Aaaah, my back!
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK
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Aaaah, my back!
Is it a fact that a large number of chopper pilots suffer from bad backs.....ouch?
An aviation doc friend told me his theory:
Helicopters are not exactly aerodynamic machines and when the ball's in the middle it doesn't necessarily mean the thing's in balance ("a little bit more left pedal, Prune, please")
So there we are. Cruisin along, fd&h, ball bang in the middle and discussing the latest scandal - auto pilot on.
Now say the machine is slightly out of balance, not enough to be noticeable unless you're the company ace of the base. And instinctively the torso twists at the waist to compensate - the body knows - allegedly. A few hours/days/weeks of the situation and bingo - another candidate for the crutches earlier than planned.
Ergo - only the natural pilots amongst us are free from the problem - apart from the military jocks who don't have the time, and aren't paid to relax anyway - and the youngsters who can still abuse their bodies and get away with it.
What's a natural pilot, Doc?
An aviation doc friend told me his theory:
Helicopters are not exactly aerodynamic machines and when the ball's in the middle it doesn't necessarily mean the thing's in balance ("a little bit more left pedal, Prune, please")
So there we are. Cruisin along, fd&h, ball bang in the middle and discussing the latest scandal - auto pilot on.
Now say the machine is slightly out of balance, not enough to be noticeable unless you're the company ace of the base. And instinctively the torso twists at the waist to compensate - the body knows - allegedly. A few hours/days/weeks of the situation and bingo - another candidate for the crutches earlier than planned.
Ergo - only the natural pilots amongst us are free from the problem - apart from the military jocks who don't have the time, and aren't paid to relax anyway - and the youngsters who can still abuse their bodies and get away with it.
What's a natural pilot, Doc?
Join Date: Mar 2001
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So what you are saying is our bodies should be connected to the turn and slip. If our bodies are lined up then the ball is in the middle. If our bodies are twisted the ball is out.
Join Date: Sep 2001
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Does that mean my system that has been finely tuned since starting this racket in '67 just might be the solution.....keep that marble banging from one side to the other...and your back never knows a single position long enough to cause a problem? Hot Dang! Cannot wait to put this concept forth to the company training captains and the HSE coordinator....cash bonus for the kid after all these years! Plus that helps to keep the ball free in the race!
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JedA1 has the straight poop. If the wings are level and the ball is centered, the pilot is not subject to funny forces, but the vibration environment, especially at the low frequencies (4 to 7 Hz) can be a real back issue. Typical 2 bladed Bell 1/r and 2/r is a major problem for back and kidney problems, at least in the 212 world. The 412 and the 430 are quite nice on vibes, however.
The helicopter naturally flys crooked in cruise while wings level and ball centered, typically for low speed machines it is about 5 degrees of left nose, right sideslip in cruise. As the speed goes above 130 knots, the sideslip gets to within 1 degree or so. This sideslip feels like a cross wind, and is compensated the same way, fly toward the right window frame, navigate like a 10 knot left crosswind is always there.
This slip is needed to produce a fuselage side force that balances tail rotor (and vertical fin) anti-torque force.
The helicopter naturally flys crooked in cruise while wings level and ball centered, typically for low speed machines it is about 5 degrees of left nose, right sideslip in cruise. As the speed goes above 130 knots, the sideslip gets to within 1 degree or so. This sideslip feels like a cross wind, and is compensated the same way, fly toward the right window frame, navigate like a 10 knot left crosswind is always there.
This slip is needed to produce a fuselage side force that balances tail rotor (and vertical fin) anti-torque force.
