The Tethered Uni-Rotor Network: Eternal Flight UAV

Re:The Tethered Uni-Rotor Network: Eternal Flight UAV by carapace on Tuesday February 19, 2019 @01:55PM (#19201679)

Er, use the Magnus effect. (Cf. "Magenn Power, Inc." company, now apparently defunct.)

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

I've been playing with geodesic cellular kites, and "eternal" flight is certainly possible. If the ratio of surface area to mass is great enough it's actually hard to stay on the ground. Cellular kites scale. I would like to eventually make flying buildings, etc...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:The Tethered Uni-Rotor Network: Eternal Flight UAV by plutonorm on Tuesday February 19, 2019 @07:48PM (#19204590)

Lol I just asked the same question without seeing your response. I was thinking hollow canvas tubes radiating out from a central hub, slowly unspooled in flight. Some mechanism would use the mechanism of rotation to draw air outward along the tubes to keep them inflated, combined with rotation induced from the central hub. No idea if that would work...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:The Tethered Uni-Rotor Network: Eternal Flight UAV by carapace on Wednesday February 27, 2019 @01:29PM (#19265637)

Sorry for the delay. I don't know if that would work either, but it sounds good. ;-)

Check out "Tensairity" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensairity

[ Parent | on HN ]