# A Safer Helicopter it Ain't

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 25, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073 "2008-02-25T13:52:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073/1 "2008-02-25T13:52:23Z")

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[Cyclogyro: Paddle-Wheel Propeller Designs Take Flight](http://gizmodo.com/360271/paddle+wheel-propeller-designs-take-flight-115-years-late) -complete with video of the damned thing hovering.

I don’t think I’d want to be in the same county as a full size unit in flight.

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**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073/2 "2008-02-25T14:06:03Z")

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[Omni-Directional Lifting aircraft](http://www.hodgeshobbies.com/images/P7290027.JPG)

This one was designed and flown in the 70’s. I don’t see much of a full scale application though. An engine failure would be catastrophic. There’s no way to safely glide or autorotate to the ground. Cool idea, though.

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**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073/3 "2008-02-25T14:13:20Z")

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Hey, cool. It can double as combine harvester. The new era of aircraft applications in agriculture is born!

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**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-safer-helicopter-it-aint/439073/4 "2008-02-26T01:31:15Z")

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[QUOTE=puppygod]  
Hey, cool. It can double as combine harvester. The new era of aircraft applications in agriculture is born!  
[/QUOTE]

You could dust the crops and harvest them in one pass!