So does a fully articulated system reduce noise as well as having more blades on the tail rotor?

Does a flybar help now with the fly by wire systems or is it more complex than it is worth?

Does a semi-rigid rotor have any advantage in flying qualities over a fully articulated? I know the Red Bull team uses a type of rigid for the aerobatics, but that isn't a normal usage of a helicopter.

According to the Blue Thunder movie, you can't loop a helicopter! :D

I doubt there is any person flying in combat that hasn't exceeded the published limits of their aircraft. Kudos to the manufacturer for keeping our stuff robust, not like the A6M which appeared to be paper mache.

Most of the noise generated by a conventional helicopter is generated by the main rotor/tail rotor aerodynamic interface. The first time I watched a "NOTAR" (no tail rotor) helicopter fly it was a revelation. Your can read about it, it all makes sense, but to see it in practical form flying was eye opening.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621630942.jpg

Rigid and semi-rigid rotor heads can increase air vehicle performance in terms of aircraft flight envelope. The Lynx I got to fly could do all of this:

<iframe width="1003" height="564" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D7Zlsqu-qmM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The H-60 series has a fully articulated rotor head with elastomeric bearings and a bunch of other stuff. It is not as maneuverable as a semi-rigid system by has a lot of advantages.

There is so much more. There are probably no less than a 1000 books written on this stuff.

Rotor blades are another source of wonder.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621631741.jpg

I know the UH-1 is noisy because it is a 2 blade main rotor interacting with a 2 blade tail rotor and someone should tell the Avatar movie guy. Sometime in the late 60s they decided to make a Loach quiet (before NOTAR) and added a 5 blade main and 4 blade tail to quiet it down and then had dim lights to have it blend into the ambient night. They decided to tap the wires in North Viet Nam with them and it seems they were semi successful. Airbus is working on a different blade design as well to mitigate noise.

They had a NOTAR some time ago at Mirimar at the airshow and again at Airventure a while ago. Neat design and you wouldn't duck the tail into something you shouldn't.

The Lynx is a pretty capable craft from what I have seen and fast as well.

My bad eyes prevented me from flying in the military and honestly thought Army rotorcraft would be good. Never thought about Navy rotorcraft.

I once flew a 1947 Bell 47D1 back in the early '90s. Like those seen on MASH. At the time the owner said the main rotor blades were made out of wood and original! No time limits, the blades were on condition.

I believe the KMAX has wood spars in its main rotor blades. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621633083.jpg

Savanna Int had some stubborn residents.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621774617.jpg

I would love to fly a 47D1. That must have been great.

I have not flown the KMAX but I spent some time at the Kaman assembly plant and got to see a KMAX fly.

It is eerie how slow the blades rotate...but it will lift your house:cool:

It is based on the Kaman Huskie, which had wooden rotor blades.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621775341.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621775341.jpg

I have about 50 hours in the Kaman H-2 Sea Sprite. The main rotor controls go up through the main rotor mast then out to what is called a "flapperon". Weird but it works.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621775490.jpg

That looks like my first ship! USS Thomas C Hart FF-1092

The H-2 was a 1052 Knox Class mainstay. I never cruised on an H-2 Det.

I wish there was a way to find out.

On these Spitfire vids....the comments are always worth reading. Lot of sentiment!

<iframe width="953" height="536" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ssOQHvYD7o" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

just a reminder.

We are slowly getting back to normal, pandemic wise.

The B-29 FiFi is traveling again this summer!

I am excited as i just purchased my ticket to fly on it end of the summer.

https://commemorativeairforce.org/events

Where Grumman got its start, Brooklyn Ave just west of Grand Ave, Baldwin, NY.

The building in the foreground is now and has been a Florist for many years, The building where Grumman originated was razed at some point and is now an auto body shop.. I spent many years roaming the streets of Baldwin as youth..



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1621864219.jpg





What it looks like today






_

Ironically, not really the star of the Battle of Britain. I did not know this until recently but it was the Hawker Hurricane that inflicted the most damage/kills on the Germans.

Ran across these on the ramp at Ft. Worth Alliance airport today, four Super Pumas that were unloaded off the AN-124 just back from Afghanistan.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1624304459.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1624304459.jpg

Not that great of a pilot, sorry. Sloppy air work: The aircraft deserves better.

I am sure the pilot is Ace McAcey, but he was having a below average day in the air.

I didn't know much about these guys until very recently.
The Lancaster dambuster.
A normal Lancaster was retrofitted with a 8800 pound bomb that would spin backwards at 500 RPM, dropped at extremely low altitude (-100ft) towards the dam wall. Rotational inertia would cause the the munition to bounce for up to 700 yards across the lake and then down to the bottom after it hit the dam wall, before it went >BOOM!<. It was effective, and ingenious, but not super-practical, and required the best and bravest crews.

There was a similar ball-shaped rotational bomb developed alongside this barrel bomb to be fitted to a Mosquito but it was never used.

World War II. The stories will never end.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1624310972.jpg

I used to fly my Cherokee down the valley to,and over, Ladybower reservoir, the very place where the Dambusters practised. I wasn't the only pilot by any means to play there .

I first learned about the dam busters when I built a model kit of one as a kid. They are still available.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1624361087.jpg

I saw the movies as a kid in the '60's!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dam_Busters_(film)

<iframe width="1280" height="716" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6IjKIoWZfV8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In my youth, our old Commodore 64 had a game based on the dambusters. It was a lot of fun, I am guessing the real thing was much less so.