DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SWASHPLATE-LESS HELICOPTER

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
HELICOPTER:
A helicopter is a rotorcraft of horizontally spinning rotors which provide lift and
thrust. The helicopter will take off and land vertically, hover, and fly forward, backward,
and laterally as a result of this. Fixed-wing aircraft and many models of VTOL (Vertical
Takeoff and Landing) aircraft cannot function in congested or remote locations because of
these characteristics.

Helicopters are capable of performing tasks that aero planes are incapable of. They have the
ability to go up and down in a straight line. Most planes are incapable of doing so. Without a
runway, helicopters can take off and land. They have the ability to transform in the air in
ways that aero planes cannot. Helicopters have the ability to fly backwards or sideways.
They can also stay in one place in the air and not move.

The flight controls of a helicopter act more like those of a fixed-wing aircraft in forward
flight. The nose will pitch down as the cyclic is shifted forward, resulting in an increase in
airspeed and loss of altitude. The nose will pitch up as a result of the aft cyclic, slowing
the helicopter and forcing it to rise. A climb will be induced by increasing collective
(power) while maintaining constant airspeed, while a descent will be induced by
decreasing collective.

An object must have lift in order to fly. The term "lift" refers to the act of pushing
something upward. Wings provide lift. The top of the wing is bent, while the bottom is
smooth. Because of the form, air flows faster over the top than under the bottom. The
faster air on top of the wing creates suction, which causes the wing to rise. The wings of
aero planes provide lift. The rotor blades of a helicopter are like rotating wings. The
blades of a helicopter's rotor spin to pass air around it. The rotor creates the lift that lifts
the helicopter into the air.

SWASH PLATE:
The main rotor of a helicopter is the most critical component of the
aircraft. It provides lift for the helicopter to fly as well as power for the helicopter to
travel laterally, turn, and adjust altitude. The rotor must first be extremely powerful in

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order to do all of these activities. For each revolution, it must also be able to change the
angle of the rotor blades. The swash plate assembly is a mechanism used by the pilot to
communicate these changes.
The upper and lower swash plates are the two components of the swash plate assembly.
Special linkages attach the upper swash plate to the mast, or rotor shaft as shown in
Fig.1.1. The upper swash plate and the rotor blade system are also turned by the engine as
it turns the rotor shaft. Blade grips, which attach the blades to a hub, are part of this
device. Control rods from the upper swash plate attach to a connection point on the
blades, allowing motions from the upper swash plate to be transferred to the blades. The
hub is attached to the mast by the Jesus nut, which is named for the fact that its failure is
said to put a pilot face to face with Jesus.
The lower swash plate is not rotating and is fixed. Between the upper and lower swash
plates are ball bearings, which cause the upper plate to rotate freely on top of the lower
plate. The cyclic- and collective-pitch levers are connected by control rods attached to the
lower swash plate. As the pilot controls either of those two levers, inputs are transmitted
to the lower swash plate and then to the upper swash plate through the control rods.

A pilot can manipulate the swash plate assembly and control the helicopter's motion with
this rotor configuration. The cyclic allows the swash plate assembly to independently
adjust the angle of the blades as they revolve. This allows the helicopter to fly in every
direction, including forward, backward, left, and right, around a 360-degree circle. The
collective helps the swash plate assembly to concurrently adjust the angle of all blades.
This increases or decreases the lift provided by the main rotor to the helicopter, allowing
it to gain or lose altitude.

Fig.1.1: Basic parts of Helicopter Rotor.

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The link rods from the revolving part of the swash plate drive the following.

Pitch hinges enable the blades to rotate around an axis that runs from the root to the tip of
the blade. One blade will rise vertically while the other falls vertically thanks to the teeter
hinge. When there is translational relative wind, or when a cyclic control input is applied,
this motion occurs.
The lower swash plate receives pitch information from three non-rotating control rods.
Three or more blades are common in rotor systems. The blades are free to flap, feather, and
lead or lag in their own right.

FLAPPING HINGE:

The flapping hinge is a horizontal hinge that allows the blade to travel up and
down. Flapping is a compensatory movement that is used to compensate for lift
asymmetry. The flapping hinge could be at different distances from the rotor hub, and
there could be several hinges.

LEAD-LAG HINGE OR DRAG HINGE:

The blade will travel back and forth on this hinge. This is referred to as lead-lag,
dragging, or hunting. Dampers are typically used around the drag hinge to avoid
excessive back and forth movement. The drag hinge and dampers are used to compensate
for the difference in drag encountered by the advancing and retreating blades, which
causes acceleration and deceleration.
The feathering hinge around the feathering axis is the third hinge in the fully articulated
system. The change in pitch of rotor blades stimulated by pilot feedback to the collective
or cyclic is regulated by this hinge.

TEETERING HINGE:

A teetering or seesaw rotor is another name for a semi rigid rotor.

This device usually consists of two blades that meet at the rotor shaft just under a typical
flapping or teetering hinge. As a result, the blades flap together in opposite movements,
similar to a seesaw. The central hinge causes the entire rotor head to tilt left and right to
allow the blades to flap, with one blade flapping up while the other flaps down.

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RC HELICOPTER, UAV AND MAV APPLICATIONS:

Unmanned aerial vehicles promise to enable a wide range of new robotic activities
and services for both professional and private use. In the past, unmanned aircraft have been
associated most closely with military surveillance roles, cinematography, live event
videography, disaster relief support, and post-damage assessments. Autonomous networks
of unmanned vehicles are imagined as an alternative to static infrastructure including
security camera networks or wireless communication services.

Bridge and dam structural health can be assessed remotely by flying in close quarters or
near houses. Last-mile package delivery would need similar capabilities, as vehicles with
a high degree of autonomy would need to be driven with confidence in public spaces.

The operational expectations for UAVs are evolving as a result of these new users and
applications. In these new applications, future UAVs must be cost effective. They must be
easily transportable, deployable, serviceable, and mechanically stable. To meet consumer
needs, flight durations must be increased. As these devices are used in close proximity to
humans and structures, in complex environments, and by non-specialist staff, operational
safety becomes increasingly important. These requirements have placed pressure on
UAVs to become smaller and lighter.
With the continued integration of emerging technology, the concept of these platforms is
increasingly moving away from merely being miniature aircraft. It is possible to deviate
significantly from large-scale fixed and rotary wing formats.

