PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Entering autos: discussion split from Glasgow crash thread
Old 17th Dec 2013, 10:31
  #256 (permalink)  
chopjock
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Critical point rpm in auto rotation

If you wish to improve your chances and extend the critical rpm to a lower figure, enquire to the manufacturer if you can increase the lower pitch travel to zero degrees or even a negative setting.
I have frequently practised auto rotation techniques with drones, allowing the pitch to stay on with a power cut in a high hover, watched as the main rotor blades stall in flight, nearly stop, then bottom the lever to a negative pitch setting and observed as the RRPM recovered. (with negative pitch, the angle of attack is less).
The only down side of this set up is often bottom lever is then too much (down)for normal approaches, so you have to be mindful of controlling the amount of down lever movement, as you do with cyclic.
Could be a safety enhancement to help recover rpm when normally it would not be recoverable.
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