I would really like to know what the rotary group thinks
of the attached concept as outlined by Vance.  A
standard clutch would really be a boon to the light
helicopters by eliminating the typical belt tensioning
assembly and the use of vee belts in general.  Do you
think there any inherent dangers in running the clutch
at 5500-6000 rpm for extended periods.  Please feel free
to throw out any suggestions as further ideas or
hardware recommendations there are a number of builders
looking for a solution. In case your curious, this is
for the Helicycle, www.helicycle.com

Thank you all,

Ed Angell

Nah! The racers use them to 9500 RPM all the time. Plus you
can buy special low diameter multiple plate racing clutches.

I would highly recommend making the single rotor into a peripheral
port engine. As a side port engine the power to weight ratio of
a single rotor engine is marginal. You can also buy aluminum flywheels
to cut the weight further.

Paul Lamar

I think that that a single rotor is a pretty heavy engine for a helicycle.
The problem with putting a rotary in a helicopter is the fact that that
helicopters are so sensitive to design changes, just increasing engine power
may necessitate a different tail rotor or whole design change.

One thought I have is that a turbocharged periport single rotor might run
just fine with a t3 turbo and give you 150+ HP even at altitude.  T3 Turbos
are pretty cheap too.

Hans Conser

Hi Hans;
That's an interesting concept.
Is there not a price to pay as far as the TBO
when you turbocharge ?
It has been mentioned on this group that the turbo helps
to quiet the exhaust which is a plus.
150 HP is exactly 200% more than the factory 700cc engine,
what approximately would the fuel burn be with the turbo
engine running at 75 HP.  According to BJ, 75 HP will be
suitable for most pilots unless they want to work at high
altitudes.
This is really getting to be very interesting and I truly
appreciate the group think on this problem.

Ed Angell

Figure a BSFC of .5 Ed. In other words 75 HP would be 37.5 pounds
of fuel an hour or at six pounds per gallon 6.25 gallons an hour.

Paul Lamar
 
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