Coolest thing I've seen all week, a chopper taking off by rolling down the runway on the nose wheels to get enough speed going to achieve lift off due to high altitude thin air ( Thanks Shas! )
I'm glad you like it. For such size and weight, Mi-24 is a surprisingly nimble machine, truly amazing what pilots can do with it. If you like that, look at some aerobatics show of two machines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxi8dsGW-eQ
Why is horizontal speed for a chopper required in thin air to take off? Isn't the speed of the rotor blades decisive on how much lift is being produced?
Let me explain. Speed of rotor blades is important as the density of air they operate in. When air is thin, rotors can't produce enough lift, there is just not enough "substance" for them to gather. And you can't move rotors faster because there are physical limitations for how much material of blades and gearbox can sustain. And when your blades tips go supersonic... well, let's say it's better to not do this. So in thin air, you start like plane, you gain that speed and combined with rotors working at full safe power you get enough lift to climb. Mi-24 have additional wings on side that serve as both weapons pylons and increase lift characteristics, but even they use tricks to gain speed fast to climb. It's like with propeller driven planes, the higher they fly the less power they have because air is thinner and propeller can't "grab" enough to push back. In case of helis, they can't "grab" enough to push down, so they use this truck to create extra lift.
I'm glad you like it. For such size and weight, Mi-24 is a surprisingly nimble machine, truly amazing what pilots can do with it. If you like that, look at some aerobatics show of two machines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxi8dsGW-eQ
ReplyDeleteWhy is horizontal speed for a chopper required in thin air to take off? Isn't the speed of the rotor blades decisive on how much lift is being produced?
ReplyDeleteLet me explain. Speed of rotor blades is important as the density of air they operate in. When air is thin, rotors can't produce enough lift, there is just not enough "substance" for them to gather. And you can't move rotors faster because there are physical limitations for how much material of blades and gearbox can sustain. And when your blades tips go supersonic... well, let's say it's better to not do this. So in thin air, you start like plane, you gain that speed and combined with rotors working at full safe power you get enough lift to climb. Mi-24 have additional wings on side that serve as both weapons pylons and increase lift characteristics, but even they use tricks to gain speed fast to climb. It's like with propeller driven planes, the higher they fly the less power they have because air is thinner and propeller can't "grab" enough to push back. In case of helis, they can't "grab" enough to push down, so they use this truck to create extra lift.
Deletegreat, many thanks.
Delete