FH1100
I'm not suggesting you're wrong to say "the rotor has lots of energy", but I think it is helpful to quantify how much energy it has, and to bring these issues of trading and juggling energy to the fore.
That the energies in rotor speed, forward speed and typical height are comparable emphasizes the importance of managing that energy. I get the impression from the extended discussion that there are incorrect assumptions being made that the rotor energy is either dominant or negligible.
This is much more relevant than for fixed-wing flying where there is a much-simpler single height-speed conversion that always applies. The trade in helicopter energy is both three way and potentially rapid - the total energy is quite low by the standards of a fixed-wing aircraft of the same price.
Last edited by awblain; 20th Dec 2013 at 15:39.