6 ms·
While hovering, the tail rotor is pushing air into a dirty vortex. A small amount of speed, even just 20kt, will clear that vortex and give more authority. Even
by nwallin 5y ago
While hovering, the tail rotor is pushing air into a dirty vortex. A small amount of speed, even just 20kt, will clear that vortex and give more authority. Even today helicopters will begin pitching nose down immediately on takeoff to get airflow cross both the main and tail rotor to clear those vertices.
That being said, I've talked to a few Vietnam helicopter pilots and all of their stories were ... well, exaggeration is a common theme.
- naikrovek 5y agopitching the nose down certainly does one thing: it pushes air backwards, meaning the helicopter starts moving forwards. the air moving across the body of the helicopter, rather than down it, is what starts the wind vane effect. if the pilot tipped the helicopter to the right after leaving the ground, and then continuously held the control stick in the direction of the movement of the helicopter, the body of the helicopter would begin to face the direction of travel unless the pilot actively countered that turn via the tail rotor.
- ghoward 5y ago> if the pilot tipped the helicopter to the right after leaving the ground, and then continuously held the control stick in the direction of the movement of the helicopter, the body of the helicopter would begin to face the direction of travel unless the pilot actively countered that turn via the tail rotor. Yes, which is why it would work to just push the stick forward, even if the helicopter was spinning.