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Chapter 11: Problem 14

Why does a helicopter with a single main rotor generally have a second small rotor on its tail?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: A helicopter has a second small rotor on its tail to counteract the torque effect caused by the main rotor's rotation, maintain stability, and provide control over the helicopter's yaw motion. The tail rotor prevents the helicopter from spinning out of control and is crucial for maneuvering during hovering, takeoff, and landing.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction to the helicopter rotors

A helicopter operates by generating lift and propulsion through the rotary motion of one or more rotor blades. A typical helicopter has two main rotor systems: the main rotor and the tail rotor. The main rotor is responsible for generating lift and thrust to propel the helicopter upward and forward. The tail rotor is smaller and serves a different purpose, which we will explain in the following steps.
02

Torque effect and the need for a tail rotor

Initially, when the main rotor turns to generate lift, it causes the helicopter's body to experience an opposite reaction torque according to Newton's third law of motion (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction). This torque makes the helicopter's body want to spin in the opposite direction of the rotor. This spinning motion is undesirable and needs to be counteracted to allow stable flight.
03

Tail rotor's purpose: Counteracting torque

The tail rotor's primary function is to counteract the torque effect produced by the main rotor's rotation. The tail rotor generates a sideward thrust, opposite to the helicopter's body rotation, thereby balancing the helicopter and preventing it from spinning out of control. This anti-torque force allows the helicopter to maintain its heading and achieve a stable hovering or forward flight.
04

Tail rotor as a control mechanism

Another essential role of the tail rotor is to act as a control mechanism. By changing the pitch or the speed of the tail rotor blades, a pilot can control the helicopter's yaw motion, meaning the rotation around the vertical axis. This control is crucial for maneuvering the helicopter, especially during hovering, takeoff, and landing. In conclusion, the tail rotor on a helicopter is necessary to counteract the torque effect caused by the main rotor's rotation, maintain stability, and provide control over the helicopter's yaw motion. Without the tail rotor, the helicopter would be difficult to control and prone to dangerous spinning during flight.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A ladder of mass \(37.7 \mathrm{~kg}\) and length \(3.07 \mathrm{~m}\) is leaning against a wall at an angle \(\theta\). The coefficient of static friction between ladder and floor is 0.313 ; assume that the friction force between ladder and wall is zero. What is the maximum value that \(\theta\) can have before the ladder starts slipping?

In a butcher shop, a horizontal steel bar of mass \(4.00 \mathrm{~kg}\) and length \(1.20 \mathrm{~m}\) is supported by two vertical wires attached to its ends. The butcher hangs a sausage of mass \(2.40 \mathrm{~kg}\) from a hook that is at a distance of \(0.20 \mathrm{~m}\) from the left end of the bar. What are the tensions in the two wires?

A ladder of mass \(M\) and length \(L=4.00 \mathrm{~m}\) is on a level floor leaning against a vertical wall. The coefficient of static friction between the ladder and the floor is \(\mu_{\mathrm{s}}=\) 0.600 , while the friction between the ladder and the wall is negligible. The ladder is at an angle of \(\theta=50.0^{\circ}\) above the horizontal. A man of mass \(3 M\) starts to climb the ladder. To what distance up the ladder can the man climb before the ladder starts to slip on the floor?

You have a meter stick that balances at the \(50-\mathrm{cm}\) mark. Is it possible for your meter stick to be inhomogeneous?

Two uniform planks, each of mass \(m\) and length \(L,\) are connected by a hinge at the top and by a chain of negligible mass attached at their centers, as shown in the figure. The assembly will stand upright, in the shape of an \(A,\) on a frictionless surface without collapsing. As a function of the length of the chain, find each of the following: a) the tension in the chain, b) the force on the hinge of each plank, and c) the force of the ground on each plank.
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