INGENIERIA AERONAUTICA

Aeronaves de Ala Rotatoria

IA0160

Philippe White
Lecture 10
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Helicopter Flight Phenomena

What follows is a list of phenomena that are observed during

flight with rotary wings.
The majority are exclusive to rotary wing aircraft.

• In Ground Effect / Out of Ground Effect

• Translational Lift
• Transverse Flow Effect
• Vortex Ring State
• Loss of Tail Effect
• Dynamic rollover
• Ground Resonance
• Mast Bumping
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IGE /OGE
Increased blade efficiency while operating in ground effect is due to two separate and
distinct phenomena.

Since the ground interrupts the airflow under the helicopter, the entire flow is altered. This
reduces downward velocity of the induced flow. The result is less induced drag and a more
vertical lift vector.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/QaOQI.png http://www.copters.com/aero/ground_effect.html
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IGE /OGE
When operating in ground effect, the downward and outward airflow pattern tends to
restrict vortex generation. This makes the outboard portion of the rotor blade more
efficient and reduces overall system turbulence caused by ingestion and recirculation of the
vortex swirls.

http://www.copters.com/aero/ground_effect.html
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IGE Surface Appreciation

https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e544533db7eef305fd9fec0907c55ffa-c
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Translational Lift
Translational lift occurs when any amount of clean air passes through the rotor system.
Even 1-knot of air introduced into the rotor system from either wind or forward speed
provides translational lift which improves the efficiency of the main rotor to some degree.
Translational lift increases continuously as airspeed increases, however the negative effects
of induced drag prevent any further benefits of translational lift above about 45-knots of
airspeed. This is to say that increasing the airspeed increases translational lift and thereby
improves the flight characteristics of a helicopter through about 45-knots of airspeed. Note
that this airspeed may vary slightly from one helicopter make/model to another.

http://helicopterflight.net/etl.php http://www.copters.com/aero/translational.html
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Transverse Flow Effect

In forward flight, air passing through the rear portion of the rotor disk has a greater
downwash angle than air passing through the forward portion. The downward flow at the
rear of the rotor disk causes a reduced angle of attack, resulting in less lift. Increased angle
of attack and more lift is produced at the front portion of the disk because airflow is more
horizontal. These differences between the fore and aft parts of the rotor disk are called
transverse flow effect. They cause unequal drag in the fore and aft parts of the disk
resulting in vibrations that are easily recognizable by the pilot. The vibrations are more
noticeable for most helicopters between 10 and 20 knots.

http://www.copters.com/aero/transverse.html
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Effective Translational Lift

Effective translational lift - is translational lift advanced to the point where all air flowing
through the rotor system of a helicopter is fresh or undisturbed air. That is air that has not
already passed through the rotor system while the helicopter speed is slow or when it is in a
hover. Effective translational lift can be recognized by the sudden tendency of the
helicopter to climb as it passes through about 16-20 knots of airspeed As stated above, this
airspeed will vary slightly from one helicopter make/model to another. Passing through
effective translational lift while on approach can be identified by the sudden tendency of
the helicopter to sink when an increase of collective pitch becomes necessary to maintain a
continuous rate of descent.

http://helicopterflight.net/etl.php
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Vortex Ring State

The cause of true Vortex Ring is two-fold. In all flight circumstances there is a degree of
airflow circulation at the tips of the blades where the air forced downwards
aerodynamically rotates around the aerofoil tip and forms a vortex; this happens with all
aerofoils including fixed wing aircraft wings.

The vortex generated increases drag and reduces lift. If a helicopter is descending rapidly
there is an increased upflow of air at the rotor tips and this rapidly increases the strength
and size of the vortices. This reduces lift and aerofoil efficiency at the tips of the blades and
requires more engine power to overcome the drag. Because the rotor blades are turning (as
opposed to fixed on an aeroplane) the vortex travels with the blades and the vortex is
formed into a “doughnut” shaped ring at the outer edge of the rotor disc.

Additionally, as the rate of descent increases, there is an increased upflow of air at the
blade roots. The speed of the inboard sections of the blades is much slower than the tips.
As rate of descent increases it is possible for the upflowing air to modify and increase the
local angle of attack at the root end such that the root end of the blade stalls.

https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Vortex_Ring
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Vortex Ring State

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Vortex Ring State

Downward velocity is highest at the blade tip where blade airspeed is highest. As blade
airspeed decreases nearer the disk center, downward velocity is less. This figure shows the
induced airflow velocity pattern along the blade span during a descent conducive to settling
with power:

The descent is so rapid that induced flow at the inner portion of the blades is upward rather
than downward. The upflow caused by the descent has overcome the downflow produced
by blade rotation. If the helicopter descends under these conditions, with insufficient
power to slow or stop the descent, it will enter the vortex ring state:

http://www.copters.com/aero/transverse.html
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Vortex Ring State

If collective pitch is further increased when the aircraft is in this state the angle of attack
along the entire length of the blade is increased. The effect of this will be to increase the
extent of the tip vortex which extends further in from the tip. Consequently, the loss of lift
at both ends of the blades increases and the area around the middle portion of the blade,
that is actually generating lift, reduces. Total lift is reduced and the helicopter accelerates
downwards. This acceleration increases the upflow of air, which aggravates the stalled
condition. In the extreme, it is possible that the entire length of the blades no longer
produces any lift at all.

