AME T101 Theory of Flight - Rotary Wing Flashcards
What do Conventional Helicopters have that identify them as “conventional”?
A Main Rotor & a Tail Rotor.
What are some typical Helictopter uses?
Name Three
1) Emergeny Transport.
2) Firefighting
3) Police Work
How does the Center of Pressure move with a Symmetrical Airfoil?
Predictably.
Why are some helicopters equipped with Asymmetrical Blades?
Mainly due to the incorporation of computer designs.
What is Lift?
Lift is the force produced by the Airfoil perpendicular to the relative wind.
It is the opposition of Gravity.
Due to the spinning rotor-head, lift occurs where?
At the Center of the blades.
Define Drag
This is the force parallel and opposite to the relative wind.
Drag is the resistance to the atmosphere to the motion of the aircraft.
It also opposes thrust.
What produces Thrust on a Heliccpter?
It is produced by the Rotor System.
Thrust is parallel to what?
The Relative Wind.
Where is the Relative Wind?
It is always on the leading edge of the main rotor blades.
The advancing blade has a lower what than the retracting blade?
Has a lower Angle of Attack.
A Helicopter will never stall due to which blade?
The Advancing Blade.
A Stall will occur at which blade first?
The Retreating Blade.
Which part of the Retreating Blade will stall first?
The tip of it.
True or False.
Retreating Blade Stall is noticeable.
True.
What indications of a stall exist?
An increase in vibration.
The Helicopter will want to tip upward.
During a stall, the pilot must do one what three things?
1) Unload the Rotor System
2) Slow Down
3) Increase Rotor Speed
Pitch Angle is the Angle created by what?
This is the Angle created by the Chord Line to a reference plane.
The Pitch Angle is changed ________ among the Rotor Blades.
Equally
How is Pitch Angle Controlled?
Through the Collective.
The Cyclic changes the pitch on how many blades?
Individual Blades.
Define Blade Droop.
This is when the Rotor Blades hang down in a stationary mannor.
Define Coning.
During Flight, the blades bend upward.
What forces cause coning?
Centrifugal Force and Lift
What is the purpose of a Helicopter’s Tail Rotor?
List Two Reasons.
To counteract torque generated by the main rotor.
To allow for Yaw.
Changing the pitch on all the blades allows for movement along which axis?
The Vertical Axis.
The Cyclic allows for what kind of control?
Directional Control.
What is Newton’s Third Law?
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction/
What is Translating Tendency?
This is the tendency that causes a helicopter to wander.
What three methods exist to counteract Translating Tendency?
1) Offsetting the Swashplate or the rigging of the Swashplate.
2) Offsetting the Mast
3) Offsetting the Transmission
Tandem Rotor Set-Up has two Main Rotors placed where?
One in the Front, One in the Back.
Describe the Coaxial Rotor Design.
Two Rotors are stacked. One on top of the other.
Describe the Intermeshing Rotor Design.
Thsee Rotors rotate within one another.
Why must Intermeshing Rotors be timed perfectly?
To prevent them from self destructing.
Define the Coanda Effect.
A big fan is place at the head of the tail boom to send a stream of air downward onto it.
The rushing air moves down to a small slit within the boom and rushes out again.
This air is high velocity and low pressure.
As a result, lift is generated wherever the stream is pointing.
Why would the Coanda Effect be used on a helicopter?
It is a design meant to deal with the torque generated by the Main Rotor.
List the three axis’ of motion on a Rotor-Head.
1) Feathering
2) Flapping
3) Lead-Lag
What is Feathering?
The blades pitching movement.
What controls Feathering?
The Collective.
What is the purpose of Flapping?
Meant to compensate for Dissymmetry of Lift.
What does Lead-Lag compensate for?
Compensates for Coriolis Effect.
Main Rotor Systems spin in what direction when built in North America?
Counter Clockwise.
Main Rotor Systems spin in what direction when built in Europe?
Clockwise.
Define In-Ground Effect.
Induced flow has decreased so less power is needed to fly the helicopter.
Define Out-of-Ground Effect.
Out-of-Ground Effect is when induced flow has increased and can then escape.
More what is needed when a Helicopter experiences Out-of-Ground Effect?
Power.
Induced Flow has what kind of effect on Angle of Attack?
A Negative Effect.
Why is Washout built into Rotor Blades?
Provides equal lift along the entire length of the blade.
If you add the Speed of the Aircraft to the Blade Tip Speed you get the total speed of what?
You get the Total Speed of the Advancing Blade.
Subtracting the Blade Tip Speed from the Total Speed of the Advancing Blade you get the Speed of what?
The Retreating Blade.
The Retreating Blade gets less lift than the Advancing Blade causing what phenonmenon?
Dissymmetry of Lift.
Dissymmetry of Lift is the difference between what two things due to airspeed?
The amount of lift on the Advancing and Retreating Blades of the Rotor System due to Airspeed.
How would one compensate for Dissymmetry of Lift?
Flap up or Flap Down
Retreating Blade: Flap Down (Increases Angle of Attack)
Advancing Blade: Flap Up (Decreases Angle of Attack)
Why would you Flap the Rotor Blades when experiencing Dissymmetry of Lift?
This Flapping motion equalizes lift throughout the rotor system.
Coriolis Effect is necessary to maintain what?
To maintain the same momentum from both the Advancing and Retreating Blades.
How is Coriolis Effect compensated for?
With Lead-Lag.
What is a Drag Hinge?
A Hinge attached from Blade to Rotor Hub.
What is the purpose of the Drag Hinge?
To allow for Lead-Lag.
What would happen if no Drag Hinge were present?
The Blade would be required to physically bend.
List three types of Rotor Heads.
1) Rigid
2) Semi-Rigid
3) Fully Articulated
Which axis of motion does a Rigid Rotor-Head allow?
The Feathering Axis. (Pitch)
What is the advantage of a Rigid Rotor-Head?
Its Maneuverability.
Which Rotor-Head is simple and robust?
The Rigid Rotor-Head.
Which Rotor-Head type is the most common?
The Semi-Rigid Rotor-Head.
Which axis of motion does the Semi-Rigid Rotor-Head allow?
Feathering and Flapping