In light of their stringent form factor and system weight requirements, obtaining the
requisite attitude control authority for highly dynamic maneuvers and outdoor activity in
micro air vehicles is a significant challenge. This dissertation looks at how cyclic blade
pitch control can be added to MAVs so that they can have thrust, roll, and pitch control all
from a single rotor and motor. At large and medium scales, cyclic pitch systems that use
auxiliary roll and pitch actuators to drive a kinematic swash plate and linkage mechanism
remain the state of the art. Obtaining this level of control authority without the gross
weight, cost, assembly complexity, or maintenance issues inextricably linked to the swash
plate allows for new aircraft formats, capabilities, and operating scales.

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Traditional coaxial helicopter micro air vehicles control thrust, pitch, and roll
forces and moments with a large propeller motor and two small servomotors. Quad rotors,
too, produce the necessary forces and moments by coordinating the actions of multiple
actuators.
By varying the torque applied to a special flexible rotor, cyclic blade pitch shifts can be
induced, mimicking the motion of a traditional helicopter swash plate device. This
attitude control technique has previously been used on micro air vehicles as a replacement
for servo and swash plate systems used in multi quad copters, multi copters, and
helicopters.
Flight is accomplished in very different ways by quad copters and helicopters. They can
both hovers, but a quad copter has only four moving parts and is mechanically simple,
while a helicopter is mechanically complex with its adjustable rotor head that uses a
swash plate, and the swash plate and tail rotor are inextricably connected in terms of gross
weight, cost, assembly complexity, and maintenance issues.
What if the drawbacks of both the helicopter and quad copter could be eliminated?
Making a helicopter with the technical simplicity of a drone would be a fascinating way
to reconcile the technically complex flying helicopter and the technological complex
flying quad copter. This can be accomplished with only two counter-rotating propellers
and no swash plate. This gives rise to the concept of a helicopter without a swash plate.
By removing the intricate ancillary controls of a traditional helicopter swash plate or the
dispersed propeller array of a quad rotor, this concept enables new inexpensive, durable,
and light weight aircraft.
The motor torque is modulated, causing the two blades to cyclically lead and lag
in phase with the rotor rotation. The opposite signs of their lag-pitch coupling result in
180°out of phase pitch variations as a result of this synchronous motion. For example,
while one blade achieves its maximum pitch across the aircraft's nose, the other blade
achieves its minimum applied pitch across the tail. Since no auxiliary actuators or sensors
have been installed, the motor must control both the amplitude and phase of the cyclic
blade pitch shift. The number of two components makes up the applied motor signal. The
average head speed and thrust are the first two components. The second part is a
sinusoidal modulation whose amplitude determines the cyclic pitch variation's amplitude
and whose phase is locked to hub rotation to determine the direction of applied cyclic
control.

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If the motor speed rises, the rotor blades fall behind, causing one blade's angle to rise
while the other falls, maintaining the same power as a helicopter rotor head with swash
plate. Control can be achieved in the same way as a helicopter with a swash plate by
simply speeding up and slowing down the engine, which must be accelerated and
decelerated each rotation. This process for adjusting the motor's speed with each
revolution can be programmed in Arduino with the appropriate programming language.

Arduino is an open-source framework that can be used to create electronic projects.

Arduino is made up of a physical programmable circuit board (also known as a
microcontroller) and software, known as an IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
that runs on your computer and is used to write and upload computer code to the physical
board.

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CHAPTER -2
LITERATURE REVIEW

James Paulos and Mark Yim, An Under actuated Propeller for Attitude Control in
Micro Air Vehicles, 2013 [1]
Paper summarizes operating principle and working of an under actuated propeller
for attitude control for micro air vehicles. Paper explains using single motor and rotor to
express control of thrust, pitch, and roll forces and moments by modulating the torque
applied to one passively hinged, under actuated propeller. The motion is functionally
similar to that proscribed by a swash plate mechanism, but it is produced through actuation
of only the single main motor. The motor can now generate attitude moments by, selectively
elevating blade pitch in one sector and decreasing it in the opposite sector of phase 180°
through each revolution. Thrust comes from the average speed and angle of attack of the
propeller blade, and attitude moments are derived from an added cyclic oscillation in the
angle of attack through each revolution.

Carlos Malpica and Roberto Celi, Simulation based bandwidth analysis of a swash
plate less rotor helicopter [2]
The paper summarizes the Simulation based bandwidth analysis of a swash plate
less rotor helicopter, explains the operating principles of a swash plate less rotor, discusses
the issues of modeling a swash plate less rotor helicopter by means of a comprehensive
simulation model suitable for flight dynamics calculations and presents the results of a
numerical systematic investigation into the effects of swash plate less rotor design
parameters such as trailing-edge flap length and span-wise position, pitch index, and blade
torsional stiffness on helicopter trim, poles and zeros, and bandwidth. Here blades are
controlled by directly actuating the on-blade trailing edge flaps, with the resulting pitching
moment variations twisting or pitching the blade accordingly. Pitch bandwidth is found to
increase substantially by increasing the pitch index and reducing torsional stiffness. Paper
also provide evidence that strong blade aero-elastic flap-torsion instabilities are occurring
as a consequence of the reduced torsional blade stiffness.

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Bennet Caraher, and Mark Yim, Cyclic Blade Pitch Control for Small UAV without
a Swash plate, Grapevine, TX,2017. doi:10.2514/6.2017-1186[3]
The paper presents a idea of coaxial helicopter which emulates full actuation over
forces and torques (six degrees of freedom) using only two actuators. The orientation of the
thrust vector from each rotor is governed by the drive motor by exciting a cyclic
Flapping response in special articulated blades. Paper introduces a new coaxial helicopter
which emulates fully actuated aircraft using only two actuators. This is done by taking
advantage of recent methods for controlling a flapping rotor’s tip path plane by exciting a
dynamic response to modulated shaft torques from the primary drive motor. Two blades
are attached to a hub with skewed lag-pitch hinges. Modulating the motor torque
sinusoidal at one-per-rev excites a synchronous lead-lag motion in each blade within the
plane of rotation. The skewed lag-pitch hinge couples this lag oscillation into a blade pitch
oscillation. The two blades are mounted on asymmetric hinges so that one has a positive
lag-pitch coupling and the other a negative lag-pitch coupling. As a result, a one-per-rev
sinusoidal modulation in motor torque causes the blades to pitch 180◦ out of phase with
each other.

