The crucial rotor design of the Atlas human-powered helicopter
was completed by the end of April 2012, and construction began
with the full student team in May. The initial configuration
study resulted in the selection of a quad-rotor design similar
to that of the Yuri I and the Gamera. This was based on a lower
predicted power requirement, the stability of the configuration,
and the ease of construction based on many parts with
production-line repeatability. The rotor optimization was
carried out using the in-house computational model outlined
below. Further design on the helicopter components and overall
structure was done using in-house finite element analysis
programs and further computational optimization, as well as
empirical design-test processes. Further flight testing will
likely generate changes with the final design, and this overview
will be updated at the conclusion of Atlas’ flights. The overall
specifications on the helicopter are: Rotor Radius: 10.2m
(33.5ft) Maximum Dimension: 49.4m (162ft) H