What would happen to a Helicopter if it was in space?
 

So stuck on very long and boring train journey I pondered what would happen if you put a helicopter in space,

Of course you would sort out the small issues of the getting the engines to work and the pilots pay and conditions but, What would Happen?

A nice cheery question to rack those brains out there and have a bit of fun with

Answers on post card and winner gets a pat on the back from himself
:ok:

What would happen to a Helicopter if it was in space?
 

............it would be a good start but we must not lose sight of our firm objective to get them all up there.

One thort that was attorneys...

my 2p...

The rotor disc has mass... at flight idle it would create its own "mini" gravity.


This is obviously useless but I guess a cyclic input would have some effect on that.

Do you need an I.R. in space??? - Clear of cloud? Check, In sight of the surface? Check

When can I start?


MADY

Turn the Politicians loose on this project....they would have'em talked up there in a jiffy....but over budget, overschedule, and looking for a mission for them much like the V-22.

would expeneses allow for an overnight in the International Space Station??? and do they have a loyalty card???

MADY

This will require a fact-finding junket for all the pols to the space station. The crew can welcome them aboard and then inform them in the interest of their comfort and the lovely view that 'cocktails are being served outside... on the terrace...'

Already been tried... it crashed :(

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7928/heloinspace.jpg

Must have had a Bell Tail rotor on it.....LTE Perhaps?:E

...I don't think the issue is whether it would work or not; gravity will win and when it does the question becomes who has a space-port with provision for helicopter landings... very very fast ones... it's not in the FAA commercial space-port regulations I can tell you now!

...and when it gets ramp checked, will the pilots be suitably qualified? will it have a daily signed for by a suitably qualified extra-atmosphere A&C type rated engineer... I think not!

I think Um... lifting... had it right, the lawyers would stop it!

The aliens would laugh themselves sick.

Typical you all care about the pilots, but what about the poor old line engineer when the aircraft has snags on the line... It'll take hours to get suited and booted.. and You try using lockwire with space gloves on.. sheeeesh!

I was also thinking, with no gravity, what happens when our hero applies the rotorbrake.. Rotor Stop - aircraft spin, so in effect, would you need the rotors spinning at 100% Nr and a bootful of yaw to apply the rotorbrake.. but then that would... **** it, this is getting complicated.. can't we just stick with the Space Shuttle???

One more thing.. if the helo went to the moon and he landed in the "Sea of Tranquility".. would the emergency floats deploy?? Just a thought...

Well maybe if you fed the engine a stoichometric mix of O2 and fuel, and the main and tail rotors went round, I guess it would just spin at a rate proportional to the mass of the rotor versus the centre of mass behind the mast. ie damn fast.

And yet, and yet, as a way of re-entry, a ceramic rotor in autorotation to absorb the energy with a bit of gas thrust at the tail to compensate might just make an elegant arrival.

With a transition to the White House lawn, it would be very impressive...

And quite possibly cheaper than the VH-71

In the vacuum of space, will you still be able to hear a pilot talk about his new watch...? :E

Off-topic, but NASA has toyed with the idea of using a 'smart rotorcraft field assistant' for planetary science on a Mars mission.

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/5...Assistants.jpg

I/C

. . . . . pick your spot and we'll do a practice auto all the way to the ground. . . . . . . . . . .it may take some time :ooh:

Yes... and his ex-wife too! ;)

lol
 

Houston we have a problem......... no air to translate lift .... ?????

Those blades would keep on turning for years with no resistance, lol

I can just see it now, lol

NASA Robinson R22 ... curently orbiting the moon.... 30000000000000000000000001000000000000000000000 miles south of the sun request QNH, planet in use and a flight information service.

G-MADY love your post, raises so many questions ???? IFR- VFR I would say VFR..... always within constant visual referance to the ground, lol

LOL

Goat

Soon as you switched on mechanical gyros the stupid thing would start tumbling, y'know... throw some rotating fuel pumps, oil pumps, starters, a couple whirling donks, some accessories, the thing would make a ride in the vomit comet look like a lark around the light 'ouse... if, as is pointed out, you could get it to work... probably could get the gyros turning...

The Bell 47 would be just fine in space. You wouldn't even have to start it up. It would just hang there all by itself. It would make a good photo op. '47 sales would go through the roof.

For a better background , you could even put it on the moon. I know for a fact it can be done. I saw a picture of B52 Bomber parked on the moon. My dad showed me , it was on the front page of The National Inquirer. He said if it is in a newspaper it's got to be true !!!