James Paul and Mark Yim, Flight Performance of a Swash plate less Micro Air
Vehicle May 2015 [4]
The journal concentrated on Flight Performance of a Swash plate less micro air
vehicle. Paper presents the control design, system integration, and free flight evaluation of
a swash plate less coaxial helicopter. This micro aerial vehicle achieves authority over roll,
pitch, and yaw orientation as well as maneuvering thrust using only two propellers directly
affixed to two motors. No additional aerodynamic control surfaces or actuators are
introduced. Cyclic control is obtained through the under actuated dynamic response of the
main rotor itself to a modulated drive torque. This design reduces the number of expensive
motor and power electronics components required when compared to quad rotor or
conventional helicopter platforms. It also eliminates the demanding final assembly and
maintenance issues associated with the swash plate system found in most helicopters. Such
simple, affordable and robust vehicles will assist in making small air vehicles a commodity
technology available to non-specialists for real world use.
This device is capable of trajectory tracking and heading control maneuvers expected from
quad rotors and helicopters, but accomplishes these control tasks using only two onboard
actuators and not the conventional four or five found in typical air vehicles.

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James John, Rotorcraft blade pitch control through torque modulation, 2017[5]

The paper emphasizes on rotorcraft blade pitch control through torque modulation.
Paper emphasizes on obtaining both thrust and attitude authority from a single rotor as in a
cyclic control helicopter but without adding auxiliary actuators of any kind. Two blades are
attached to the rotor hub by simple pin hinges at a small radius from the center of rotation.
The lines of these hinges are not vertical, as is typically found in the lead-lag hinges of a
conventional helicopter. Instead, the top of the blade-1 (called as positive blade) hinge is
inclined inward, and the top of the blade-2(negative blade) hinge is inclined outward. This
geometry couples the lead-lag motion of the blade tip about the central shaft to a pitching
motion about the blade long axis. The objective of the cyclic system is to induce an elevated
blade pitch as the blades pass some station of the rotor disk and a depressed blade pitch as
the blades pass 1800 opposite.

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CHAPTER-3
OBJECTIVES & PROBLEM STATEMENT

3.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT:

In helicopter, swashplate arrangement is expense, has assembly complexities,
maintaining issues and more load near the hinges especially in the harsh environment due
to which mechanical failure can happen. This can be eliminated by adopting swashplate-
less arrangement.

3.2 OBJECTIVES:

 To design the hinges of the rotor, its location and angle with respect to horizontal.
 To program the Arduino board for controlling the motor speed.
 To fabricate the designed main rotor system and assemble programmed Arduino
board.
 Development of swashplate-less helicopter prototype.

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CHAPTER-4
METHODOLOGY

1. SELECTION OF MOTOR AND PROPELLER BLADES:

The motor should be chosen so that it can generate the amount of thrust needed by
the system and that it can operate at a higher efficiency under all conditions. Two propeller
blades with complementary geometry must be chosen so that they can operate at a wide
range of rotor speeds.

2. DESIGN OF MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM:

The engine, shaft, hub, blade grips, and two rotating blades, blade-1 (positive
blade) and blade-2 (negative blade), make up the machine (negative blade). A combination
of a traditional flap hinge and a distorted lag-pitch hinge will be used to cause blade lag-
pitch coupling or lead-lag motion. To excite a desired dynamic response in specially built
flexible blades, the rotor system mentioned here uses direct modulation of the driving hub
torque. CATIA software will be used to construct the geometry of this main rotor system.

3. PROGRAMMING:

The cyclic system's goal is to cause an elevated blade pitch as the blades move
through a certain station on the rotor disc, and a depressed blade pitch as the blades pass
through the opposite station. The positive and negative blades' geometry is
complementary to one another, yielding opposite responses, and these positive and
negative blades are 180 degrees out of alignment with one another. Both blades fall
behind as the motor's speed increases.

As positive blade lag decreases, pitch increases. Pitch decreases as negative blade lag
moves backwards. As a result, one hand Pitch is increased on one side and decreased on
the other, implying that the lift provided by the blades is not equal. Positive blades
provide more lift than negative blades in this situation, allowing for the production of
moments. Both blades lead forward in relation to the hub after the motor speed is reduced
by 180 degrees. Pitch decreases as constructive blades lead forward. Pitch rises as the
blades become more negative. As a result, pitch is raised at the same point where it was
increased when the motor was accelerated, so lift is still greater on one side than the other,
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while it resembles traditional cyclic pitch modulation, it is now accomplished simply by

electronically changing the amplitude and phase offset angle of the sinusoidal drive part.
As of now, this process will be programmed in an Arduino or Teensy microcontroller
using MATLAB SIMULINK.

4. COST ESTIMATION:
The expense required to purchase and fabricate the selected and designed
components is estimated.

5. DEVELOPMENT OF HELICOPTER PROTOTYPE:

The tail rotor will be assembled to counterbalance the torque of the main rotor,
and other parts of the small helicopter will be picked from existing small helicopters. It's
also necessary to calculate all of the losses. After all the design and calculations, small
helicopter is to be built using appropriate materials. This helicopter is aimed to perform all
the motions without swash plate. If the developed system is not satisfactory then the
above proposes will be repeated until the best model is developed.

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CHAPTER-5
COMOPONENTS OF THE MODEL
The components shown in the below figures are the standard ones that will be used on the
finalized helicopter model.
 SELECTION OF SUITABLE MAIN MOTOR: EMAX MT2216 810KV
Brushless DC motor

Fig.5.1: EMAX MT2216 810KV Brushless DC motor

 SPECIFICATION:

Motor EMAX MT2216 810KV Brushless DC

motor
KV (RPM/Volts) 810
Maximum Thrust(gm) 950
Compatible LiPO Batteries 3s~4s
Shaft Diameter(mm) 3
Length(mm) 33.2
Width(mm) 27.9
Weight(gm) 80

 Reasons to select the EMAX MT2216 810KV Brushless DC motor

 Longer duration of the flight, lightweight design.

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 Vibration free operation.

 Generates less heat during operations.
 Windings are made from copper of high purity.

 SELECTION OF SUITABLE TAIL MOTOR: Avionic PRO M1818

KV4500 MICRO brushless motor

Fig.5.2: Avionic PRO M1818 KV4500 MICRO brushless motor

 SPECIFICATION:
Motor Avionic PRO M1818 KV4500
MICRO brushless motor
Motor KV(RPM/Volts) 4500
Max LiPo Cell 1~2s
Ideal Current(A) 0.8
Power (Watts) 30
Weight(Grams) 10
Resistance: (mOhm) 263

 Reason to select Avionic PRO M1818 KV4500 MICRO brushless motor.

