 |
Waterspout Helicopter Designed To Take Off Underwater
Waterspout, a small helicopter that can take off underwater from a submarine, has been designed by students at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and the University of Pennsylvania. The joint team of students have won first prize in a US helicopter design competition.
(Underwater helicopter takes off from submerged submarine)
The helicopter is sized to take off from within submarines using existing openings; of necessity, it is large enough to hold only two passengers. Note that this is a design only; no prototype exists.
Waterspout would also float on the water even in rough seas; it would have enough fuel to fly 260 kilometers at a time. The small submarine-based helicopter would make use of stealth technology; it is designed with low heat emissions and special coatings to make it harder to spot with radar.
The Pennsylvania team was responsible for the aerodynamics of the rotors and the fuel system; the Technion team planned the rotor mechanics, the blade-folding mechanism, and the takeoff mechanism.
The model won first prize in the first-degree student category in a helicopter planning competition organized by the American Helicopter Society.
If you're interested in things that fly, but take off from underwater, see Cormorant Submarine/Sea Launched Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/31/2007)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 4 )
Related News Stories - (" Vehicle ")
Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster
'The car surged and lifted, clearing its top by a negligible margin.' - Robert Heinlein, 1941.
Have I Seen The Tesla Roadster Story Before?
'Only it wasn't a vessel. It was an automobile...' - Theodore Sturgeon, 1941.
Self-Driving Car Ticketed
This just missed making my day.
Loomo Mini Transporter Robot Companion You Ride On
'Slowly the [robot] horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.' - Christopher Stasheff, 1969.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
Ontario Starts Guaranteed Minimum Income
'Earned by just being born.'
Is There Life In Outer Space? Will We Recognize It?
'The antennae of the Life Detector atop the OP swept back and forth...'
Space Traumapod For Surgery In Spacecraft
' It was a ... coffin, form-fitted to Nessus himself...'
Tesla Augmented Reality Hypercard
'The hypercard is an avatar of sorts.'
A Space Ship On My Back
''Darn clever, these suits,' he murmured.'
Biomind AI Doctor Mops Floor With Human Doctors
'My aim was just not to lose by too much.' - Human Physician participant.
Fuli Bad Dog Robot Is 'Auspicious Raccoon Dog' Bot
Bad dog, Fuli. Bad dog.
Las Vegas Humans Ready To Strike Over Robots
'A worker replaced by a nubot... had to be compensated.'
You'll Regrow That Limb, One Day
'... forcing the energy transfer which allowed him to regrow his lost fingers.'
Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster
'The car surged and lifted, clearing its top by a negligible margin.'
Somnox Sleep Robot - Your Sleepytime Cuddlebot
Science fiction authors are serious about sleep, too.
Real-Life Macau or Ghost In The Shell
Art imitates life imitates art.
Has Climate Change Already Been Solved By Aliens?
'I had explained," said Nessus, "that our civilisation was dying in its own waste heat.'
First 3D Printed Human Corneas From Stem Cells
Just what we need! Lots of spare parts.
VirtualHome: Teaching Robots To Do Chores Around The House
'Just what did I want Flexible Frank to do? - any work a human being does around a house.'
Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) Workshop
SF writers have thought about this since the 19th century.
