01 — FLIGHTCUSTOM ROTOR DESIGN

Helicopter

MY ROLEDesign, testing & optimization

A custom helicopter developed for national-level competition, with elliptical blade outlines, balsa construction, Mylar covering, and carbon fiber rotor spars. I handled the design, testing, and optimization.

2ndMIT Invitational

1stEvery Georgia tournament entered
2025 season

Rotor designFlight testingOptimization

Portrait close view of a hand-held lightweight rotor assembly with thin wooden ribs and transparent covering. — Rotor assembly

01 / PROCESS

Engineering process

My role

I carried out all design, testing, and optimization for the helicopter.

The next goal

After winning every Georgia tournament I entered in 2025, I wanted to take the project further and develop a helicopter for national-level competition.

Research and blade geometry

Research into helicopter aerodynamics informed my choice of an elliptical blade outline. I used an existing blade-design script shared by an aerospace engineer to develop the blades and their forming jigs.

Custom construction

The helicopter was custom-designed and built using balsa wood, Mylar film covering the rotor blades, and carbon fiber rotor spars. The forming jigs supported construction of the blade outlines before assembly and covering.

Testing and results

I tested the helicopter and refined the design to improve flight performance. The project earned second place at the MIT Invitational. The gallery documents the construction process and includes footage of a flight at States.

02 / EXPLORE