Video of blade dynamics
 

Once I have seen a video of a rotor blade in flight, with the camera mounted on the hub, filming along the blade. I tried to find that video now for a long time, but was not very lucky.

Maybe one of you guys has any information for me regarding that video?

Thanks for your help!

Nice regards,
Chris :confused:

You can find a video like that at www.helisite.be Go to the video vault and the date 16.01 and its called rotorblade film.

That video is from a Sikorsky film from the 1950's, and is of an H-37 (S-56) rotor blade. It was shot directly over the Sikorsky plant in Stratford Connecticut, the river has distinctive islands that mark the spot.

Makes you a believer in Helicopter Fatigue. Recal the thread in this forum where the number of banked turns per hour for a robinson was discussed. This film is all in level flight!

PS the link doesn't work for me

Whilst I have to confess to being mostly a fixed-wing bod, I'm doing a PhD in my spare time and my PhD supervisor, a thoroughly clever chap - Chartered Engineer and mathematician - is one of the 2 or 3 leading experts in the UK in Helicopter blade dynamics (I think he's the chap who cracked the cause of blade-sail about 15-20 years ago). If you'd like his contact details, drop me an Email. If he hasn't any such video or information, it probably doesn't exist. (Whether he'll talk to you is another issue, but that'll be your problem :O )

G

I'll email the movie to anyone that asks nicely. Just be aware that it's > 3MBytes.

The traveling wave.
 

Sikorsky first performed this photographic feat on an S-51 rotor system mounted in a whirl stand at the old South Avenue plant. This was in the very late 1940s (around 1949) or the early 1950s. Two things were accomplished in the test. The traveling wave or snake action (undulating) of the blade was discovered and they also found that the advancing blade would lead and the retreating blade would lag. Up until that time the opposite view was held.

When this movie was shown to helicopter pilots many of them refused to fly any more.

:uhoh:

I'd like a copy of that movie, please. Check your PM inbox for the address.

Thanks