I made a giant flying ceiling fan (and battled 100 RC airplanes)

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I built the world’s largest electric RC helicopter for the sole purpose of destroying it in aerial combat against 100 other RC airplanes at Flite Fest 2024. Chaos definitely ensued, but only after I nearly lost my sanity getting everything working.

Thanks to EMAX USA for sponsoring the power system for this project!

Tip-jet helicopters are an old design that never really gained popularity due to their noise levels and issues arising from fuel plumbing through the rotor head. Electric propulsion fixes both of these problems, making an overbuilt electric tip-prop helicopter the perfect candidate for a giant RC combat helicopter. Despite the absurdity of this project, there was still quite a bit of engineering involved, from the structural components to the control system design. It even involved some engineering logistics to get a 15ft helicopter halfway across the country and set up in time for Flite Fest 2024. If you enjoyed this video and want to stay up to date with future crazy flying contraptions, don’t forget to subscribe!

Intro & Background: 00:00
Blades Build: 02:41
Hub Build: 05:39
De-spun Fuselage: 06:20
Roll & Pitch Control: 08:39
Finishing Build & Full Assembly: 09:25
Re-Assembly at Flite Fest: 11:39
Prep for Flight 1: 13:32
Flight Attempt 1: 14:48
Field Repairs: 16:21
Flight Attempt 2: 18:02
Flight Attempt 3: 22:37
Conclusions & THANK YOU!: 25:03

#Quadichopter

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Комментарии

Hey everyone! A few things:

1. Thank you for 100k!!! This project was for all of you--now I can get back to the unfolding quadcopter project :)

2. The "toilet-bowling" in the air was the result of me actively trying to pitch it over with my implemented control method. But even the 10mph wind meant that every time I did manage to pitch it into the wind to stop the drifting, it would roll right back over ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3. I actually flew this thing 3 times at the event! I'll be posting the full 3rd flight over on my Patreon page in the next few days along with a discussion on the above wind issues, which arise from the extremely low disk loading of these types of spinning drone designs. It's basically why slow planes have big propellers, and fast planes have turbojets: exit thrust speed & blade "bite"

- Nick

NicholasRehm

Muahah! So glad our Scout got in the thumbnail! Until next time Nick!

PS: Sorry for smacking your head off
PPS: Also sorry for absolutely DEMOLISHING you xD

whatsthematter

Aluminum tape vs the world! Such a cool build!

michaelrechtin

The internet truly has internet-ed. I saw a video from Flight Fest the other day on Tik Tok of someone taking cover while everyone yelled "who's flying the ceiling fan?" and I'm so glad that I was able to see not only your POV, but the built process. Amazing work!

hiperfin

Goes to flite test with a giant ceiling fan 😂 still a cool build can't wait to see what you do next year!

ONEFUNFONE

"Helicopter supply store", my favorite line of the week!

david.e.h.

So good! I love how the thumbnail makes it look like a manned aircraft

rctestflight

Bro made the worlds largest levitating ceiling fan 💀💀💀

Colin

Seeing you at Flite Fest was a blast, and I'm glad you got to destroy it in combat! Thanks for putting out all this hard work for everyone's enjoyment and learning. Still got a few kinks to work out on the Holy Hand Grenade plane, so hopefully, I'll see you next year for combat again!

isaiahrohrs

Peter to the rescue! Great job and support from the community!

jonesmatthew

Dude, I am not tech-smart enough to understand all the engineering, but I CAN appreciate how much effort went into this. This is cool. Always so proud of you, baby bro!

emmyann

_Those_ shots,
of _those_ events,
were some of the coolest things I've ever seen on YouTube. Amazing...

eamonia

“Giant pinwheel of doom”, just what I was thinking. Insane project! Congrats on 100k, you definitely deserve all those subs and more!

mathewblanc

That definitely was the boss of the show.

StephanBuchin

Ive got a helpful tip. Foam board is used constantly in composites for homebuilt (manned carrying) aircraft. We use it a lot to shape cowlings, fairings, etc. One of the most difficult tasks is a good bond between foam, that is also sandable and shapable at a similar consistency. The trick? 2:1 Gorilla glue to lightweight spackle. It foams like pour foam, has a B stage at about 30 min that is easy to tear/cut off, and when its fully cured it sands really easily. Pot life is quick, only about 5-10 min. It yields about 4:1 volume, maybe even higher. Highly recommend for future projects.

Edit: I should specify we use a lot of pink insulation foam - not Rc foam board, but it will work similarly. The key take away is that it's sandable.

Jwmbike