Helicopter Build and Design Project

Hi! My name is Sophia DiLoreto and this is my helicopter project! In my Engineering Principles class, I use the engineering design process so I can design and build a helicopter. With the knowledge we have learned from this class, we can show the improvement from the basis of a past project, the paper helicopters we built earlier in the year. This project made me think on a more theoretical level in which we should be able to design and build a helicopter for a client. We will have to figure out what will help the helicopter stay in flight the longest while considering the conditions it will perform in.

1 popsicle stick, 3 rubberbands, 2 paperclips, 1 binder clip, 3 in masking tape, and 1 pre-built plastic rotor.

Before starting anything, the first few things you need to know are the four major forces acting on a helicopter and how a helicopter works! These four forces are lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Lift is an upward-acting force on an aircraft wing. Weight describes the force acting on an object due to gravity. Thrust is the force that makes an object move. And lastly, drag is a force that opposes the motion of an object. Knowing these terms are essential for flight. A helicopter is able to fly because its rotors are moving fast enough to create lift, the force that allows the helicopter to move upwards.

For this project, we focused on innovating, not inventing. Therefore, I would be able to be heavily influenced by other build designs and models to recreate a working helicopter. Before I started my research, I had to outline my limitations. This included testing locations, materials, time, and training. I tested the helicopter at Wachusett High School, had the materials given to me in the classroom, had two weeks to find the best solution, and I had no training. With these in mind I started my research besides looking at other creator’s models. I researched different helicopter models like a fixed wing model, and single rotor. I looked at what the best blade shape would be, how friction is the worst enemy, what an airfoil is, and lastly, how the larger the rotor blade is and the slower it spins, the more efficient it is.

I had decided to go with a traditional helicopter model with one rotor because having more than one set of rotors could lead to collisions between the two. I was greatly inspired by this video to innovate my helicopter. I would use a popsicle stick instead of balsa wood because of the structure and stability it provides. Additionally, I would use two paper clips, a binder clip, a pre-built rotor provided in class, a bit of masking tape, 3 rubber bands and a construction paper cutout of a helicopter.

The biggest conflict I had with this project was the amount of rubber bands to use. I even made a separate “helicopter” model that I did not release and let fly, but instead just observed the time that different amounts of rubber bands received when twisted to its maximum capacity. For a while in this project process, I thought that 5 rubber bands would be the best solution. But after testing and watching my fellow classmates, I realized that might not be the case. With five rubber bands, the flight time was very abrupt and over fast. While winding up the rubber bands, five got too tight very quickly, and started to bend the rest of the apparatus. I thought power was how the helicopter would succeed. But after testing with three, four, and five rubber bands, I decided three was the most efficient. Three rubber bands allow for enough power to get in the air and have a successful flight, while also having a prolonged flight time. In addition to this, three rubber bands are able to receive more twist because they are not as tightly bound. The more twist, the longer the rotor is able to spin.

Throughout the testing process, I was able to see how different materials and different amounts of rubber bands impacted the performance of the helicopter. During the first ten or so tests, I stuck with the five rubber bands, and changed different variables until I realized that the number of rubber bands was the issue I was having. Although if it weren't for those tests, I don't think I would have necessarily known that a binder clip helps with the paper clips bending, or that a paper body of a helicopter is essential to the success for flight. Conversations with my classmates and teachers also helped with the success of the helicopter model. My teacher taught me the right way to spin a rotor, as silly as it sounds. But these conversations can lead to new ideas and dramatically impact the way a project can go.

If I were to have more time and supplies, I would begin to design a parachute system to extend the total flight time of the helicopter. This could have possibly been made by using a plastic bag, or saran wrap. If I had the tools available and the skills necessary, a programmed arduino could have been a successful model to prolong flight time. Although, I don't think it would be considered a rubber band helicopter anymore. The final factor that I would have changed about this project is having a partner. Having a partner could have been helpful to have more ambitious ideas and to build off of.