To: heedm
Here is a problem:
A helicopter rotor head is five feet in diameter. This diameter scribes the path of the blade cuffs or blade attach points.
The blade is 30 feet long and it weighs 250 pounds.
The rotor is spinning at 250 RPM
The CG of the blade if that is required is at the 45% station measured from the attach point.
Discount aerodynamic effects and any vibratory forces due to a traveling wave down the blade.
Discount any changes in loading due to flapping or leading and lagging.
Now, calculate the centripetal forces at the blade attach point but do not calculate the centrifugal forces developed by the spinning blade.
After making that calculation perform the same analysis on all four blades, which all things being normal will balance itself out so that there is, zero tensile or bending loads applied to the mast.
Now while the rotor system is rotating at 250 RPM detach one blade. As you stated centripetal force is what restrains the blades and one blade breaks off when the centripetal force on that blade drops to zero and it still remains on the other three blades. Will the centripetal forces remain the same on the other blades or will it go up and, why
What part does centrifugal force play in your calculations?
There will be a horrific imbalance before the helicopter breaks apart. What causes the imbalance?
[ 30 November 2001: Message edited by: Lu Zuckerman ]