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The Physics Teacher -- October 2010 -- Volume 48, Issue 7, pp. 458

Investigating Flight with a Toy Helicopter

Michael Liebl

Mount Benedictine High School, Elkhorn, NE

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Flight fascinates people of all ages. Recent advances in battery technology have extended the capabilities of model airplanes and toy helicopters. For those who have never outgrown a childhood enthusiasm for the wonders of flight, it is possible to buy inexpensive, remotely controlled planes and helicopters. A toy helicopter offers an opportunity to investigate and study some basics of flight.1

© 2010 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

classical mechanics, educational aids, helicopters, physics education

PACS

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.3488189

  1. The toy helicopter is an Air Hogs RC Apache Havoc. It is powered by a 3.7-V lithium poly battery. The charge capacity of the battery is 50 mAh. The large rotor and the tail rotor are controlled by an infrared-linked transmitter. This inexpensive helicopter is available in large discount stores doi:10.1119/1.19334AJPIAS000067000007000620000001. [ISI]
  2. Chris Waltham, “Scaling in model aircraft,” Am. J. Phys. 65, 1082–1086 (Nov. 1997).
  3. Chris Waltham, “The flight of a balsa glider,” Am. J. Phys. 67, 620–623 (July 1999).
  4. Holger Babinksy, “How do wings work?” Phys. Educ. 38(6), 497–503 (Nov. 2003).
  5. Yee-kong Ng, Se-yuen Mak, and Choi-man Chung, “Demonstration of Newton's third law using a balloon helicopter,” Phys. Teach. 40, 181 (March 2002).
  6. The development of the equations in the appendix follows the outline of texts on helicopter aerodynamics. See for example Wayne Johnson, Helicopter Theory (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1980); J. Seddon and Simon Newman, Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics, 2nd ed. (Blackwell Science Inc, 2001); or J. Gordon Leishman, Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, New York, 2005).
  7. Thanks to the reviewer whose expertise provided many helpful suggestions throughout the article.



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