Fluttercopter (oz8662)

About this Plan

Fluttercopter. Simple free flight copter model.

Quote: "Fluttercopter, by Doug Smith.

First of all, I didn’t invent this thing, it’s been built for centuries. All I did was simplify the design and make it easier for anyone to build. When I was a kid back in the dark ages, I had a Jim Walker Ceiling Walker, very similar to this one but built of steam bent thin balsa for the props and a stick fuselage. I only had one of them because it sold for 49 cents and that was a lot of money for a kid. Mine had an encounter with a tree which broke one of the balsa props and I was never able to get it back together to stay. What did we do before super glue?

I made lots more of various sizes and types, this version is one of the better ones, easy to build and fly with no adjustments needed at all. The two props turn in opposite directions, torque from the bottom prop causes the entire stick and top prop to turn, both of them pulling the model upward. A single loop of 1/8 in rubber strip is about the right amount of power. On a hand wind, it will go up to the tops of the trees if flown outside; inside it will flutter about on the ceiling until the motor runs down. Outside use requires dead calm weather.

Our club flew them at a mall show, where some of them ended up tangled among the rafters. We kept sending more fluttercopters up after them, eventually knocking most of them down in a clump. I think there are still a few up in the bar joists. We flew one at a trade show where it got itself hung up overhead, then we found someone with an R/C blimp who managed to free it from its trap. One guy who saw it fly said: That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

Wind it up and let it go vertical, pusher prop on the bottom. You don’t have to push it at all, just let it go. There aren’t any adjustments and it doesn’t need any, it will fly when poorly built. Hold it close to the prop to wind it but don’t let the blades hit hit your hand.

OK, lets go ahead and build one, all you need is some 1/16 and 1/8 balsa and a bit of tissue. Expensive Esaki tissue isn’t needed, cheap gift wrap tissue will do just fine. I always build the four prop blades first, using fairly hard 1/16 balsa. If all you have is softer stock, make the long pieces thicker (3/32) at the hub end, tapering to 1/16 at the tip. They can be glued together over the paper with a sheet of plastic wrap protecting the plan.

Go ahead and cover all four blades with tissue using a glue stick. Cover on one side (the top) only. Don’t shrink or dope the tissue or it will warp like a Pringles potato chip. Next task will be the prop hubs, using 1/8 balsa. Try to be as accurate as possible, remembering to make mirror images of each hub so they can turn in opposite directions. Once the hubs are cut, glue the prop blades to them, making sure they line up straight so they don’t wobble. The tissue covering goes toward the top side. Fuselage will be next, needing hard 1/8 x 3/16 balsa for the bottom motor stick..."

Hi Mary, have I got a deal for you! I know you're planning to build a model for yourself. Here's one that's easy to build and easy to fly. I've been building these for a looooonngg time, should be no trouble at all with very little expense.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Instructions. Fluttercopter notes.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction