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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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Rotors in practice 123<br />

opposite occurs. As a result no additional damping is required about <strong>the</strong> flapping axis,<br />

aerodynamic damping being perfectly adequate.<br />

4.5 Droop stops<br />

When a rotor is turning at flight RPM, centrifugal stiffening tends to hold <strong>the</strong> blades<br />

straight and <strong>the</strong>y will cone to whatever angle is necessary for a force balance in <strong>the</strong><br />

rotor head. With flapping hinge <strong>of</strong>fset, if <strong>the</strong> tip path plane tilts, a couple will be created<br />

which tilts <strong>the</strong> hull to follow. As a result <strong>the</strong> freely flapping blades will not strike<br />

<strong>the</strong> tail boom. <strong>The</strong>re have been some spectacular incidents in wind tunnels where <strong>the</strong><br />

hull <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helicopter was fixed and this mechanism could not operate.<br />

As a rotor slows down, <strong>the</strong> blades will droop and stops are needed to restrict <strong>the</strong><br />

travel. <strong>The</strong>se can be fixed if a tall mast is used. However, Figure 4.4 shows that at flight<br />

RPM <strong>the</strong> blades are nearly straight whereas at rest <strong>the</strong>y droop. Thus <strong>the</strong> actual angular<br />

motion allowable at <strong>the</strong> head is greater when <strong>the</strong> blades are turning. This requirement<br />

can be met by using moving droop stops which are thrown out <strong>of</strong> engagement as <strong>the</strong><br />

rotor speeds up, and which return under <strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> springs as it slows down. Stops<br />

are also required to restrict <strong>the</strong> upward motion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blade if it ‘sails’ whilst starting<br />

up in a wind.<br />

4.6Introduction to dragging<br />

In <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> coning, <strong>the</strong> flapping hinges would be sufficient for <strong>the</strong> shaft axis to<br />

tilt with respect to <strong>the</strong> tip path axis, but greater freedom is needed in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong><br />

coning. Figure 4.5 shows an example <strong>of</strong> a machine hovering with <strong>the</strong> CM not directly<br />

below <strong>the</strong> rotor head so that <strong>the</strong> mast is not vertical. When viewed along <strong>the</strong> tip path<br />

axis at (a), <strong>the</strong> blades are evenly spaced, but when viewed along <strong>the</strong> shaft axis (b), <strong>the</strong><br />

blades are not evenly spaced, and dragging hinges are necessary to allow this angular<br />

change with respect to <strong>the</strong> rotor head so that <strong>the</strong> blades can travel at constant velocity<br />

to conserve momentum. If <strong>the</strong> blades were not allowed to drag, <strong>the</strong>y would experience<br />

alternating bending moments due to <strong>the</strong> geometrical conflict.<br />

<strong>The</strong> dragging motion in <strong>the</strong> hover is due to <strong>the</strong> rotor head turning on <strong>the</strong> shaft axis<br />

whilst <strong>the</strong> blades turn on <strong>the</strong> tip path axis. If a flexible joint were installed in <strong>the</strong> rotor<br />

shaft, <strong>the</strong> rotor head could turn on <strong>the</strong> same axis as <strong>the</strong> blades and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>re would<br />

be no dragging movement due to coning and no need for dragging hinges. A simple<br />

flexible joint such as <strong>the</strong> Hooke or universal joint used in automotive propeller shafts<br />

Fig. 4.4 In flight <strong>the</strong> blades are held straight by centrifugal stiffening. At rest <strong>the</strong> blades will droop fur<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Retractable stops may be used to prevent excessive droop without limiting flapping in flight.

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