Question from a mere spotter
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Question from a mere spotter
Folks,
This is very much an enthusiasts question, so forgive my ignorance...
Is a tandem rotor (like a Chinook) easier to fly than a more conventional helicopter? My simple mind assumes that the two rotors must effectively cancel the torque rotation tendency, but I'm also telling myself it can't be that simple.
Just curious, so any views from the professionals would be appreciated!
This is very much an enthusiasts question, so forgive my ignorance...
Is a tandem rotor (like a Chinook) easier to fly than a more conventional helicopter? My simple mind assumes that the two rotors must effectively cancel the torque rotation tendency, but I'm also telling myself it can't be that simple.
Just curious, so any views from the professionals would be appreciated!
If there was no SAS and autopilot, a Chinook would want to roll on its side and proceed sideways like a twin-engined aeroplane.
Fancy electrickery makes it behave. And it is not easy to fly any helicopter, so all helicopter pilots are steely-eyed, fabulous bodies, and get all the chicks.
Fancy electrickery makes it behave. And it is not easy to fly any helicopter, so all helicopter pilots are steely-eyed, fabulous bodies, and get all the chicks.
My simple mind assumes that the two rotors must effectively cancel the torque rotation tendency, but I'm also telling myself it can't be that simple.
In days of yore the pilot had to sort it out by himself.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Just on the off chance the OP wanted a slightly more serious answer, other than the normal differences of aircraft types, a Chinook cockpit looks just like any other twin-engine helicopter cockpit. The lever on the left adjusts the size of the houses, stick in the middle makes you go in the direction you point it, and the pedals on the floor let you decide if you want to see where you are going or not. Some very clever mechanical control mixing handles the basics of the controls operating as per a standard helicopter, then you start to add auto stability and autopilot functions to make it really clever. You need to look at the V-22 Osprey controls to see how some very smart software handles the transition from hover to forward flight, as is the case with the F-35B, but the idea is to make it as close to standard control layout as possible.
Avoid imitations
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The pilot of a Chinook thinks he’s flying a smooth helicopter. In fact he’s strapped onto a concrete block, which is connected to the airframe by springs and tends to continue in a nice straight line, while the airframe bounces around all over the place behind him.
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If there was no SAS and autopilot, a Chinook would want to roll on its side and proceed sideways like a twin-engined aeroplane.
Fancy electrickery makes it behave. And it is not easy to fly any helicopter, so all helicopter pilots are steely-eyed, fabulous bodies, and get all the chicks.
Fancy electrickery makes it behave. And it is not easy to fly any helicopter, so all helicopter pilots are steely-eyed, fabulous bodies, and get all the chicks.
But why the tendency to roll?
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Just on the off chance the OP wanted a slightly more serious answer, other than the normal differences of aircraft types, a Chinook cockpit looks just like any other twin-engine helicopter cockpit. The lever on the left adjusts the size of the houses, stick in the middle makes you go in the direction you point it, and the pedals on the floor let you decide if you want to see where you are going or not. Some very clever mechanical control mixing handles the basics of the controls operating as per a standard helicopter, then you start to add auto stability and autopilot functions to make it really clever. You need to look at the V-22 Osprey controls to see how some very smart software handles the transition from hover to forward flight, as is the case with the F-35B, but the idea is to make it as close to standard control layout as possible.
At least a conventional helo has some longitudinal stability in the cruise due to the weathercocking effect of surfaces on the tailboom. The Chinook of course has no such luxury, the nose only points in any given direction in any flight regime because mechanical forces entice it to. This can come as something of a surprise to the pilot who is expecting it to want to point in the direction of travel....
What seriously impressed me upon graduating to SAS off flight was the machine's ability, even propensity to fly pointing in any direction at all regardless of direction of travel with equal happiness. Thus it would quite readily try to swap ends on an ILS or decide to thrunge along sideways if you let it - it simply didn't seem to mind! Not that the results of allowing it to do so were to be reccomended. Limitations, though very generous by conventional helo staandards could easily be eceeded.
A favourite sim game was transition into the hover on the touchdown markings and fly a departure tracking up the ILS in rearwards flight at 60Kts, stabilise to the hover at 1500ft and return down the ILS pointing (!) forwards.
It was possible....
What seriously impressed me upon graduating to SAS off flight was the machine's ability, even propensity to fly pointing in any direction at all regardless of direction of travel with equal happiness. Thus it would quite readily try to swap ends on an ILS or decide to thrunge along sideways if you let it - it simply didn't seem to mind! Not that the results of allowing it to do so were to be reccomended. Limitations, though very generous by conventional helo staandards could easily be eceeded.
A favourite sim game was transition into the hover on the touchdown markings and fly a departure tracking up the ILS in rearwards flight at 60Kts, stabilise to the hover at 1500ft and return down the ILS pointing (!) forwards.
It was possible....
That is actually very interesting.
I didn't realise that if it weren't for the SAS, you steely eyed cyclic wranglers would have trouble getting a Wokka to point forwards.
Son has an Army chopper driver Officer Selection Board coming up soon.
Have told him that if he gets it - there's only one machine to fly - and it ain't got a conventional tail rotor!
Not that the green machine will let him decide - one ends up flying what one is told I gather.
I didn't realise that if it weren't for the SAS, you steely eyed cyclic wranglers would have trouble getting a Wokka to point forwards.
Son has an Army chopper driver Officer Selection Board coming up soon.
Have told him that if he gets it - there's only one machine to fly - and it ain't got a conventional tail rotor!
Not that the green machine will let him decide - one ends up flying what one is told I gather.
