/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>993864
Human powered helicopters have been achieved, at great difficulty and expense buy university students, but only as a proof of concept. It got off the ground, but it was in no way practical.

Human powered aircraft that have actually achieved decent flight times are all ultralight planes.

>>993873
A helicopter surely must be harder.

I could build an airframe like the Bleriot monoplane in pic related. Instead of wood, it could be pvc pipes and rip resistant fiber for an ultralight air frame.

That way, the only thing we have to worry about being heavy is the actual pedal powered engine

>>993876
>it could be pvc pipes
Yeah, good luck with that.

>>993876
You'll want to use carbon fibre, fibreglass, or aluminium for the frame. PVC, while less dense, also has a lower strength to weight ratio, meaning the frame will have to be thicker and will end up heavier.

>>993876
The 'engine' will be mostly just bike pedals, gears and chains and will be fairly light. The frame will be the heaviest part of the plane.

The wing canopy, depending on what you use, may also add some significant weight. Look for either purpose made fabrics made for ultralights, or possibly sail material.

The prop should obviously be made of an ultralight material, probably either fibreglass or wood.

/diy/ is not /spoonfeed/.

Search engines, what are they?

>First ask Google, then ask /diy/. Your question will probably be better received if you do so.

>>993900
I have googled, now I need advice on using the recommended fibers/materials.

>>993916
I hope you've heard of the Gossamer Condor and its derivatives. It's the most successful bike-powered aircraft and I would look at their design ideas as a start.

>>993876
Aerospace engineering B.S. reporting in. If you manage to actually build a bicycle powered aircraft, capable of maintaining sustained flight, with what is not an Olympic level of fitness, please contact me, because we should, uh, do business.

The fact that your go-to structural material for "light weight" is fucking PVC plastic is very telling, in itself. get access to a carbon fiber, or MAYBE fiberglass, layup facility, and we MIGHT be closer to a viable airframe. This is a notoriously near-impossible project for university groups. What makes YOU think that, as an individual, who hasn't gone to school for aero, YOU can build a human-powered aircraft? I'm a graduate, and even I have seen the feasibility analysis, and haven't even wasted my time sitting down doing a feasiblity analysis, because actually making it would be a fucking bitch.

>>993955
Maybe if OP used a combination of solar cells and raw muscle power to fly his contraption it could get somewhere, the point is to increase the power to weight ratio.

>>994276
Better yet, a gas powered engine!

>>994191
People tend to overestimate how much power a person can generate. An Olympic sprint cyclist can generate enough power (700W) to just barely run a toaster for almost three minutes before becoming exhausted.

To safely achieve this energy output you would need approximately 2kg of lithium polymer batteries, however the batteries can maintain that output for more than ten times as long.

>>993864
There's a lot of ancient patents around for flying bicycles, believe it or not. Not really free-flight, but that would glide for short periods if you got going fast enough.
Maybe 5% of them might actually work, under the circumstance that you built them well (composites/nylon covering) and you had a REALLY long gradual hill to coast down.

I glider bike *could* be fun, for a few days at least--kinda like drifting trikes, with an increased risk of serious injury and death. I would doubt that it would ever be useful.

Pic related, a particularly better example. The main wings look about right but the controls system is a dream.
I am that guy who says that weight-shifting control is hopeless for a hoverbike--but weight-shifting is perfect for this situation.

>>993864
>youtube.com/watch?v=syJq10EQkog
>youtube.com/watch?v=syWVQzImKuA
The wings or the rotor blades have to be enormous to optimise the power use of the aircraft, making them not usefull.
I also suspect that you know jackshit of flight, so i suggest you learn the absolute basics before touching a tool.

T. another engineeringfag

>>994191
>B.S.
>mfw

>>993864

I also identify as an Attack Helicopter.

Here, have some plans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFqeXm_5X4

Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Op, you have to go light like the Colombian Cri Cri. Or try a gyrocopter.

Just build a gygrocopter. You will kever achieve sole human powered flight

>>993864
don't let your dreams be dreams.

I was told that a wooden gokart would be a death trap going any faster then 8mph. so I built a wooden gokart to race semi-pro shifter karts, finished the season in 5th place. mostly because I wasn't really a fine driver. most of the people I raced didn't know my kart was wooden until they saw it up close, mainly because I painted it. and holy shit getting that thing past inspection was a real PITA. Ironically enough, used the gokart for a really big bon fire after I retired it, this was back in the 90s before everyday cellphone cameras where a thing, there might be pictures out there.. but nothing I have.

Use very lightweight road bike. It could happen.

>>993876
>I could build an airframe like the Bleriot monoplane in pic related. Instead of wood, it could be pvc pipes and rip resistant fiber for an ultralight air frame.
I don't think it could. It's been done, but with CF and mylar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacCready_Gossamer_Condor

>>993876
>I could build an airframe like the Bleriot monoplane in pic related. Instead of wood, it could be pvc pipes and rip resistant fiber for an ultralight air frame.
FYI ,,,,,,,, PVC is shit for structural use.
It is relatively heavy, rather flimsy and crumples easily under compression loads.
For anything that needs high strength/high stiffness/low weight, it is not okay. It is nowhere close to being a 'good' choice.

Ancient wood-and fabric airplanes were made out of wood, music wire and fabric. The wood was usually spruce.

For structural use--modern aircraft supply places generally sell carbon fiber/composite supplies, 6061 aluminum, 4130 steel and spruce.

>>994301
Exactly, why didn't we think of this sooner?!