 The Avionic motors are designed Multi-rotor efficiency.
 They are made of high quality bearings and the best magnets are each motor is perfectly
balanced for smooth running,

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 These motors are designed and engineered specifically for multi-rotor use.

 SELECTION OF SUITABLE MICRO CONTROLLER: TEENSY 3.5

Fig.5.3: Teensy 3.5

 SPECIFICATION:
No of I/O Pins 62
No of Analog Pins 25
Transfer Speed(Mbit/sec) 12
No of PWM Pins 20
Length(mm) 62.3
Width(mm) 18
Weight(g) 7

 Reason to select Teensy 3.5

 It’s faster, more capable and has more pins on a solder-less breadboard.
 The Teensy boards are also compatible with Arduino coding with native USB
 It’s stronger than available Arduino boards
 For controlling motor speeds where there is lot of fluctuations in voltage value, teensy
board provides greater transfer speed and has more number of input/output pins, analog,
digital and PWM pins.

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 SELECTION OF SUITABLE MICRO CONTROLLER: EMAX 30A

ESC.

Fig.5.4: Emax 30A ESC.

 EMAX SERIES 30A ESC is a brushless dc motor speed controller. The low output
resistance greatly enhances power stability, and this will improve the great battery life.
The EMAX BLHELI ESC is programmed to start the brushless dc motor. This ESC has a
greater current handling capacity which is 30A continuous and the peak current is 40A
for the last 10 seconds only.
 Reason to select Emax 30A ESC.
 This provides faster and better motor speed control giving better flight performance
compared to other available ESCs.
 Throttle range can be set to be compatible with different receivers.

 SELECTION OF SUITABLE FLIGHT CONTROL: OMNIBUS F4 PRO

V4

Fig.5.4: OMNIBUS F4 PRO V4

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 Specifications
 Processor: STM32F405 ARM
 Sensors: Invensense MPU6000 IMU (accel, gyro), BMP280 barometer, Voltage and
current (only Pro version) sensors
 Interfaces: UARTS, 6 or 8 PWM (Pro only) outputs, RC input PWM/PPM, SBUS, I2C
port for external compass, USB port, Built-in OSD
 The Omnibus F4 Pro V4 Corner flight controller uses the ICM20608 over SPI for the
best possible flight performance. With onboard damping box, the ICM20608 runs perfect
under 32k Gyro loop. Also onboard are a barometer and AT7456 OSD chip for the Beta
Flight integrated OSD.
 Omnibus F4 Pro Corner supports 3-6s LIPO direct input, build in Current Sensor and
Power Filter too.
 STM32 F405 MCU, Runs Beta flight firmware(supported from v3.2)
 ICM20608 over SPI Bus in damping box.
 30.5x30.5mm mounting holes.

 SELECTION OF SUITABLE MAGNETIC ENCODER: AS5600

ABSOLUTE ENCODER

Fig.5.5: AS5600 ABSOLUTE ENCODER

 Specifications:

 Non-contact magnetic induction angle measurement module.

 High precision, a variety of output modes: IIC, PWM, and voltage.
 Power Supply: 3.3V DC.

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 Approximate size: 0.906 x 0.906 in.

 Weight - 24g.

 SELECTION OF MATERIAL:
1. PLA MATERIAL:
Unlike other synthetic products, PLA, also known as polylactic acid or polylactide, is a
thermoplastic manufactured from renewable resources such as corn starch, tapioca roots,
or sugar cane. This material has become prominent in the 3D printing industry due to its
more environmentally friendly roots.
PLA filament has gained widespread popularity in additive manufacturing due to its
mechanical properties and the fact that it is produced from renewable resources. It's a
popular option for 3D printing beginners because it's a simple material to work with. This
material, which is classified as a semi-crystalline polymer, melts at 180°C and begins
melting between 200°C and 260°C.

Fig.5.6: PLA 3DPrinting material.

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CHAPTER-6
DESIGN AND FABRICATION
6.1: DESIGN TRAIL-1 FOR HINGES
 Design process of the hinges has been carried out in CATIA V5 software it has 3 parts,
central and 2 side parts as shown in Fig.6.1.1.
 Central part is connected to the shaft of the motor. Side 2 parts are used to hold the
propeller blades and used as blade grips.
 Central part is the main part to which all other parts are attached and it is called as hub,
and is shown on Fig.6.1.3. Holes are provided in hinges and hub so that they can be
connected via cylindrical pin.
 Size of the Hole in the central part (hub) corresponds to the diameter of the shaft of
motor. Given thickness is necessary to hold the force created by the revolution of the
motor. The length of the cutout in the blade grips is necessary to hold the blades so that
blades don’t get detached from hinges during rotation.
 Two blade hinges are made such that it produces lead and lag motion with respect to hub.
These hinges are made to hold the propeller blades and are connected to the hub and
shown in Fig.6.1.4. Two blades are having geometry complementary to each other. Side
hinges are aligned with some angle with respect to horizontal.
 The best angle to produce required lead-lag motion is found out by iteration method. For
the first trial 35 deg angle is taken and best angle will be found out in next trials.
 The 2D draft of designed rotor as shown in Fig.6.1.2.

Fig.6.1.1: Design of rotor hinges in CATIA V5.

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Fig.6.1.2: 2D Draft of Rotor in different views

Fig.6.1.3: Central part-Hub

Fig.6.1.4: Side parts of the hinge

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6.2: DESIGN TRAIL-2 FOR HINGES

Another design for main rotor hinges is carried out. Working mechanism of the hinges is
same as the previous one but the dimensions are being changed and the angle with respect to
horizontal is 45⁰. And the complete design foe the hinges is shown below Fig6.2.1.
All the dimensions are taken according to motor specifications and size of the blade.

Fig.6.2.1: Design of rotor hinges in CATIA V5

Fig.6.2.2: Central part-Hub.

Fig.6.2.3: Side parts of the hinge.

