Will My Helicopter Fly Straight?
Designing for Control Authority
- Main Rotor Torque
- Torque provided by engine to rotate main rotor.
- Torque makes fuselage rotate opposite rotor.
- Rotation stopped with opposing torque.
- Lever Arm
- Distance from an axis of rotation to point where force is applied.
- Force
- Applied to fuselage by either a secondary rotor (tail rotor) or by a vertical tail.
- Combination of lever arm and force provides torque to resist main rotor torque.