Semi-rigid rotor rigidizing.
1,747 views · Published 22 September 2010 · 3:32 · Indexed 29 October 2026
Channel: RCmags · 2010 · Gaming
In a simple semi-rigid rotor, the blades are allowed to move freely lengthwise. This decreases cyclic authority (making it less effective, as some of it goes into tilting the rotor disk, instead of rolling the helicopter). The wooden helicopter has a semi-rigid rotor. To increase it's effectiveness, blade flapping can be dampened via hydraulics or elastics. Putting some resistance to blade flap, tilting the rotor disk less. It's effect can be varied by changing the strength of the dampers (hydraulics/elastics). The second helicopter has a dampened semi-rigid rotor, cyclic is more effective as the tail boom can be seen moving with changes in cyclic. Another way to increase cyclic response is to limit the flapping. Letting the blades flap freely enough to cancel out dissymmetry of lift, yet allowing greater cyclic authority as the rotor disk cannot tilt as much. This greatly improves cyclic control but increases vibrations drastically when the blades cannot flap. The third helicopter has a limited semi-rigid rotor.
