Impressive: Building A Silent Helicopter Blade
Helicopters are loud as shit and a lot of times I have to cover my ears with my hands on the helipad waiting for my pilot to bring the bird down. It gets annoying, especially when you've got two briefcases full of gold bullion handcuffed to your wrists, WHICH I ALWAYS DO.
Helicopters make a lot of noise because of a physical phenomenon called blade-vortex interaction.
The new blade shape is combined with another technology called Blue Pulse, which adds three flaps to the edge of the rotor blades. These flaps move up and down at 15 to 40 times per second, using piezoelectric motors that also help to reduce the blade-vortex interaction.
Well I think I speak for all private-helicopter owners when I say, "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Do you know what this means? It means I'll be hovering silently outside your bedroom window in no time! Now, change into your PJ's. DOOOO IT!
Hit the jump for a video comparison of the two different blades in action.
The Blade That Would Make Helicopters Almost Silent [gizmodo]
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