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6.3: DESIGN TRAIL -1 FOR HELICOPTER SKELETON

The design process is carried out in CATIA V5 software.
 The dimensions of different parts are taken according the dimensions of electric
component it carries. The base of helicopter houses teensy board. Dimensions of the
teensy board are 62.3 mm * 18 mm (Length * Breadth). So the dimension of base part is
64mm * 20 mm.
 Battery is mounted on external surface of the front part. Battery is protected using Velcro.
Dimensions of battery are 74 mm * 34 mm * 24 mm (L * W * H).
 Front part is made slant to provide aerodynamic flow properties and also to provide good
support for holding battery. Wires for connecting battery to Electronic Speed Controller
(ESC) are made to pass through the gap provided above the front surface. All the wires
used for connection are placed inside the hollow surface of skeleton.
 Main motor and head will be placed outside the top part of skeleton. Four holes are
provided on top surface to fix the motor.
 Inside the skeleton, magnetic encoder is attached to the bottom of the motor. ESC,
receiver, flight control and jumper wires are placed.
 The skeleton is covered sideways from the two identical plates. The plates are having
cutouts to provide connection between electric components and also it provides weight
optimization.
 Back side is made to join tail boom to the skeleton. Landing skids are also provided at the
bottom surface.
 All the parts are joined with the help of 3 mm screws at the appropriate places. The
thickness of each part is 3mm and other parts having thickness of 8 mm. The dimensions,
2D draft and 3D model of the helicopter skeleton are shown in Fig.6.3.1 and Fig.6.3.2
respectively.

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Fig.6.3.1: 2D Draft of Helicopter Skeleton.

Fig.6.3.2: 3D Model of Helicopter Skeleton.

6.4 CALCULATION OF TAIL BOOM LENGTH

The radius of the main rotor (Rmr) and the radius of the Tail rotor (Rtr) are 5inch and 1

inch respectively. With these values tail boom length can be calculated using the below
mentioned formula Eq (1). The longer the tail boom, the shorter will be the tail rotor radius
which can be economically beneficial.

Ltb= Rmr+ Rtr+ tolerance……………… Eq (1)

Ltb= 5inch+1inch+8mm
Ltb= 6inch+8mm =152.4 mm+8mm
Ltb= 160.4mm
Referring to the above calculation tail boom length is designed using CATIA V5 Software and
the 2D draft is shown in Fig.6.4.1. Supporting structures for tail boom and tail rotor are also
designed and finally all the components of helicopter prototype are assembled as shown

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Fig.6.4.2.

Fig 6.4.1: 2D draft of the helicopter prototype.

Fig 6.4.2: Final assembly of the helicopter prototype.

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6.5 FABRICATION:
The designed hinges are fabricated with 3D printing technology using PLA Material .PLA
known as polylactic acid or polylactide is a thermoplastic material. Due to its more ecological
origins this material has become popular within the 3D printing industry.
PLA filament has gained wide acceptance because of its mechanical properties. It is often the
preferred choice for beginners in 3D printing as it is a very easy material to work with. This
material, considered a semi-crystalline polymer, has a melting temperature of 180ºC, which starts
melting between 200ºC and260ºC.
The Fig 6.5.1. shows input of the parts given in the standard format to the 3D printer machine
and the remaining figures shown below are the 3D printed parts using PLA filament and are used
in assembling model.

Fig.6.5.1: Standard settings in the 3D printer

Fig.6.5.2: 3D Printed rotor hinges of trail-1 using PLA Material

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Fig.6.5.3: 3D Printed rotor hinges of trail-2 using PLA Material.

Fig.6.5.4: 3D Printed parts using PLA Material.

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CHAPTER-7
PROGRAMMING
7.1 TRAIL 1: SAMPLE PROGRAM

Sample program to change the speed of the motor is done in MATLAB.

The speed of the motor is kept constant for certain RPM called base RPM and sine wave is used
to accelerate and decelerate the motor above and below the base RPM so there by varying the
speed of the motor. The simplified program is executed and the output graph from the MATLAB
code is shown in Fig.7.1.1.

MATLAB Code:

clear all; close all; clc

a = linspace (0,360,361) %angle from 0 to 360 degree
b = Sind (a) %sine modulation
c = 200 + (100.*b) %200 is constant rotor speed
Plot (c,'linew', 3)
Hold on
Plot ([0 400], [200 200],'color','k','linewidth',2)
Grid on

 Output Graph:

Fig.7.1.1: Output graph from Matlab.

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 For testing the prototype now we are using below mentioned components as they are
easily available and affordable, and the assembly of all the components is shown in Fig.7.1.2.

Fig.7.1.2: Assembly of Electric components

The assembly of electric components – battery, Arduino UNO board, ESC, Jumper wires, and
main rotor – is shown in the diagram above. The components are listed and shown below. To
obtain the software, Arduino is connected to the laptop. The uploaded programme will run on the
Arduino, which is powered by the battery through three jumper wires. The motor is linked to an
ESC, which regulates the motor's speed. The battery is attached to the ESC. As a result, the
Arduino software will use battery power and an ESC to drive the motor. The Arduino board is
designed to control the motor's speed using a simple programme.

Fig.7.1.3: A2212 100KV Motor Fig.7.1.4: 3S 11.1 Volt 1500mah LiPo battery

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Fig.7.1.5: Arduino Uno AT Mega 328 Micro Controller

Fig.7.1.6: 30A ESC

Fig.7.1.7: Jumper wires for connections.

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7.2 TRAIL 2: ARDUINO CODING

To vary the speed of the motor, to accelerate and decelerate motor in single rotation,
microcontrollers are used. Arduino coding is formulated for this control.
Fig7.2.1 shows the x-axis and y-axis of the transmitter where its analog values vary from 0 to
1023 in each axis. It is 10 bit analog reader.

Fig.7.2.1: Transmitter Joystick Axes

MAPPING VALUES
 Magnetic Encoder calculates the position of motor and its angle between 00 to 3600.
 Input Analog Value Range from the potentiometer is 0 to 1023. This comes from the fact
that it sends signal of 10 bits. Maximum value of 10 bit is 1024 when all digital values
are 1.These values from 0 to 1023 are mapped to PWM signals. It is of 8 bit so the values
here are 0 to 255.
 Mapped PWM values – 0 to 255
These PWM values changes the voltage thereby varying the motor speed
 Varying Battery voltage range - 0 – 11.1 volts
 Speed of the motor varies according to the voltage from the battery. This is the process
involved in controlling or varying motor speed.

