01-13-2026, 06:30 AM
(Edited 01-13-2026, 06:35 AM by Graeme Smith.)
Thank you all who have replied,
and a special thank you to the guru of the RW engine Joe Huff!
My question was to see if the RW at 5000rpm would be able to run a generator, that would produce enough power to power an electric motor, that being said the 5000rpm was needed to get enough power from the generator and that power was enough to power the electric motor (axial flux technology) All of that was to eliminate all the RW drive systems and their associated losses getting a lot of power to the rotors.
For now I have shelved that idea till a future project, a 4 seat electric helicopter.
Now I am working out the details of a gearbox to eliminate the RW drive system. and have another engine in mind.
The design will allow the RW engine to also be the powerplant but it will need a small reduction gearbox that would be bolted to the underside of the gearbox making the gearbox a 2 stage reduction (which we will work out how soon) that will match the engine we plan to use which has a continuous RPM at 2420 at 180hp and runs a turbo (the engine spins at 4500 with a reduction gearing already installed and proven on it)
we will still need to refine the connection of the engine to the gearbox via a centrifugal clutch, an isolating damper and a one way, all of which we have done on the Delta D2.
The gearbox will have a tail rotor output where the shaft drive will mount to the top of the boom at the bulkheads, and the tail rotor gearbox will use spiral bevel gearing with a hunting tooth design.
The idea is I would like to keep my brain working and this kind of a project does just that, I also have been introduced to some VERY clever aeronautical engineers during the Delta D2 project and they are still open to a challenge, so I am not alone yet.
So sometime in the next 6 months or so we will see how much of what I hope will happen, actually does happen.
Also a completely new tail rotor system with composite blades will be driven by the T/R gearbox.
I do hope I am successful in making these upgrades available to all RW owners as I do believe in the experimental category and with now commonplace CNC machining, nearly anything is possible.
and a special thank you to the guru of the RW engine Joe Huff!
My question was to see if the RW at 5000rpm would be able to run a generator, that would produce enough power to power an electric motor, that being said the 5000rpm was needed to get enough power from the generator and that power was enough to power the electric motor (axial flux technology) All of that was to eliminate all the RW drive systems and their associated losses getting a lot of power to the rotors.
For now I have shelved that idea till a future project, a 4 seat electric helicopter.
Now I am working out the details of a gearbox to eliminate the RW drive system. and have another engine in mind.
The design will allow the RW engine to also be the powerplant but it will need a small reduction gearbox that would be bolted to the underside of the gearbox making the gearbox a 2 stage reduction (which we will work out how soon) that will match the engine we plan to use which has a continuous RPM at 2420 at 180hp and runs a turbo (the engine spins at 4500 with a reduction gearing already installed and proven on it)
we will still need to refine the connection of the engine to the gearbox via a centrifugal clutch, an isolating damper and a one way, all of which we have done on the Delta D2.
The gearbox will have a tail rotor output where the shaft drive will mount to the top of the boom at the bulkheads, and the tail rotor gearbox will use spiral bevel gearing with a hunting tooth design.
The idea is I would like to keep my brain working and this kind of a project does just that, I also have been introduced to some VERY clever aeronautical engineers during the Delta D2 project and they are still open to a challenge, so I am not alone yet.
So sometime in the next 6 months or so we will see how much of what I hope will happen, actually does happen.
Also a completely new tail rotor system with composite blades will be driven by the T/R gearbox.
I do hope I am successful in making these upgrades available to all RW owners as I do believe in the experimental category and with now commonplace CNC machining, nearly anything is possible.