenderstratguy]

Fascinating look at what is for me a brand new technology.

[@thunderbearclaw]

Awsome video. I love the smokey fire stand in for a wind tunnel! ... more ... truly great!

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

An opposing pair of counter-rotating (relative to the other pair) cycloidal rotors would circumvent the need for the front rotor, but two side-mounted traditional rotors on such a configuration could be beneficial in multiple ways. I can see some future iteration of this being employed as an ultra-stable base for aerial photography.

[@charlesgarnier4255]

As kids in the mid-sixties, my bud had a kite in the shape of a bird that used the principles showing in this video. Cool then and still cool. Ty.

[@CodyHovland]

This was an amazing video and excellent craftsmanship! Building stuff that has never been made before is my specialty!

[@fredrossman1189]

It's nice to see somebody on the leading edge. Go get it. I be looking. and thanks for shareing.

[@johnskerlec9663]

Wow. I'm blown away. All I can say is Wow.

[@DigitalGus75]

Really cool! Love it. Need a 4 cycle-rotor version

[@JKGKJJLGHGHJ]

The cyclocopter concept does away with wings and complex flight controls and if you use four you don't need the rear rotor and it appears to have great stability also, i bet it will replace propellers in the future.

[@BenjaminGoldberg1]

Three possible improvements: If the secondary axis of each cyclorotor, the thing which changes the blade pitch, could be moved forwards, backwards, up, and down, then you could fully adjust how much forwards, rearwards, upwards, or downwards thrust was produced, even while keeping the RPM constant. If the two cyclorotors spin in opposite directions, at equal speed, you won't produce any unwanted forwards rotation. By deliberately spinning either one faster than the other, you can deliberately produce forwards or rearwards rotation. If you've done both of the above, you no longer need that conventional thruster in the nose.

[@areadenial2343]

It seems like you could build a quad-cyclocopter design where the front and rear rotors spin in opposite directions so that the torque cancels out, similar to a twin-rotor helicopter. I also wonder if it's possible to make a rotor where the blades can twist, allowing them to achieve different pitch angles on either half of the rotor. This would allow you to create a twin-rotor cyclocopter with pitch, roll, and yaw control.