In the late 1480s, Leonardo da Vinci sketched a design for what looked like a helicopter with unusual helical propellers, propelled by the rotation of internal pedals. An engineering team from the University of Maryland (USA) wondered if a design with such propellers could fly in reality, and in 2019 began working on the Crimson Spin project to create a drone based on da Vinci’s sketches. As it turned out, the Italian genius was right. This development was noticed by CNET.
At first, the engineers did not believe in the success of the project, but after creating the underlying technology as part of a local design competition, they had hope: some computer simulations and 3D-printed screw prototypes showed promising results. They were confirmed: a drone with such propellers can really fly, and it was presented at the Transformative Vertical Flight 2022 conference.
The Crimson Spin is essentially a typical quadcopter, but instead of conventional blades, it uses plastic da Vinci spiral propellers, built around the Archimedes screw concept. There are four of them in the drone, all of them are driven by electric motors – in the original concept of the Italian scientist, they had to be spun by a person using pedals. The quadcopter flies due to the fact that the da Vinci propellers create an air vortex at the edge of each wing – it spirals downward, thereby creating upward thrust.
The prospect of using such screws instead of the typical ones is doubtful, nevertheless they have their advantages. Such a design probably creates a smaller wind wave and, apparently, should be quieter.
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
