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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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142 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Helicopter</strong><br />

hold <strong>the</strong> telescopic elements at <strong>the</strong>ir end stops. Control movement will compress one<br />

or o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> springs to give feel. <strong>The</strong> neutral position <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> springs can be adjusted<br />

by an electric motor operating a screw jack. One trim motor is fitted to each cyclic<br />

axis. <strong>The</strong> motors are controlled using a small four-way switch mounted on <strong>the</strong> cyclic<br />

stick where it can easily be reached by <strong>the</strong> pilot’s thumb. <strong>The</strong> switch is simply moved in<br />

<strong>the</strong> same direction <strong>the</strong> pilot is pulling <strong>the</strong> stick to hold <strong>the</strong> desired attitude. <strong>The</strong> force<br />

needed to hold <strong>the</strong> stick will be felt to reduce as <strong>the</strong> trim motor runs. Limit switches<br />

prevent <strong>the</strong> trim motor running too far and jamming.<br />

As an alternative to trim motors, <strong>the</strong> centring springs may be attached to <strong>the</strong> hull<br />

reference by mag<strong>net</strong>ic clutches. <strong>The</strong>se are normally engaged by permanent mag<strong>net</strong>s<br />

and <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> current in a coil can cause <strong>the</strong>m to release. If <strong>the</strong> pilot holds <strong>the</strong><br />

stick in <strong>the</strong> desired position and briefly applies <strong>the</strong> trim release current, <strong>the</strong> springs will<br />

extend to <strong>the</strong>ir neutral position and when <strong>the</strong> clutches grip again, <strong>the</strong> cyclic stick will<br />

be held in <strong>the</strong> trimmed attitude. <strong>The</strong> force trim release button will be on <strong>the</strong> handle <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> cyclic stick.<br />

4.15 Tilting heads<br />

<strong>The</strong> equivalence <strong>of</strong> flapping and fea<strong>the</strong>ring was introduced in section 4.3. A rotor<br />

flapping with respect to <strong>the</strong> control axis is fea<strong>the</strong>ring with respect to <strong>the</strong> tip path axis.<br />

Figure 4.22 shows that this principle can be used for cyclic control. If <strong>the</strong> head has<br />

flapping hinges, it can be tilted with respect to <strong>the</strong> tip path axis. <strong>The</strong> result is that<br />

<strong>the</strong> blades are now cyclically fea<strong>the</strong>red and <strong>the</strong> rotor will try to roll to a new attitude<br />

where <strong>the</strong> flapping and fea<strong>the</strong>ring cease. In <strong>the</strong> hover it will be able to do so, but in<br />

Fig. 4.22 Tilting head control. If <strong>the</strong> blades have flapping hinges (a), <strong>the</strong>y can remain in-plane whilst <strong>the</strong> head<br />

tilts, (b). Head tilt applies cyclic pitch causing <strong>the</strong> rotor to follow <strong>the</strong> attitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> head (c) (which is <strong>the</strong> control<br />

axis).

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