TAX DOLLARS!!!!

 

haha I just heard from a friend of mine who's a pilot that helicopters don't actually have the ability to fly their just so ugly the earth repels them

 

vpsophmore FTW!!!

 

Fixed wing guys just can't belive we actually fly...we don't, we just beat the air into submission.

 

I hear what you guys are saying, but it just seems too implausible that the 'shutter speed' of a video camera could identically match the 'rotational frequency' of the rotor blades for more than a spit second. A computer monitor just sits there, not dynamic at all. Surely the helicopter's engine doesn't stay at exactly the same rpm's, especially during maneuvers?

Video editing seems more likely to me. It couldn't be that hard, take an image of still blades and graft it onto each frame of the moving helicopter. I mean, I don't know, what do all those movie fx guys do on their days off?

 

Modern helicopters have auto-throttles that maintain the main rotor RPM. Engine RPM and roto RPM have a direct ratio that we try to maintain. Certain manuevers will change the RPM, that's what the auto systems are for. Kinda like a cruise control. Fixed wing aircraft controlflight with the speed of the propeller (most are fixed pitch) and wing surface changes; helicopters do it with a constant speed and changes in the pitch of the rotor (rotating wing).

By the way, the throttle is on the collective and operates like a motorcycle throttle, except it's the left hand.

And again, I used to have a video of me with my rotors almost stationary flying a UH1E (Huey). Taken with a Sony Handycam playing around with the shutter speed.