What happens when a helicopter tail rotor fails?

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.

What is tail rotor in helicopter?

The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted vertically or near-vertically at the tail of a traditional single-rotor helicopter, where it rotates to generate a propeller-like horizontal thrust in the same direction as the main rotor’s rotation.

What makes the chopping sound of a helicopter?

Why Do Helicopters Make a Chopping Sound? The distinctive sound that helicopters make comes from a concentrated vortex of air generated by the main rotor. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center determined that most of the sound produced by a helicopter are sound vibrations caused by the vortex hitting the blades.

How loud is it inside a helicopter?

In the majority of today’s commercial aircraft the level of cabin noise is generally lower than 80 dBA. However, in most helicopters the levels could be considerably higher, reaching the values beyond 100 dBA in some older production models and higher power settings.

How does a tail rotor work on a helicopter?

The tail rotor or Anti-Torque system creates thrust to push the tail boom in the opposite direction to which it wants to turn from the torque. When the thrust from the anti-torque system matches the torque being created by the main rotor the helicopter will remain pointing forward when it lifts off the ground.

What are the different types of tail rotors?

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. This got me thinking about all the different types of tail rotor systems and how I could easily explain the differences about each one.

Why do helicopters have coaxial rotors?

Coaxial Rotor Helicopters usually are able to lift more while maintaining the same engine power, when compared to single rotor helicopters Again, this has to do with the lack of a tail rotor that takes some of the engine power to operate. Helicopters have tail rotors to counteract the torque from the main rotor.

How does autorotation work on a helicopter?

During autorotation, the helicopter is no longer subjected to torque from the main rotor. This means that stable flight is attainable, even without the tail rotor. The pilot then makes sure to safely glide to a suitable landing site.