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CODE:

#define pwmPin
#define magneticEncoderPin
int pwmPin = 7;
int magneticEncoder ;
int motorSpeed ;
int constRPM = 128;
int motorAngle =0;

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(pwmPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(magneticEncoder, _____ );
}

void loop() {
int xAxis = analogRead(A0);
int yAxis = analogRead(A1);
int throttleValue = analogRead(A2);

// motorAngleCode
N = magneticEncoderValue
if (xAxis < 512 && > 470){ // left
motorAngle = map(xAxis,512,470,N,270)
}

if (xAxis > 512 && < 550) { //Right

motorAngle = map(xAxis,512,550,N,90)
}

if (yAxis < 512 && > 470) { // Back

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motorAngle = map(yAxis,512,470,N,0 or 360)

}

if (yAxis < 512 && > 470) { //Front

motorAngle = map(yAxis,512,470,N,180)
}

//motorSpeed Code

Throttle = map(throttleValue,0,1023,0,255);
if (xAxis < 470) {
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 270; //Left

xmotorSpeed = map(xAxis,470,0,0,255);
for(int i=0; i<63, i++){
float b = float(i)/10;
motorSpeed = constRPM + (xmotorSpeed * sin(b));
}

elseif(xAxis > 550 && < 1023){

// acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90 //Right
xmotorSpeed2 = map(xAxis,550,1023,0,255);
for(int i=0; i<63; i++)
float c = float(i)/10;
motorSpeed = constRPM + (xmotorSpeed2 * sin(c));

if (yAxis < 470) {

// acceleration begins at motorAngle = 0 or 360; //Back

ymotorSpeed = map(yAxis,470,0,0,255);
for (int i=0; i<63, i++){

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float d = float(i)/10;
motorSpeed = constRPM + (yxmotorSpeed * sin(d));
//Still to figure out exact eqn by trails and also make use of Throttle value
}

elseif(yAxis > 550 && < 1023){

// acceleration begins at motorAngle = 180 //Front

ymotorSpeed2 = map(yAxis,550,1023,0,255);
for(int i=0; i<63; i++)
float e = float(i)/10;
motorSpeed = constRPM + (ymotorSpeed2 * sin(e));
}

//Serial.println(motorSpeed);

elseif(xAxis=255 && yAxis = 255){

motorSpeed = Throttle;

//Confine range from 0 to 255

If ( motorSpeed < 0){
motorSpeed = 0;
}
If(motorSpeed > 255) {
motorSpeed = 255;
}
//Send signal to pwmPin and hence to motor
analogWrite(pwmPin,motorSpeed);
analogWrite(pwmPin,motorAngle);

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 Common Internal Code in Every Loop:

#include<Servo.h> //Including Servo Library

Servo ESC; //Creating ESC class

float y; //Initiating float values
float Throttle;

void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:

ESC.attach(9); //Attaching to pin number 9

ESC.writeMicroseconds(1000);
Serial.begin(9600); //Serial communication with Speed 9600 bit/sec
}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly

int throttleValue = analogRead(A0);

//Reads analog values of potentiometer from 0 to 1023

int Throttle = map(throttleValue,0,1023,1000,2000);

//Maps analog values to motor speed between 1000 to 2000

//For loop to calculate all the degree values from 0 to 360

//Arduino code takes Radian value as default
//Conversion from Radian to degrees is done

for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){

float y = float(x)/10;
float n = (sin(y)*Throttle + 1000);

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delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(n); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(n); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

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7.3 TRAIL 3: COMPLETE ARDUINO CODING

#include<Servo.h> //Including Servo Library

Servo ESC; //Creating ESC class

float y; //Initiating float values
float Throttle;
int pwmPin = 7;
//int magneticEncoder; //Magnetic Encoder
float motorSpeed ;
int motorAngle =0;
float xmotorSpeed1;
float xmotorSpeed2;
float xmotorSpeed3;
float xmotorSpeed4;
float xmotorSpeed5;
float xmotorSpeed6;
int xAxis;

int yAxis;
float ymotorSpeed1;
float ymotorSpeed2;
float ymotorSpeed3;
float ymotorSpeed4;
float ymotorSpeed5;
float ymotorSpeed6;

int leftThrott;
float leftThrottle;
//int Throttle;
void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:

ESC.attach(9); //Attaching to pin number 9

//ESC.writeMicroseconds(1000);
Serial.begin(9600); //Serial communication with Speed 9600 bit/sec
pinMode(pwmPin,OUTPUT);
//pinMode(magneticEncoder,OUTPUT)
}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly

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//
// // motorAngleCode
//N = analogRead(A3);
//if (xAxis < 512 && > 470){ // left
//motorAngle = map(xAxis,512,470,N,270)
//}
//
//if (xAxis > 512 && < 550) { //Right
//motorAngle = map(xAxis,512,550,N,90)
//}
//
//if (yAxis < 512 && > 470) { // Back
//motorAngle = map(yAxis,512,470,N,0 or 360)
//}
//
//
//if (yAxis < 512 && > 470) { //Front
//motorAngle = map(yAxis,512,470,N,180)
//}

//motorSpeed Code
{
int xAxis = analogRead(A0); //Right Joystick x-Axis
int yAxis = analogRead(A1); //Right Joystick y-Axis
int leftThrott = analogRead(A2); //Left Joystick
}
//Reads analog values of potentiometer from 0 to 1023

//int Throttle = map(throttleValue,0,1023,1000,2000);

//Maps analog values to motor speed between 1000 to 2000

//For loop to calculate all the degree values from 0 to 360

//Arduino code takes Radian value as default
//Conversion from Radian to degrees is done

//Left
//Left - Slow
if ((xAxis < 470) &&(xAxis > 300)) {
//motorAngle = 270
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 270; //Left

xmotorSpeed1 = map(xAxis,470,300,1000,3000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 2000);

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delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.
}
}

//Left-Medium
else if ((xAxis < 300) &&(xAxis > 150)) {
//motorAngle = 270
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 270; //Left

xmotorSpeed2 = map(xAxis,300,150,2000,4000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 3000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Left-High
else if ((xAxis < 150) &&(xAxis > 0)) {
//motorAngle = 270
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 270; //Left

xmotorSpeed3 = map(xAxis,250,0,3000,5000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 4000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

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//Right

//Right-Slow

else if ((xAxis > 512) &&(xAxis < 650)) {

//motorAngle = 90
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90; //Right

xmotorSpeed4 = map(xAxis,512,650,1000,3000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 2000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Right-Medium
else if ((xAxis > 650) && (xAxis< 850)) {
//motorAngle = 90
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90; //Right

xmotorSpeed5 = map(xAxis,650,850,2000,4000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 3000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Right-High
else if ((xAxis > 850) && (xAxis< 1023)) {
//motorAngle = 90
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90; //Right

xmotorSpeed6 = map(xAxis,850,1023,3000,5000);

