Blade
tightness
last
updated 1-4-2005
|
Blade
tightness |
| Loose blades can cause crashes. I have heard
stories of the helicopter crashing in the air and the
pilot blaming the helicopter when it really was the blade
tightness. When the rotor is overloaded from too much
collective and cyclic together then the blades can pivot
in the blade grips. In the right situation (pulling back
on elevator) the blades can chop the tail boom off in
flight. This also happens on the ground when a beginner
pilot lands too hard with loose blades. A lot of people
think the blades bow down and get the tail boom, but what
really happens is the blade pivots in the blade grip.
When this happens and there is a some back elevator input
then the blade can easily reach the tailboom. A good tip
for autorotations is to add a little forward elevator
just as the helicopter sits down. So what is the correct amount of tension the blades should have? There is an easy test, grab a blade grip with one hand and a skid with the other. Hold the helicopter on its side with the main blades stretched out and parallel with the ground. Now give it a bump. If either of the blades pivoted in the blade grip then you need to tighten the bolt for that blade. |