Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs
Here's another aspect of lifting capacity: GURPS Vehicles says that the best helicopter drivetrain has lift of 12 lbs. per kW, and weight of 0.3 lbs. per kW + 15 lbs. But that's on Earth, at 1 atm! What happens on Mars, at 0.012 atm?
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The approximation is even more wrong than it is on Earth, as helicopter lift isn't linear in power to start with -- it scales with the 2/3 power of rotor power, the 1/3 power of rotor area, and the 1/3 power of atmospheric density.
I would point out
Mars Ingenuity.