What is the maximum altitude for a helicopter?

Turbine-engined helicopters can reach around 25,000 feet. But the maximum height at which a helicopter can hover is much lower – a high performance helicopter like the Agusta A109E can hover at 10,400 feet.

What is the maximum flight altitude?

Answer: The highest commercial airliner altitude was 60,000 feet by Concorde. The highest military air-breathing engine airplane was the SR-71 — about 90,000 feet. The highest airliner flying today reaches 45,000 feet. The highest business jet flying today reaches 51,000 feet.

Why can’t helicopters fly in high altitudes?

Air density is an important component for generating lift and allowing engines to breathe efficiently. With thinner air, the main rotor generates less lift, limiting the ability of the helicopter to ascend any higher. Higher altitudes also pose a risk to pilots and passengers.

Why do planes have a maximum altitude?

The high altitude is because the air is thinner, meaning planes can travel easier and quicker, saving money. Planes flying higher also means avoiding air traffic as well as bad weather conditions. In the case of an emergency, it also gives more time to fix the problem when thousands of feet in the air.

How high can a helicopter fly?

THERE are three answers to this. The maximum altitude which can be reached during forward flight typically depends more on the ability of the engine to breathe the thinner air than the rotor’s ability to provide lift. Turbine-engined helicopters can reach around 25,000 feet.

How does altitude affect a helicopter’s performance?

In addition, as you climb in altitude, helicopters get less and less efficient, because there is less air to use for lift. As the air gets thinner, the main rotor blades have to take a bigger “bite” of air for the same amount of lift. This causes more drag and less and less forward airspeed, climb performance, and control authority.

How much can a helicopter lift?

They can lift very heavy items. Russian helicopter MIL Mi-12 Homer has been able to lift more than 40,000 kgs to a height of 2,255 meters. Advancing rotors of a helicopter can exceed the speed of sound, even though they travel at speeds much lower than airplanes.

What happens if a helicopter engine stops mid-air?

If the helicopter engine stops mid-air pilot’s are trained to perform an auto-rotation to safely bring themselves and the passengers to the ground. They can lift very heavy items. Russian helicopter MIL Mi-12 Homer has been able to lift more than 40,000 kgs to a height of 2,255 meters.