Dynamics
This article is about the dynamics option menu and what all the option do with the aircraft.
Contents
Hazard levels
Hazard level | Explanation |
---|---|
friendly, maybe even helpful | |
minor issues | |
watch out / try to avoid | |
hazardous thing | |
deadly |
Blade Stall
retreating blade side | advancing blade side |
When moving at extreme high speed the retreating blades cannot generate anymore lift, because the airflow (wind) blowing by, is moving faster than the retreating blades! This is a simplified picture of it to be comprehensible, a more complex theory can be found here.
To get into extreme high speed, the helicopter has to go downhill. When going fast enough the helicopter starts to shake and at a certain point the helicopter tends to flip upside down sideways.
Getting out of a blade stall situation is not so easy, because lift is needed of the retreating blades side which already no longer generates lift anymore. Don't go too fast is the best advice.
A contra-rotating co-axial helicopter has not to deal with retreating blade stall, because both main rotors cancels out each others retreating blade stall.
- retreating blade stall - at Wikipedia
- retreating blade stall - at Helicopter Aviation
Cross Couple
This only effects a helicopter with a main and a tail rotor. Those rotors have to work together as a "crossed couple". Extra input to the main rotor will generate more torque (spin) movement to the helicopter. This has to be canceled out by the tail rotor. When cross couple
is turned on it will aid the user to handle this problem.
Ground Effect
no ground effect | ground effect |
When decreasing altitude the airflow generated by the main rotor is pushed more and more off of the ground, which will add extra lift for the helicopter. A slowly descending helicopter will never reach ground level because of this.
- ground effect - at Helicopter Aviation
- ground effect - at Wikipedia
Over-Torque
It is possible to give the engine an extra power input (over 100%). When this option is applied, the extra power input will increase the exhaust temperature. An overheated exhaust will eventually result in a permanent engine failure.
Vortex Ring
A vortex ring for helicopters is an airflow recirculating the main rotor. This is an extremely hazardous situation! The pilot will experience this as a loss of lift instantly!
A vortex ring is created when going into fast descend. When entering a vortex ring situation the helicopter starts to shiver. Increasing the collective will not help. Fly out of the vortex ring by lateral movements to leave the vortex ring behind.
Vortex ring - at Wikipedia
Wind
Wind is added to the game's physics. Game effect are:
- in a hover: the helicopter will drift away.
- when moving: the helicopter will drift off course.
Translational Lift
Translation lift is experienced as extra generated lift (with the same amount of collective input) when moving (translation) the aircraft out of a hover situation. In a hover the helicopter's airflow reuse and this counteract the lift efficiency. When start moving, the reused air flow is left behind which improves the lift efficiency.
- translational lift - at Wikipedia
- translational lift - at Helicopter Aviation
Settings
Here's a list for the most realistic and for the easiest physics settings.
Realism | Easy | |
---|---|---|
Blade Stall | on
|
off
|
Cross Couple | off
|
on
|
Ground Effect | on
|
on
|
Over-Torque | on
|
off
|
Vortex Ring | on
|
off
|
Wind | on
|
off
|
Translational Lift | on
|
off
|
External links
- Helicopter Aerodynamics - at Helicopter Aviation
- Helicopter Pilotage - at Wikipedia
- Dynamic Aerodynamics - at Dynamic Flight