Modern inventions and technology have made life a lot easier than it was a few decades ago. Day in and day out, new, effective, safe and easy ways of executing tasks are discovered and shared with the world. With the world currently revolving on the axis of technology and science, brilliant minds across fields are harnessing their potentials to improve life for all mankind.
Nii Amartei Amarteifio, a student of the prestigious Ashesi University, a few days ago, ran the first series of tests on his ultra-light helicopter which he designed and built himself. Nii began research on rotary-wing aircrafts, specifically ultra-light helicopters, during his first year at the university and this has led him to build one.
Nii is a mechanical engineering student of Ashesi University, a school well-known for its high-achieving graduates. After the inception of the idea, Nii began spending more time in the school’s Engineering Workshop, always trying his hands on new machinery to polish up his fabrication skills. The first prototype was built a few days after inception.
This first prototype was fell short in many ways; some parts were either too weak or weighty, some dimensions were inaccurate and needed to be worked on. The major win about this however was that a physical representation of the idea was achieved, something that was immensely important to developing upgrades.
Sharing the news of his first successful tests after four years of research, work and dedication in his LinkedIn, Nii shared some photos with the following caption:
“…Four prototypes and three months ago, I started the fifth ‘Mark V’ prototype from scratch. Previous attempts helped me know how not to go about this version’s design. After almost chopping my fingers off several times, the results from this version exceeded my expectations! All the mechanisms worked smoothly and from an anthropometric POV, it was a success. I felt I was finally getting somewhere, and this feeling fuelled me some more. The only problems with this version were my faulty engine, my weighty rotor blades and the fact that my airframe was made out of steel instead of aluminum.
Last weekend on September 11th, I ran my first series of tests. Collective, anti-torque pedal control as well as cyclic were okay. The freewheeling unit engaged and disengaged effectively. The tail rotor transmission was able to hit the right RPM and withstood stresses caused by the large centrifugal force. Everything worked well except for some vibrations caused by its cantilever design. The engine also struggled to get the main rotors to the right RPM range to generate enough lift because of its weight…”
Nii whose 22nd birthday happened to fall on the day before his test flight further went on to share how he considered the successful tests a birthday present and thanked God for giving him ideas, his family, the Ashesi D:Lab, his friends and students of Mech Haven who would occasionally pass through his workshop to help out.
Nii is a past student of Achimota School where he studied Science. He has always been passionate about mechanics and robotics.
