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by drone_aero
1953 days ago
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Using actuator disc theory, accounting for 38% gravity and 1.2% air density, Ingenuity would need about 2.1x more power to hover on Mars. But it's not that simple. The reynolds number which Ingenuity's blades are operating on Mars is extremely low, 10,000 to 20,000. This makes the airfoils less efficient compared to what you might design on Earth. Compare to a Trex 450 (30% heavier weight equivalent) helicopter on Earth, it's got 10+ minutes of endurance and has a smaller diameter rotor, whereas Ingenuity has a 90 second stated endurance, although that is probably limited by navigation too. |
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