The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net
The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net
The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net
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194 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Helicopter</strong><br />
slipping will not occur. Machines vary in detail; <strong>the</strong> Robinson uses two double-vee<br />
belts, <strong>the</strong> Schweizer uses eight single belts, and <strong>the</strong> Enstrom uses a single Poly-vee belt<br />
about six inches wide. Belts can last as long as five years, but flying in dusty conditions<br />
causes more rapid wear.<br />
<strong>The</strong> belt drive commonly does duty as <strong>the</strong> clutch. By slackening <strong>the</strong> belt tension, <strong>the</strong><br />
engine can be started and warmed up without <strong>the</strong> rotors turning. When <strong>the</strong> engine is<br />
warm <strong>the</strong> belt tension is applied gradually so that <strong>the</strong> belt can slip in order to spin up<br />
<strong>the</strong> rotors smoothly. Once <strong>the</strong> rotors are up to engine speed <strong>the</strong> full flight tension can be<br />
applied. Starting <strong>the</strong> engine with <strong>the</strong> clutch engaged should never be attempted. In <strong>the</strong><br />
Robinson <strong>the</strong> starter is powerful enough to turn engine and rotors, but when <strong>the</strong> engine<br />
fires <strong>the</strong> sudden speed increase could damage <strong>the</strong> main rotor blades. In an Enstrom<br />
<strong>the</strong> rotor blades are heavy and articulated and instead <strong>the</strong> result would probably be a<br />
burned-out starter.<br />
<strong>The</strong> belt tensioning is performed in various ways. In <strong>the</strong> Robinson <strong>the</strong> shaft between<br />
<strong>the</strong> main and tail rotors is supported near <strong>the</strong> pulleys by a bearing that can be raised<br />
and lowered by a small electric gear motor. <strong>The</strong> flexible couplings in <strong>the</strong> shaft allow<br />
this movement. <strong>The</strong> belt tension is measured and <strong>the</strong> motor can only run until <strong>the</strong> correct<br />
tension is achieved. Some care is needed when operating <strong>the</strong> motor switch; rapid<br />
engagement will stall <strong>the</strong> engine. In <strong>the</strong> Enstrom <strong>the</strong> belt is tensioned by bringing in a<br />
jockey pulley against <strong>the</strong> flat outer side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> belt. This is mechanically operated by<br />
cable from a lever in <strong>the</strong> cockpit. When <strong>the</strong> drive is fully engaged a system <strong>of</strong> links passes<br />
over centre and maintains belt tension with no tension in <strong>the</strong> cable. In this system <strong>the</strong><br />
pilot has better control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> clutch engagement force. In <strong>the</strong> Schweizer <strong>the</strong> belts are<br />
tightened by pulling out an idler pulley with a steel wire driven by a servo motor. <strong>The</strong><br />
wire is permanently in tension. In all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se machines, <strong>the</strong> upper belt pulley drives<br />
<strong>the</strong> long shaft joining <strong>the</strong> main rotor gearbox and <strong>the</strong> tail rotor gearbox.<br />
<strong>The</strong> pulley on <strong>the</strong> gearbox shaft has a one-way clutch inside it so that <strong>the</strong> engine can<br />
drive <strong>the</strong> shaft but <strong>the</strong> shaft cannot drive <strong>the</strong> engine. If <strong>the</strong> engine fails, or, worse still,<br />
siezes, <strong>the</strong> rotors can still turn freely so that an autorotation can be performed.<br />
6.4 A turbine installation<br />
As will be seen in section 6.19, turbine engines are found in two types. In <strong>the</strong> first<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is only one rotating assembly and this is integral with <strong>the</strong> output shaft. No<br />
starting clutch is necessary because <strong>the</strong> starter motor spins <strong>the</strong> turbine and <strong>the</strong> rotor.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> preferred type <strong>of</strong> turbine engine <strong>the</strong>re are two power turbines. <strong>The</strong> first generates<br />
shaft power to turn <strong>the</strong> compressor. <strong>The</strong> second turbine develops shaft power to drive<br />
<strong>the</strong> helicopter. Engines <strong>of</strong> this type are called free turbine engines because <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
no mechanical connection between <strong>the</strong> first part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> engine, which is essentially a<br />
gas generator, and <strong>the</strong> second part that converts gas energy to shaft power. <strong>The</strong> gas<br />
generator may be spun with <strong>the</strong> starter motor even though <strong>the</strong> free turbine is locked by<br />
a rotor brake. In this way <strong>the</strong> engine can be started without <strong>the</strong> rotors turning. If <strong>the</strong><br />
brake is released and <strong>the</strong> power is increased, <strong>the</strong> rotors will run up smoothly. <strong>The</strong> free<br />
turbine engine also has <strong>the</strong> advantage that <strong>the</strong> rotors can be stopped without stopping<br />
<strong>the</strong> engine. <strong>The</strong> turbine is set to idle power and produces minimal torque at <strong>the</strong> free<br />
turbine. <strong>The</strong> rotor can be stopped with <strong>the</strong> rotor brake.<br />
<strong>The</strong> turbine itself is light and <strong>of</strong>ten mounted on or in <strong>the</strong> ro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hull. Figure 6.2(a)<br />
shows <strong>the</strong> arrangement in <strong>the</strong> JetRanger. <strong>The</strong> power turbine gear train, through <strong>the</strong><br />
autorotation clutch, drives <strong>the</strong> tail rotor shaft to <strong>the</strong> rear and <strong>the</strong> main rotor shaft to <strong>the</strong><br />
front. <strong>The</strong> main rotor gearbox is resiliently mounted and <strong>the</strong> drive shaft is fitted with