A helicopter has two rotor shafts: one for the main rotor blade and one for the tail rotor. The main rotor shaft is attached to the engine via a gearbox, while the tail rotor shaft is driven from a gearbox that matches the speed of the main rotor. The tail rotor is crucial for maintaining straight flight and altitude, and its shaft is often armored to protect against enemy fire. Regular maintenance is necessary to prevent bearing failure and subsequent helicopter crashes.
A rotor shaft can be found in one of two places on a helicopter: the main rotor blade and the tail. The main rotor shaft is attached to the main rotor blade and transfers power from the engine to the blades. The tail rotor shaft runs along the tail section and feeds the tail rotor. The tail rotor makes helicopter flight possible by providing power to maintain straight flight and altitude. In order for the helicopter to move back and forth, the main rotor blades must be able to rotate about the rotor axis.
The main blades of a helicopter are not attached directly to the engine of the aircraft. In most cases, the main rotor shaft is attached to the engine via a gearbox. This gearbox allows the motor to run at a reduced speed while maintaining rotor speed. The tail rotor shaft is also driven from a gearbox that matches the speed of the tail rotor to that of the larger main rotor. The pilot can manipulate the tail rotor speed by adjusting a hand control mounted next to the pilot’s seat. Without this little rotor controlling the position of the helicopter’s tail, the helicopter would just spin wildly out of control.
The ability to control the helicopter’s flight characteristics makes the tail rotor shaft a prime target for enemy fire. The relatively small diameter of the shaft makes it prone to small arms fire as well as larger anti-aircraft weapons. On many designated combat helicopters, the tail rotor and tail rotor shaft are protected by armor. In cases where the tail rotor is fired, the helicopter is going to go down violently, no matter how good the pilot is. Cases of a successful landing of a helicopter with a damaged tail rotor are so rare that when a military pilot succeeds in doing so, he almost always results in receiving a medal or citation.
Rotor shaft maintenance is regularly scheduled. Bearings and bearing brackets are replaced after a predetermined number of hours of use. This schedule varies depending on the manufacturer and model of the helicopter. A worn bearing can cause an unbalanced shaft and subsequent vibration. This vibration can lead to bearing failure and therefore tail rotor failure and possible helicopter crash. Routinely changing bearings reduces the risk of this type of failure causing problems for the helicopter and its crew.
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