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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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Fig. 7.47 <strong>The</strong> Lockheed gyrobar system in which each blade has its own flybar. See text for details.<br />

disc should tilt for any reason, <strong>the</strong> inter-axis coupling causes <strong>the</strong> fea<strong>the</strong>ring bearing<br />

to turn slightly, and a couple is applied to <strong>the</strong> gyrobar. If a given blade is imagined<br />

to rise, an upward couple will be applied to its gyrobar. <strong>The</strong> gyrobar will <strong>the</strong>n precess<br />

by 90 ◦ causing <strong>the</strong> blade pitch to increase 90 ◦ after <strong>the</strong> stimulus. As <strong>the</strong> blade is also<br />

gyroscopic, <strong>the</strong> blade would respond by rising a fur<strong>the</strong>r 90 ◦ after <strong>the</strong> stimulus. As a<br />

result <strong>the</strong> blade responds at 180 ◦ to <strong>the</strong> stimulus and is thus stable.<br />

Cyclic control is obtained by applying couples to <strong>the</strong> gyrobar using <strong>the</strong> swashplate.<br />

<strong>The</strong> inertia <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gyrobar means that it will control <strong>the</strong> following rate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main rotor.<br />

In 1961 a ring gyro having direct control <strong>of</strong> blade cyclic pitch was fitted below <strong>the</strong><br />

rotor. A collective pitch mechanism was also fitted so that constant RPM could be<br />

used. In this form <strong>the</strong> CL-475 was widely demonstrated and achieved a reputation for<br />

stability that represented <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> art at <strong>the</strong> time. <strong>The</strong> machine still exists with<br />

<strong>the</strong> ring gyro and is at Fort Rucker at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> writing.<br />

Subsequently <strong>the</strong> Model 286 (XH-51) was developed. This hingeless machine initially<br />

had three blades, but changed to four blades again for vibration reasons. <strong>The</strong> ring gyro<br />

is replaced by a rigid four-legged flybar, again directly coupled to <strong>the</strong> cyclic pitch arms<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rotor blades such that <strong>the</strong> flybar axis forms <strong>the</strong> control axis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main rotor.<br />

Gyroscopic rigidity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flybar means that any unwanted disturbance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main<br />

rotor attitude due to gusts is automatically opposed.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Lockheed system achieves cyclic control by applying control couples to <strong>the</strong> flybar<br />

via <strong>the</strong> swashplate to make it precess in <strong>the</strong> required direction. <strong>The</strong> cyclic control system<br />

is unlike that <strong>of</strong> any o<strong>the</strong>r helicopter because it provides forces, not displacements. This<br />

is no more than a scaled-up version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> torque motors to erect gyroscopic<br />

instruments as was seen earlier in this chapter.<br />

Figure 7.48 shows that couples are applied to <strong>the</strong> flybar by a system <strong>of</strong> springs. Each<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> control runs, pitch and roll, contains a pair <strong>of</strong> springs, one positive and one<br />

negative. With <strong>the</strong> cyclic stick at neutral, <strong>the</strong> geometry is such that if <strong>the</strong> swashplate<br />

moves because <strong>the</strong> flybar has tilted, one spring is compressed and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r extends<br />

Control 311

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