Originally designed as a target drone for the U.S. Army, the NPS hummingbird has undergone several modifications to convert it into a reliable research platform. The 163 pound remotely piloted helicopter (RPH) is powered by a Weslake Aeromarine Engines Limited (WAEL) 342 two stroke, twin cylinder, 25 hp, gasoline engine. An engine failure due to cylinder overheating halted research efforts until investigation as to the cause and subsequent corrections could be made. Costing approximately $3000 per engine, another failure is unacceptable. The tasks undertaken in this thesis were to investigate the cause of the overheat failure and improve the engine cooling system. Cooling system corrections required total redesigns of the engine cooling and engine start systems. Additionally, research of the RPH's history revealed a need for a torsional shock absorber to be incorporated in the drive train to increase component life. The changes made to Hummingbird provide a decrease in empty weight, minimal center of gravity change and, most importantly, an increase in user safety finishing the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics with a dependable vehicle for rotary wing research.
Addeddate
2021-01-30 12:41:29
Advisor
Wood, E. Roberts
Corporate
Naval Postgraduate School
Degree_discipline
Aeronautical Engineering
Degree_grantor
Naval Postgraduate School
Degree_level
Masters
Degree_name
M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering
Department
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distributionstatement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