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for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){

float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 4000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Back

//Back - Slow
if ((yAxis < 470) &&(yAxis > 300)) {
//motorAngle = 0 or 360
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 0; //Back

ymotorSpeed1 = map(yAxis,470,300,1000,3000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 2000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.
}
}

//Back - Medium
else if ((yAxis < 300) &&(yAxis > 150)) {
//motorAngle = 0 or 360
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 0; //Back

ymotorSpeed2 = map(yAxis,300,150,2000,4000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 3000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

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}
}

//Back - High
else if ((yAxis < 150) &&(yAxis > 0)) {
//motorAngle = 0 or 360
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 0; //Back

ymotorSpeed3 = map(xAxis,250,0,3000,5000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 4000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Front

//Front-Slow

else if ((yAxis > 512) &&(yAxis < 650)) {

//motorAngle = 180
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 180; //Front

ymotorSpeed4 = map(yAxis,512,650,1000,3000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 2000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

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//Front - Medium
else if ((yAxis > 650) && (yAxis< 850)) {
//motorAngle = 180
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90; //Front

ymotorSpeed5 = map(yAxis,650,850,2000,4000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 3000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Front - High
else if ((yAxis > 850) && (yAxis< 1023)) {
//motorAngle = 90
//acceleration begins at motorAngle = 90; //Right

ymotorSpeed6 = map(yAxis,850,1023,3000,5000);
for (int x = 0; x<=63; x++){
float y = float(x)/10;
float motorSpeed = (sin(y)*1000 + 4000);
delay(20); //Delaying code for 20 microseconds.. 1000 ms = 1 second.

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.

}
}

//Upwards and Downwards

{
float leftThrottle = map(leftThrott,0,1023,0,4000); //Maps readings from Left Throttle
float motorSpeed = leftThrottle + 1000 ;

Serial.println(motorSpeed); //Prints all values to serial monitor

ESC.writeMicroseconds(motorSpeed); //Sends all these values to motor.
}

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//Confine range from 0 to 255

if ( motorSpeed < 0){

motorSpeed = 0;
}
if (motorSpeed > 5000) {
motorSpeed = 5000;
}
//Send signal to pwmPin and hence to motor
analogWrite(pwmPin,motorSpeed);
//analogWrite(pwmPin,motorAngle);

7.4 EXPLANATION OF CODE AND MECHANISM:

The main rotor system contains two geometrically complimentary blades attached
to the hinges. For convention these blades are called positive and negative blades. The
system is designed such that when the motor speed is varied the pitch of these positive
and negative blades also varies. The pitch of the positive blade increases and that of
negative blade decreases when the motor speed is accelerated above constant RPM. The
pitch of the positive blade decreases and that of negative blade increases when the motor
speed is decelerated. This increase and decrease of the pitch of the blades results in the
generation of asymmetric lift which will be used for generating different motions of the
helicopter.
Consider the following standards for the diagram
P - Positive Blade
N - Negative Blade
 Upon Accelerating - Positive Blade – Pitch increases
-Negative Blade – Pitch decreases

 Upon decelerating - Positive Blade – Pitch decreases

-Negative Blade – Pitch increases
 More Pitch gives more lift.
The mechanism involved in achieving the different motions which basically depends on
accelerating the motor at certain positions is explained below.

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 ATTAINING BACKWARD MOTION:

Fig.7.4.1: Accelerating above constant RPM at 0°.

When the positive blade is at 0°, the motor starts to accelerate above constant RPM. When motor
accelerates, pitch of the positive blade increases and negative blade decreases. So now pitch of
positive blade increases from 0 to 90° and pitch of negative blade decreases from 180 to 270°. At
90° and 270°, speed of motor is maximum, positive and negative blades are at their maximum
and minimum pitch respectively as shown in Fig.7.4.1. Maximum pitch provides more lift. So
we get more lift at 90° and comparatively less lift at 270°. So there is asymmetry in lift
distribution.

Fig.7.4.2: Positive Blade at 90°.

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After 90°, deceleration starts from the maximum speed and reaches the constant RPM and
positive blade reaches 180° as shown in Fig.7.4.2. Now blades attain the initial pitch values as
shown in Fig.7.4.3.

Fig.7.4.3: Positive blade at 180°. Blades interchange their positions.

After 180°, deceleration continues and goes below constant RPM. Now pitch of the negative
blade increases from 0° to 90° and pitch of positive blade decreases from 180° to 270°. Pitch of
the negative blade is maximum at 90° and pitch of positive blade is minimum at 270° as shown
in Fig.7.4.4. Speed of the motor is minimum now. Again more lift is produced at 90° and
comparatively less lift is produced at 270°.

Fig.7.4.4: Positive blade at 270°.

After 270°, acceleration starts and speed of motor comes to constant RPM. Now pitch of the
positive blade increase and negative blade decreases. After sweeping for 90°, positive blade
reaches the initial position of 0° and negative blade reaches 180° as shown in Fig.7.4.5. Pitch of
blades again attains initial values.

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Fig.7.4.5: Back to initial RPM and Initial pitch values.

This process goes on for given interval, so more lift is constantly generated at one point and less
lift at other point. So this asymmetry of lift can be used as moment and for the given condition
backward motion is attained. The same mechanism is used for attaining remaining motions by
accelerating the motor speed at angles 900, 1800, 2700.

 MOTORS and ENCODER:

 In case of stepper and servo motors there is a luxury to find out the angle of the motor
and motor can be operated at required angle. But drawback is motors cannot be operated
with high speeds and required thrust to fly the helicopter is not obtained.

 So to obtain the required thrust BLDC motors which operate at high RPMs are used. The
angle of the motor can be controlled for these motors by making use of electronic
controller called as Magnetic encoder. This is attached to the back of the motor and it is
used both as input and output.

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 Starting the acceleration at different points yield different motions of the helicopter and
the same is given in the table.7.4.1.

Table.7.4.1: Accelerating at different position to obtain different Motions.

Acceleration when positive

Position Blade is at an angle Motion

0 degree Backward

90 degrees Right

180 degrees Forward

270 degrees Left

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7.5 OUTPUT FROM THE ARDUINO:

Upon running the code in the Arduino software the values that determine the
speed of the motor are printed in the serial monitor and the same are plotted in the serial
plotter of the Arduino as shown in Fig.7.5.1

Fig.7.5.1: Sine wave from the Serial Plotter.

