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

Fig. 2.32 (a) A couple applied in <strong>the</strong> plane <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rotor is experienced as an alternating force by each blade.<br />

(b) In rotating co-ordinates, centrifugal force tends to return a flapping blade to <strong>the</strong> flat position. <strong>The</strong> restoring<br />

force for small angle is proportional to <strong>the</strong> angle and so <strong>the</strong> blade performs SHM.<br />

As a result when an external couple tries to tilt <strong>the</strong> plane <strong>of</strong> a rotor, <strong>the</strong> sinusoidal<br />

force on each blade is driving <strong>the</strong> blade at its natural resonant frequency. Section 2.9<br />

showed that at resonance <strong>the</strong> driving force is in phase with <strong>the</strong> velocity. This means<br />

(from Figure 2.22) that <strong>the</strong> displacement lags both <strong>the</strong> velocity and <strong>the</strong> force by 90 ◦ <strong>of</strong><br />

rotation. Thus <strong>the</strong> rotor does not tilt in <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> applied couple, but on an axis<br />

thatis90 ◦ fur<strong>the</strong>r around <strong>the</strong> rotor in <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> rotation. This is a fundamental<br />

characteristic <strong>of</strong> gyroscopes and is called gyroscopic precession (invariably changed to<br />

procession by <strong>the</strong> ill-advised use <strong>of</strong> spelling checkers). This 90 ◦ lag in <strong>the</strong> response <strong>of</strong> a<br />

rotor to applied forces has a significant bearing both on <strong>the</strong> control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helicopter<br />

and on how it responds to external forces. <strong>The</strong> controls have to be connected up at<br />

right angles to <strong>the</strong> intuitive way.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> blade tension is proportional to <strong>the</strong> square <strong>of</strong> RRPM (rotor revolutions per<br />

minute), when <strong>the</strong> rotors are turning slowly, <strong>the</strong> acceleration experienced by <strong>the</strong> blades<br />

due to rotation is small and <strong>the</strong> phase lag due to precession will be considerably reduced.<br />

<strong>The</strong> helicopter cannot fly at such low RRPM, but <strong>the</strong> effect may be noticed during rotor<br />

start or shutdown in a strong wind. When <strong>the</strong> pilot tries to minimize blade sailing by<br />

using <strong>the</strong> cyclic control, it will be found that <strong>the</strong> response is not as expected. Instead at<br />

low speeds <strong>the</strong> blades will respond with an advance with respect to <strong>the</strong> cyclic control.<br />

On a clockwise-from-<strong>the</strong>-top helicopter if <strong>the</strong> blades sail up on <strong>the</strong> right, <strong>the</strong> cyclic<br />

stick will have to be moved backwards.

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