Can a helicopter fly without a tail rotor?

Can a helicopter fly without a tail rotor?

One significant advancement in the last decade has been the no-tail rotor, or NOTAR, helicopter. ... As you now know, vertical-lift flight is impossible without a tail rotor to counteract the torque produced by the main rotor.

What happens when a helicopter loses its tail rotor?

If the tail rotor fails in flight, engine torque can no longer be countered by the tail rotor, and uncontrolled spinning of the aircraft is a possibility. Most manufacturers call for an immediate autorotation. Some call for a running landing, instead.

Why do some helicopters have no rotors?

A: All helicopters do not need tail rotors. The tail rotor counteracts the angular momentum created by the main rotor, to control the machine. Some helicoptors have different ways to counteract the momentum without using the tail rotor, such as those that use two main rotors or those that use NOTAR.

Do helicopters with a single main rotor require a tail rotor?

Most helicopters have a single main rotor but require a separate rotor to overcome torque. This is accomplished through a variable-pitch antitorque rotor or tail rotor.

Why does a helicopter has a second rotor on its tail?

The tail rotor counteracts the torque on the main rotor by creating a re-direction of air. ... To turn the helicopter in the opposite way, the tail rotor thrust is reduced.

How can you prevent loss of tail rotor effectiveness?

Recovery from an unexpected yaw movement is initiated by applying forward cyclic control to increase airspeed, and reducing power if at a safe altitude. If these measures are not effective, an entry into an autorotation may be necessary, applying full opposite rudder until rotation stops.

What happens when a helicopter stalls?

If the helicopter engine stops, everything will go quiet in the cockpit, and the machine will yaw violently to one side. When this happens, the pilot needs to instantly lower the collective, taking the pitch off the rotor blades, and initiating a descent.

Why does a helicopter have two rotors?

The two rotors are linked by a transmission that ensures the rotors are synchronized and do not hit each other, even during an engine failure. Tandem rotor designs achieve yaw by applying opposite left and right cyclic to each rotor, effectively pulling both ends of the helicopter in opposite directions.

What are the types of tail rotors?

There are four main types of tail rotor or anti-torque systems on today's helicopters. The most common is the multi-bladed rotor, the Fenestron from Airbus, the NOTAR from MD helicopters, then the helicopters with no tail rotor, like the chinook. Each counteracts the main rotor torque.

What is the main function of tail rotor in helicopter?

A helicopter tail rotor serves two essential functions. It provides a counteracting force to the helicopter's main rotor; without the sideways thrust produced by the tail rotor, the torque generated by the main rotor would spin the helicopter's body in the opposite direction.

What are the advantages of tail rotor helicopters?

Advantages Increased safety for people on the ground because the enclosure provides peripheral protection; Greatly reduced noise and vibration due to the enclosure of the blade tips and greater number of blades; A decrease in power requirements during the cruise phase of flight. Typically lighter and smaller than conventional counterparts.

What is a helicopter tail boom?

tail boom. noun. A main spar of several making up the longitudinal framework carrying the tail of an aeroplane when not supported by the fuselage. ‘The helicopter settled onto the ground in a nose-low attitude that caused the main rotor blades to strike the tail boom and sever it from the aircraft.’.

What is a main rotor?

main rotor - rotor consisting of large rotating airfoils on a single-rotor helicopter that produce the lift to support the helicopter in the air.