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Old 15th November 2004 | 02:37
  #5 (permalink)  
Dave_Jackson
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,635
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Just a thought.

Perhaps for recreational helicopters, which the pilot flies infrequently, the craft should be equipped with a rotor governor. This type of governor is a RRPM - Pitch coupling. As the rotor looses speed, the pitch of the rotor decreases. Its operates differently than the common engine governor, which is a RRPM - Torque coupling.
A rotor governor requires action by the pilot to STOP the craft from going into autorotation.


Incidentally, a rotor governor was included in the world's first production helicopter, the Flettner FL-282. In fact, the FL-282 was the first recorded helicopter to enter and exit autorotation.

One of two remaining helicopters was taken to the US after the war, for evaluation.
The Prewitt Aircraft Co's. technical report ATI #20283 on the flight tests of the FL-282 states that the rotor governor was found to be very effective. It used a fly-ball rotor pitch governor. There was 10 % of RRPM adjustment. There is a specific report on it ~ Prewitt Aircraft Report N0. 5-130-2
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