Helicopters like the Chinook are a unique design because they have two main rotors. Each main rotor turns in the opposite direction to one another so the torque on the fuselage created by the front main rotor is canceled out by the torque produced by the rear main rotor.
Why do some helicopters have 2 rotors?
Having two coaxial sets of rotors provides symmetry of forces around the central axis for lifting the vehicle and laterally when flying in any direction. Because of the mechanical complexity, many helicopter designs use alternate configurations to avoid problems that arise when only one main rotor is used.
Do Chinook blades counter rotate?
Tandem-rotor helicopters such as the CH-47 Chinook also use a counter-rotating arrangement. The efficiency of a contra-rotating propeller is somewhat offset by its mechanical complexity.
Why do helicopters have 2 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.
Why do some helicopters have 2 blades?
So why more? Helicopters have between 2 and 8 main rotor blades. The larger the helicopter, the heavier it weighs and needs more lift to be produced. By using more blades, designers can increase the entire rotor system surface area while keeping the size of each rotor blade as small as possible.
Do all helicopters have two rotors?
The majority of helicopters that you see are of the conventional Main Rotor/Tail rotor type. Without both of these rotors, the helicopter would be a boat! When a helicopter engine begins to turn the transmission, this begins to turn both the Main Rotor and the Tail rotor through a fixed gearing system.
Why did the Huey only have 2 blades?
The reason why it was designed as a two bladed helicopter is that the Huey's initial design requirements, as per the Army, could be met with a two bladed main and tail rotor. Bell also wanted to further develop on the stabilizer bar technology that had helped make their previous Bell 47 helicopter so successful.
How do Chinook blades not hit each other?
Originally Answered: Why don't Chinook helicopter's rotors collide with each other? Because they're both the same size and connected to the same gearbox and therefore rotate at the same speed. The positions of the rotors are arranged such the blades interleave as they rotate.
Can a Chinook auto rotate?
If you lose engine power and the gear boxes are intact the chinook can and does auto rotate in the same way as any other helicopter. If however you get a failure in the front or aft gearbox or a sync shaft failed then the rotors will hit each other and the aircraft will crash.