Mythbusters and Avatar

[MarkD]

Just a thought of mine, but what would you like to see them do regarding the movie? Any scene to be tested or stuff a character does?

[exostrike]

Can you make a twin rotar helicopter like a Sampson?

[RD-701]

Can you make a twin rotar helicopter like a Sampson?

Yes, why not? The Chinook has twin rotors, the V-22 has twin tilt-rotors. There's a Russian attack helicopter that has a contra-rotating rotor arrangement (one on top of the other). There are even more complex arrangements, such as the Kaman K-MAX, which has two rotors that intermesh with eachother (I believe this arrangement is also known as a "synchropter").

The Sampson (and the Scorpion and Dragon, though I may be wrong) have contra-rotating rotors; i.e. there is a set of two rotors (one above the other) in each cowling, rotating in opposite directions. Perhaps it would be more accurate, then, to call the Sampson a four-rotor vehicle.

But here's something interesting to test out; can an Avatar deflect a knife-blow made by an AMP suit?

[exostrike]

good point but I really meant the rotor arrangement with the dutched fans.

[MarkD]

Yeah, I get it. The tilt rotors have a total of two blades per side. One on top and another just below it. As we saw in the war starting scene. I'm curious as well if such a vehicle with that arrangement would fly.

[exostrike]

contra-rotating rotors and Ducted fans have both been developed into working aircraft (Dutched fans in the Bell X-22 in a surprisingly similiar way to the Dragon) but I think the real problem, apart from combing them would be working out how to re-angle the fans to maintain stablity without compromising the transmission system.


Also on a related sidenote, according to the wiki if one of these fans are damaged they will chuck any debris into the hull, then why does the Sampsons fly with their side hatches open if a bit of falling rock or plant matter will spray the cabin with projectiles.

[Porthos1]

The Myth-busters should get a master Yabusame Archer, place him up onto a 20 ft high platform that is being pulled by a car down a runway at about 50-60 mph. Have him hit a 6" target that he passes below him travelling at a slower pace and on a rough track. It has to be a Bulls-eye. Then we will know if Tsu'tey was a massive stud or it was just a Hollywood stunt. We need a diffinitive answer here!

[ScottWashburn]

Mythbusters has a great affinity for large explosions and falling objects :) So, I'd suggest two tests (they usually do 2 per show anyway) that deal with both.


1. See whether tossing a missile into a spinning rotor blade will cause it to explode.

2. Allowing for Pandora's lower gravity and thicker air and the Na'vi's carbon fiber reinforced bones, can they survive a long, long fall just by bouncing off leaves, vines and branches.