7.6 STATIC TESTING OF THE SWASHPLATE-LESS ROTOR

SYSTEM
The code shown above is used to control speed of the motor via microcontroller board.
The motor is attached to the hinges and the test is conducted to see the behavior of the hinges
upon acceleration and deceleration. The connection for setting up the test is made as shown in
Fig.7.6.1.

Fig.7.6.1: Connection of electric components.

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The rotation of the motor (which is counter clock-wise) along with the attached hinges is
captured as shown in Fig.7.6. During the rotation of motor, propeller blades are not attached to
the hinges because the thrust produced then will be very high and the system become unstable
and will fly away during testing.

Fig.7.6.1: Hinges attached to motor.

Industry standard propellers of pitch 4.5″, shaft diameter 7.7 mm, having total length of
250mm, made up of carbon fiber material and weighing 30 grams is chosen as it provides best
combination for the motor. These propellers are attached to the hinges as shown in Fig.7.6.2.

Fig.7.6.2: Motor and propeller combination

It can see from the above figures when the blades attached to the hinges and rotated, pitch of the
blades changes continuously during the course of rotation. This change in pitch owe to the reason
of change in the speed of motor achieved through the micro-controller.

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CHAPTER-8
COST AND WEIGHT ESTIMATION

8.1 COST ESTIMATION:

Cost of the individual components and accessories used for the development of the model
is listed in Table.8.1.1.

Table.8.1.1: Cost Estimation.

Components Price (INR)

Motor 1170

ESC 1350

Battery 1300

Teensy 3.5 2400

PLA 1000

Encoder 580

Miscellaneous 330

Total 8660

8.2 WEIGHT ESTIMATION:

Weight of the each individual electric components and 3D printed parts used for the
development of model is shown in pie chart – Fig.8.2.1
Some of the 3D printed parts are improvised and made with less weight and the total
weight of the model is calculated. Thrust produced from the selected motor and propeller
combination is found to be sufficient enough to overcome the weight of the model.

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Fig.8.2.1: Weight estimation in grams.

Before development of the actual model is roughly estimated in the Catia V5 software
and the motor is selected such that it can produce 30% more lift than the estimated weight
of the model.
Total weight of the developed model is 423 grams.

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CHAPTER-10

ASSEMBLY OF SWASHPLATE-LESS HELICOPTER

PROTOTYPE

 Battery is mounted on external surface of the front part which is made slant to provide
aerodynamic flow properties and also to provide good support for holding battery.
Battery is protected using Velcro.
 Wires are used to connect battery to Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) are made to pass
through the gap provided above the front surface. All the wires used for connection are
placed inside the hollow surface of skeleton.
 Main motor head is placed outside the top part of skeleton. The motor fixed using the
four holes provided on the top surface.
 Industry standard propellers of pitch 4.5″, shaft diameter 7.7 mm, having total length of
250mm, made up of carbon fiber material and weighing 30 grams is chosen as it provides
best combination for the motor.
 Inside the skeleton, magnetic encoder is attached to the bottom of the motor. ESC,
receiver, flight control and jumper wires are placed as shown in Fig.10.2.
 The skeleton is covered sideways from the two identical plates as shown in Fig.10.3. The
plates are having cutouts to provide connection between electric components and also it
helps in reduction of weight
 Using the Eq (1) for calculating tail boom length, tail boom is fabricated and is assembled
to the back side of the skeleton. Vertical tail is attached to the back end of the tail boom
to provide the necessary stiffness and to hold the tail rotor which provides counter torque.
 Since the main rotor system rotates in counter clock-wise direction, torque produced is in
clock-wise direction. According to newton’s 3rd law the body will start to rotate in clock-
wise direction. To avoid this, the tail rotor is placed towards the left side at the back end
of the tail boom as it produces the required counter torque and the same is represented in
the Fig.10.1.
 Landing skids are attached at the bottom surface. All the parts are joined with the help of
3 mm screws at the appropriate places.

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Fig.10.1: positioning of tail rotor system

Fig.10.2: Open section of the assembled model.

Fig.10.3: closed section of the assembled model.

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CHAPTER-11
CONCLUSION

By replacing the mechanical swash plate assembly there are several advantages
 Gross weight associated with swash plate system can be reduced.
 Assembly complexity of the swash plate can be replaced.
 As it is a simplified mechanism it can easily operate.
 As the speed of the motor is varied, the design of the hinges makes the pitch of the
blades to vary.
 By using the microcontroller and coding language, mechanical issues related to
swashplate can be reduced.
 This system is less prone to wear and tear of components and it is robust.
 Maintenance issues are comparatively less.
 Hinge losses due to friction are the parameter that needs to be focused and needs to be
reduced further.

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REFERENCES
[1] Paulos. J. and Yim, M., An Under actuated Propeller for Attitude Control in Micro Air
Vehicles, 2013 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS),
Tokyo, Nov. 2013, doi:10.1109/IROS.2013.6696528.
[2] Carlos Malpica and Roberto Celi, Simulation based bandwidth analysis of a swash plate less
rotor helicopter, Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center, University of Maryland,
[3] Bennet Caraher., Cyclic Blade Pitch Control for Small UAV without a Swash plate,
AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, SciTech Forum, Grapevine, TX,2017.
doi:10.2514/6.2017-1186.
[4] Paulos. J, and Yim. M., Flight Performance of a Swash plate less Micro Air Vehicle, 2015
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Seattle, WA, May 2015,
doi:10.1109/ICRA.2015.7139936.
[5] James John. Rotorcraft blade pitch control through torque modulation, 2017.

[6] V. Kumar and N. Michael, Opportunities and challenges with autonomous micro aerial
vehicles, The International Journal of Robotics Research, Sep. 1, 2012. doi:
10.1177/0278364912455954.
[7] Leishman, G. J., Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 2nd ed., 2006.
[8] Bousman, W. G., The Effects of Structural Flap-Lag and Pitch-Lag Coupling on Soft
Inplane Hingeless Rotor Stability in Hover, Tech. Rep. TP-3002, NASA, May 2011.
[9] Lemos, Robert. The Helicopter: A Hundred Years of Hovering, Wired, Nov- 12, 2007.

[10] S. George and P. Samuel, On the design and development of a coaxial nano
rotorcraft, in 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Nashville, TN, Jan. 2012.
[11] S. George and P. Samuel, On the design and development of a coaxial nano
rotorcraft, in 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Nashville, TN, Jan. 2012.

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