1. Conestoga Valley High School Aerospace Technology
Rotary Aircraft
Conestoga Valley High School
Aerospace Technology
"The idea of a vehicle that could lift itself vertically from the ground and hover motionless in the air was probably born at the same time that man first dreamed of flying."
Igor Sikorsky

2. Today’s Topics History of Rotary Aircraft Define a helicopter
Define the mechanics of a helicopter
Explore the advantages of helicopters
Explore the disadvantages of
helicopters

3. Rotary Aircraft History
Chinese Tops-400 BC
Inspired from maple tree seeds
Leonardo da Vinci-1485
Drawings of his aerial screw
Launoy and Bienvenue-1784
French inventors
Created a toy with a rotary-wing
that produced lift
Ponton D'Amecourt-1863
French
first person to coin the term "helicopter" from the two greek words meaning spiral and wings

4. Rotary Aircraft History
Paul Cornu-1907
French bicycle engineer
First person to design and
build a helicopter that achieved
free flight while carrying a
passenger
Igor Sikorsky -1909
Father of modern day helicopters
Russian Aviator/Engineer
First design failed
VS-300 in 1939
First successful mass produced helicopter 4

5. Helicopter Capabilities
Lets compare:
Train = 2 directional movements
Car = 4 directional movements
Airplane = 5 directional movements
Helicopter has 6 directional movements
In addition it can rotate and hover
“Autorotation” if power is lost

6. How do helicopters work?
Definition: an aircraft whose lift is derived from the aerodynamic forces acting on one or more powered rotors turning about a vertical axes
Fly upward against the force of gravity by using their rotors to throw air down beneath them
Each blade in a helicopter's rotor is an airfoil
When the blade spins around, it forces air over its curved upper surface producing an upward lift

7. How do helicopters work?
Pitch of the blades can be manipulated to produce greater or less lift depending on the operation
Done using the collective pitch stick
Lateral movements are performed operating the cyclic control
How Helicopters Work

8. How do helicopters work?
The blades are shaped like airfoils so they generate lift as they spin around.
Each blade can swivel as it spins around.
Vertical rods push the blades up and down, making them swivel as they rotate.
A central axle connected to engine makes the entire blade assembly rotate.
The cap above the rotors is missile proof to protect against enemy attacks.
There are two turbo-shaft jet engines, one on either side of the rotors. If one engine fails, there should still be enough power from the other engine to land the helicopter safely.

9. Fundamental Parts of a Helicopter
Main Rotor-a helicopter's main rotating wing
assembly
Tail Rotor-counteracts the main rotors reactive
torque to stabilize the aircraft

10. Configurations of Helicopters
Different designs to counter act reactive torque

11. Aircraft Limitations Not as fast as most airplanes
Burns more fuel then compare sized
airplanes
As the forward speed increases:
Vibrations in the aircraft are increased
Shock noise is increased
Fuselage and other parasitic drag
increases

12. Aerodynamic Limitations

13. Review helicopter? What are the basic mechanics of a helicopter?
Who is known as the father of the modern day
helicopter?
What are the basic mechanics of a helicopter?
In how many directions can a helicopter
maneuver?
What is an advantage that a helicopter has over a airplane?
Igor Sikorsky
Main Rotor & Tail Rotor
Six
Vertical takeoff, small landing area, fly backwards, autorotation, hover & rotate 360 o