Expert: Paul Soderman - 10/6/2006

Question
Sir, Please I know zilch about everything. Can you tell me how much horsepower I would need to lift 300 Lbs, how long the rotor blades would have to be, at what speed would the (blades) rotation need to be? Assuming wingtip power was being used to keep from having to counteract the torque, would this change the the speed of blades, size (length), amount of Hp etc..., and lastly since the rotor blades spin how does the length affect lift? Thanks Chris Robbins  

Answer
Chris - I don't know where to begin except to say that a helicopter is one of the most complicated aeronautical machines in existance.  To design one you need to understand the aerodynamics of rotating blades,  the mechanics of flapping blades and power delivery, and control systems for all of the above.  I suggest you get a good book on rotorcraft design and start from scratch.  I really can't answer any of your questions without knowing more about the problem and then it would be a task far above what I can do in this website.  

Paul