Question

To counteract this translating tendency or drift, how many of the following can be used

A.) The main transmission is mounted at a slight angle to the left.
B.) Flight controls can be rigged so that the rotor disk is tilted to the right slightly when the cyclic is centered.
C.) The pilot shifts the flight controls to one side to compensate for the drive.

Answer 1

To counteract the drifting of a helicopter caused by the torque from its main rotor blades, technicians can adjust the transmission mounting, manipulate the flight controls' rigging, or require the pilot to manually compensate. These strategies provide stability aligned with the principles of angular momentum and Newton's third law.

Step-by-step explanation:

To counteract the tendency of a helicopter to drift or rotate due to the torque produced by the main rotor blades, several methods can be employed:

• The main transmission may be mounted at a slight angle to the left to inherently counteract the torque tendency.
• Flight controls can be rigged so that the rotor disk is tilted slightly to the right when the cyclic is centered, thus counteracting the torque.
• The pilot may manually adjust the flight controls to one side to actively compensate for drift during flight.

This compensating strategy helps maintain stable and controlled flight. It is essential because without proper compensation, the helicopter might rotate opposite to the rotation of the rotor blades due to conservation of angular momentum, as explained by Newton's third law. Having two sets of lifting blades rotating in opposite directions eliminates the need for a tail rotor, as their opposite torques cancel each other out, providing stability.