The effects of all these factors is increased when the helicopter is at high all up mass,
because more power is required to maintain a given flight condition, and is more insidious
when operating downwind, as the visual illusion of speed when downwind effectively masks
the reduction of forward airspeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAVuJHoxzOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjeRSDsy-nE

https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Vortex_Ring
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Vortex Ring State

During the vortex ring state, roughness and loss of control is experienced because of the
turbulent rotational flow on the blades and the unsteady shifting of the flow along the
blade span.
This figure shows the relationship of horizontal speed versus vertical speed for a typical
helicopter in a descent. Straight lines emanating from the upper left corner are lines of
constant descent angle. Superimposed on this grid are flow state regions for the typical
helicopter. From this illustration, several conclusions regarding the vortex ring state can be
drawn:

http://www.copters.com/aero/transverse.html
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Vortex Ring State / Settling with Power

It is very difficult to avoid the term “Settling with Power” when referring to Vortex Ring
State. It often causes a heated debate as to which term is correct. Vortex Ring State is an
adequate way to describe the aforementioned phenomenon but some confuse or combine
the two phenomenon.

If you wish to distinguish between the two, Settling With Power can be better described as
entering into a descent where the downward inertia of the helicopter cannot be arrested at
the desired rate (not enough power in the engine to provide the necessary lift in the
blades). Of course, this condition where the collective is high and you have a low forward
downward velocity can obviously lead to Vortex Ring State (which is why the two are often
mixed together).

Settling with power can also lead to “Overpitching” which means that you are increasing
the angle of attack of the blades to such an extent that the engine can no longer maintain
the necessary RPMs for flight.
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Loss of Tail Effect (LTE)

3 LTE states exist, each caused by a wind of significant strength in a certain direction:

• Main Rotor Disk Cortex Interference

• Tail Rotor Vortex Ring State
• Weathercock Stability

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEnnuAFtCVU/T0U5SUPACVI/AAAAAAAAABk/VgT_b1Wsyo4/s1600/Imagen1.png
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Dynamic Rollover
3 key elements make up this hazardous
condition. They are: A pivot point, a rolling
moment, and weight equal to thrust at some
time during the maneuver.
What actually happens is that the helicopter,
which is still on the ground, will start to roll
over on its side using one skid, or wheel, as the
pivot point.
Once the aircraft starts to roll, a downward
collective movement is the only thing that will
stop the forces in action from flipping the
aircraft on its side. By reducing the collective,
the thrust to weight ratio decreases, which
allows the aircraft to settle back down in a
level attitude. If this is done on sideward
http://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/r
otary/helis.htm
sloping terrain, a collective reduction
performed too quickly can cause the aircraft to
roll over on the other side, down the slope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijb11G3hHjE

Ground Resonance
http://vibrationacoustics.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/data/j
ournals/jvacek/927146/vib_135_5_051028_f001.png
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FeXjhUEXlc
INGENIERIA AERONAUTICA
The helicopter’s airframe has its own natural
frequency, which can be excited by an out-
of-balance rotor. Usually there is a triggering
event: a bump or a landing or takeoff on
sloping ground or with a little sideways or
forward motion. A jolt moves the mast while
the blades, because of the freedom of
motion allowed by their hinges, lag a little
behind. The rotor, now slightly out of
balance, begins to wobble like a slowing top.
If the characteristic vibration frequency of
the airframe is close enough to the rate of
rotation of the rotor, it joins the dance,
amplifying the rotor wobble.
Helicopters with multiple-blade rotors have
shock-absorbing landing gear with powerful
dampers that allow it to soak up the energy
that would otherwise set the helicopter
shaking.
http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/how-things-work-
ground-resonance-94660854/
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Mast Bumping
If an inexperienced pilot were to apply strong forward cyclic when
climbing, as if to dive (when cresting a ridge during contour flying,
for example), the following sequence of events may occur:

1.As the helicopter approaches the apex of the climb and begins to
fall, the g-loading on the rotor blades is reduced, as is their AoA, as
the helicopter becomes temporarily weightless. The rotor blades
become able to flap up and down freely and any cyclic control by
the pilot will now have virtually no effect.

2.Because the main rotor is now not generating any thrust, the tail
rotor's torque is now unopposed. Since the tail rotor is above the
helicopter's CoG the helicopter rolls sharply in the direction of the
tail rotor's thrust. Most modern helicopters' main rotor turns
counter-clockwise, so would roll to the pilot's right.

3.The pilot, attempting to correct the roll, pushes the cyclic stick in
the opposite direction. Because the cyclic is not having any effect
the pilot will apply more and more. This causes the main rotor, still
not g-loaded, to flap to its limit. The rotor flaps so far in one
direction that the rotor hub hits the rotor mast, very fast and with
considerable force.
https://everything2.com/title/Mast+bumping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Q93HPSqT0
https://sites.google.com/site/mthompsondc/_/rsrc/1259811567755/graphic2-custom-size-600-
1000.jpg?height=1000&width=590
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Thankyou and see you next week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k562IriqnlA