Coyote
By telling me I have to "manage my airspeed" on a downwind turn you are agreeing with me...... ie the helicopter has to accelerate to maintain airspeed. If somebody has a different idea to that I just want to know the scientific principal is all, so I can do a bit of further reading.
Now the reason I think I'm right is that while in flight the rotor itself is doing just what we are discussing. each blade in turn goes upwind crosswind downwind crosswind etc. While you are hovering its all good but as forward airspeed of the aircraft increases the upwind and downwind components get larger creating dissymetry? of lift. Theoretically speaking I can't see why there would be one rule of motion for an aircraft turning downwind but a different one for a rotorblade doing the same.
You are not going to tell me that retreating blade stall is caused by the retreating blade trying to turn downwind with visual reference to the ground are you ???
Last edited by overpitched; 24th Feb 2004 at 16:06.