PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Electric tail rotor; an alternative?
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Old 2nd Dec 2018, 13:16
  #57 (permalink)  
Uplinker
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: UK
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  • I'm sure there's a lot of computer control in most modern helicopters already, but this would have to be entirely computer controlled to be at all flyable. That would open up a new can of worms when it comes to safety. I know that "fly-by-wire" is popular these days, but personally I only consider it "safe" as long as everybody is equipped with ejection seats.
I don’t accept your first premise - an electrically driven tail rotor, (whether feasible or not), could still be manually controlled.

As to fly-by-wire; so I take it that you don’t fly on any Airbus and only on some Boeings and turbo-props?

Airbus 320 family and 330 each have 5 FBW computers, and can remain flying aloft without any of them.

PS: can helicopters have ejection seats ??
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