What does the cyclic control on a helicopter do?

The purpose of the cyclic pitch control is to tilt the tip-path plane in the direction of the desired horizontal direction. The cyclic controls the rotor disk tilt versus the horizon, which directs the rotor disk thrust to enable the pilot to control the direction of travel of the helicopter.

What are the two most popular helicopter classifications?

By convention used worldwide, helicopters are categorized by weight. Specifically, “light”, “medium lift”, and “heavy lift” helicopters. Light helicopters are those generally considered below 12,000 pounds maximum gross weight.

How much RPM is needed to fly a helicopter?

Helicopters also make air move over airfoils to generate lift, but instead of having their airfoils in a single fixed wing, they have them built into their rotor blades, which spin around at high speed (typically about 400–500 RPM on a small helicopter or about 225 RPM on a huge Chinook, with the speed depending on the …

Which of these has the lowest disk loading?

helicopter
Which of these has the lowest disk loading? Explanation: The use of high disk loading rotors for lifting compromises vertical flight capability, both in terms of power and reduced hover endurance. Of all the VTOL aircraft, helicopter has the lowest disk loading and thus has the most powerful vertical flight capability.

What are the 4 types of helicopter vibration?

They are designated as extremely low, low, medium, and high.

• Extremely Low Frequency Vibrations: – Frequency of these vibrations is less than 1/rev.
• Low Frequency Vibrations: – Frequency of these vibrations is 1/ or 2/rev.
• Medium Frequency Vibrations: -Frequency of these vibrations is 4/ or 6/rev.

Why do some helicopters not have tail rotors?

A: All helicopters do not need tail rotors. The tail rotor counteracts the angular momentum created by the main rotor, to control the machine. Some helicoptors have different ways to counteract the momentum without using the tail rotor, such as those that use two main rotors or those that use NOTAR.

What is helicopter disc loading?

Disc loading of a hovering helicopter is the ratio of its weight to the total main rotor disc area. It is determined by dividing the total helicopter weight by the rotor disc area, which is the area swept by the blades of a rotor. A low disc loading is a direct indicator of high lift thrust efficiency.

What is helicopter rotor disc?

Definition of rotor disk : the plane circular area swept through by the blades of a helicopter rotor.

What does the cyclic do in a helicopter?

The cyclic is basically “the stick”. It’s the most visible control and the one people identify better as something that controls a helicopter. Again, as we have seen above, the collective controls the swashplate up and down to increase or decrease lift. The cyclic also controls the swashplate, but in a different way.

Do helicopters have moveable rudders?

Coaxial helicopters (like Kamov Ka-25) do have movable rudders like aircraft for use in forward flight as it reduces the main rotor adjustment required and is more effective. Ka-25 rudder, image from travelforaircraft.wordpress.com The image below shows the control methods used in different types of helicopters.

What does the left and right pedal do on a helicopter?

In effect they are the tail rotor’s collective pitch control. Left pedal increases the amount of tail rotor thrust and causes the helicopter to yaw to the left. Right pedal reduces the amount of tail rotor thrust and causes the helicopter to yaw to the right.

How do helicopters without tail rotors control yaw control?

In case of helicopters without a tail rotor, the yaw control is obtained in different ways. The NOTAR used a method similar to the tail rotor, by varying the thrust.