How the Helicopter Flies?





helicopter basics
Helicopters, or rotary wing aircraft, are without question one of the most versatile and vital vehicles in the world. They transport world leaders and the critically wounded; they fight forest fires and rescue people trapped in burning buildings; they can deliver huge payloads to areas that no other vehicle can reach.

The helicopter is type of aircraft in which lift is obtained by means of one or more power-driven horizontal propellers called rotors. When the rotor of a helicopter turns it produces reaction torque which tends to make the craft spin also. On most helicopters a small rotor near the tail compensates for this torque. On twin-rotor craft the rotors spin in opposite directions, so their reactions cancel each other. The helicopter is propelled in a given direction by inclining the axis of the main rotor in that direction. The helicopter's speed is limited by the fact that if the blades rotate too fast they will produce compressibility effects on the blade moving forward and stall effects on the rearward moving blade, at the same time.

Helicopter concept can date back to the late 1400's. Since then, helicopters have been put into use by society in many ways. One can find helicopters in both civil and military areas. The early helicopters were mainly developed for military use, but later became certified for civilian use. Since then helicopters have evolved greatly, specifically with the design. Because a helicopter can perform more actions than a fixed-wing aircraft can, it is more complicated to fly. The helicopter must compensate for a variety of forces, like the spinning force induced by the main rotors. The engineering behind designing a helicopter is complex with a variety of issues to be understood .





Vertical Flight Principles:
Principles of rotary flight
Flying a helicopter
Rotor 's configuration
The tail rotor
Skids or wheels ?
The servo flap controlled rotor
IGE and OGE / Recirculation
Blade Element - Momentum Theory

Subjects:
What happens when the engine fails ? Autorotation
Why can't a helicopter fly faster than it does ?
Why were "compound helicopters" not successful ?
Blades and Lift
How long can fly before it needs an overhaul ?
What is ground resonance ?
Converting to Compressed air

Specials:
Rotopter A new type of winged aircraft
BodyCopter
Unicopter / SynchroLite

Tables:
International radio alphabet
Aircraft registration prefixes

Misc:
Books
Frequently Asked Questions






Helicopters for sale
Accidents
Acronyms
Airshows
Future helicopters
Flying a helicopter
Helicopter stories
TV and movies

Helicopter books
Helicopter patches
Helicopter model kits


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