Rotorcraft

As rotorcraft (sometimes rotorcraft or rotorcraft ) refers to aircraft that get their buoyancy by at least one to rotating a vertical axis rotor. Known representative of this group of aircraft are helicopters.

• 3.1 20-21. century

• 5.1 Notes and references

Definition and delimitation

The International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO defines the term rotorcraft as follows:

" Rotorcraft. A power -driven heavier -than -air aircraft supported in flight by the reactions of the air on one or more rotors. "

" Rotorcraft. A motor-driven aircraft heavier than air flying by the reaction of air on one or more rotors. "

In Germany, the rotorcraft form their own aircraft class that is identified by a beginning with DH aircraft registration mark. Lately, however, particularly light gyroplane is registered as motorized sports aircraft increased.

Occasionally, the rotorcraft also be considered as a subgroup of the aircraft, the actual aircraft are then called for better definition than fixed wing aircraft, fixed wing aircraft or fixed wing aircraft. However, this classification contradicts both the legal definition as well as the general usage and can therefore be considered obsolete.

Types

Helicopter

Helicopter having one or more driven (virtually) horizontal rotors generate lift and propulsion. The control of the lift is done by collective pitch control, the lateral ( Vorwärts-/Rückwärts- and sideways flight ) by the cyclic pitch control. For helicopters with only one main rotor to compensate for the torque required is a vertical tail rotor (see tail rotor configuration).

On most helicopters, the rotor blades rotate in a failure of the motor by the wind on and still generate enough lift to the aircraft to safely make an emergency landing. This principle is called autorotation.

Gyroplane

When autogyro, also called autogyro, provides a driven by the wind, not by an engine in auto-rotation rotor for lift. The rotor functionally replaces the rigid airfoil surface of the aircraft. For the propulsion must be a train or thruster provide a tail rotor is not required by the passive driving the main rotor.

Air Screwdrivers

Air wrenches produce their propulsion also by pushing or Zugtriebwerke. In contrast to the autogyro and the caring for the lift main rotor is directly driven by an engine here but. Air wrenches are thus a hybrid of lifting and gyroplane dar.

Hybrids of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft

Composite helicopter

The compound helicopter is a special form of the helicopter, which also has fixed wings, also in the form of stub wings. This take on the cruise part of the lift. However, when you hover they reduce the efficiency of the main rotor, as they are in its downdraft.

Flight combination wrenches

The flight combination wrench is a further development of air screwdriver, which - similarly to the compound helicopter - has fixed wings. When vertical take-off of the rotor takes the lift at cruise accept push or Zugtriebwerke propulsion, wings and rotors lift. The rotor can be set at the cruise portion of low resistance and uncoupled or as an additional supporting surface ( for example, Boeing X-50 and X-wing Sikorsky ). Since the lift in forward flight (only ) is not generated by the rotating rotor, higher flight performance as the helicopters are possible. A recent development of this type is, for example, Sikorsky X2.

Convertiplane

Change aircraft, also known as transformation or metamorphosis helicopter aircraft, use the vertical launch the configuration of a helicopter. On transition to forward flight it will be reconfigured for fixed-wing aircraft. They combine advantages of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft so. The conversion is usually done by tilting the rotor, which then acts as Zugtriebwerk - tilt rotor or tilt rotor called (eg Bell - Boeing V -22). The convertiplanes include tilt wing, tilt rotor, Einziehrotor and stop rotor aircraft. Most non-powered by jet engines whiz ( VTOL aircraft ) are among the convertiplanes.

History of development

See also: Development history of the helicopter

The number of natural models for rotorcraft is low compared to those of fixed-wing aircraft. The few existing models operate beyond all the principle of autorotation - they are unmotivated and not taxable. Therefore, it is not surprising that the design fully functional rotorcraft vonstattenging relatively slow.

Children toys, like falling maple seed function similarly, there was probably already in China 4000 years ago, in Europe, their existence is proved at least since the 14th century. The first detectable reflections on a manned rotorcraft date from the 15th century Leonardo da Vinci sketched around 1487 to 1490 in his so-called " Paris Manuscripts " air screw, aircraft, consisting of a platform with a vertical mast to the a type of Archimedean screw rotates.

In the 18th and 19th centuries followed by different people several designs, but their implementation among other things failed, that the former steam engines had too little power density and thus was not a suitable drive available. The use of Koaxialrotoren or the current standard combination of main and tail rotor, however, shows that at that time was the need for a torque compensation already known.

20-21. century

When the gasoline engines were readily available at the beginning of the 20th century always, finally, the first successes in helicopter construction were recorded. While the first flights still short and uncontrolled, caused inter alia the development of the swash plate that 1930 flights of several minutes duration were performed where sections were covered by several hundred meters.

Decisive contribution to this, among other things, the Spaniard Juan de la Cierva. His aim was not to design a helicopter, but the one about pulling safe aircraft. To this end, he replaced the rigid hydrofoil by one driven by the wind rotor and thus had invented the concept of the autogyro, which he then marketed under the name autogiro. As part of the development of his early designs he invented with shock and pivot two important new structural components.

In the early 1930s Louis Bréguet and Rene Dorand constructed with the Gyroplane Laboratoire probably the first usable helicopter that flew stable over time. He held all international records for helicopters, until June 1937, the Focke -Wulf Fw 61, the peak position was taken. However, both models were prototypes and were unique. The first production helicopter finally were from 1941, the Flettner Fl 282 and the Focke- Achgelis Fa 223

Around the beginning of the 1940s the development of helicopters was tackled worldwide amplified. Over time, established the now common configuration with main and tail rotor as standard.

While the concepts of support and flight screwdriver initially hardly attention has been paid to the helicopter established as a versatile working tool. Well-known examples in the civilian sector are the rescue and police helicopters. In the military, highly specialized military helicopters are now used depending on the task area.

With the beginning of the 21st century, the gyroplane again began to gain popularity. In Germany this was especially favored because small and light gyroplane may be accepted as ultralight aircraft in the meantime. Thus the foundation was laid for a new division of the air sport with the type certification of the HTC MT -03 in October 2003. In the following years the number of ultralight gyroplane in Germany rose steadily. In the 22nd German Championship Microlight 2011 on the airfield Borkenberge a separate class was created for the autogyro first time, in which, however, only two machines took part in the competition.