Helicopters stay in the air due to lift created by the spinning rotor blades, which are adjustable during flight. They are rotary-wing aircraft and require a tail rotor blade to counteract their natural tendency to turn in the opposite direction of the rotating blades.
Essentially, helicopters stay awake for the same reason that planes move through the air. A spinning propeller creates changes in air pressure, lowering in some areas and raising it in others. Combined with a specially cambered wing, the effect is known as lift, and it’s what pushes an aircraft forward or allows helicopters to lift off the ground vertically. Without some kind of rotating propeller system, none of the planes would leave the ground.
There are two basic types of aircraft, fixed-wing and rotary-wing. A traditional aircraft would be considered a fixed-wing aircraft, because the wings are in a rigid position behind or on top of the propellers. Helicopters, on the other hand, are rotary-wing aircraft, because the wing-shaped rotor blades rotate in a circle over the body of the aircraft. The individual rotor blades of a helicopter are adjustable during flight, while the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft have very few moving parts.
The reason helicopters stay airborne is because the individual rotating blades are shaped like airplane wings. Once the spinning rotor assembly has reached a certain speed, the curved blades cut through the air around it, creating lower pressure above the blade and higher pressure below. This action creates a pushing or lifting force from below. The pilot uses hand and foot controls to change the angle of attack of each blade as they rotate. This angle affects whether the helicopter will rise, descend, turn, or even hover.
When the blades are kept level, the helicopter can either stay in place or rise slightly. If the pilot lowers the back of the blades, the resulting change in lift will send the helicopter up, much like a kite will fly higher when angled upwind. If the pilot lifts the trailing edge of the blades, the helicopter will descend. By varying the position of each rotating blade, the helicopter will move to the left or right. As long as the rotor is spinning fast enough, a helicopter must stay airborne.
A major problem faced by helicopter pilots is the tendency of the helicopter to turn in the opposite direction of the rotating blades. A second spinning propeller positioned at the rear of the helicopter helps counteract this natural tendency by pushing against spin. This second rotor also helps stabilize the helicopter during a difficult hover maneuver. Without the aid of a tail rotor blade, helicopters would spin out of control and routinely crash.
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