Chinook CH-3 Helicopter

Equinor Oil company Chinook CH-3 based at Stavanger, Norway. Company recently changed it's name from Statoil to Equinor.

Original Statoil company livery.

Not sure what has happened but for some reason it is flying nose down like I want it to.

Col.

Not sure what has happened but for some reason it is flying nose down like I want it to.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]227089[/ATTACH]

 

Col.

Actually what you're seeing are normal flight functions. To move forward in a chopper, whether single or double main rotor, you push your "cyclic" (think joy stick) forward. While raising your "collective" (the left side control lever in a chopper which increases the pitch of the rotor blades equally, collectively.) This increases the lift differental to the rear of the a/c and makes the aircraft advance. If you've ever seen a Huey building speed while still in "ground cushion" you'll understand what I mean.

I flew CH-46s (Sea Knights) in combat during the Vietnam era. They use a similar twin main rotor configuration and appear to fly in the same fashion as you've shown in your shots. In fact during a landing from hover in a Sea Knight or Chinook the tail gear always lands first.

BTW: You mentioned that was a Chinook CH-3. In the US, at least during the Vietnam era, it was called a CH-47 Chinook.

Wow thank you Michael for detailed replies, that is great of you, I was a bit worried you might not have liked me mentioning you in my post, I hold you in high regard for your service and skill.

Col.

Wow thank you Michael for detailed replies, that is great of you, I was a bit worried you might not have liked me mentioning you in my post, I hold you in high regard for your service and skill.

 

Col.

Hey no big deal! We all do what needs to be done now and again.

Thinking back on it, while talking about flight controls I should have also mentioned the tail rotors and rudder pedals.

Single main rotor choppers typically have a small tail rotor mounted side to side of the fuselage. Since there is only one main rotor, as it turns torque tends to make the aircraft fuselage turn in the opposite direction of rotor rotation. So the tail rotor creates a side load to cancel the torque rotation of the main rotor. By moving either rudder pedal you either increase or decrease the load on the tail rotor allowing the aircraft to turn as desired. I should also add the faster forward a single main rotor plane flies, the more wind drag cancels out the main rotor torque and the less tail rotor force is needed.

Since the twin main rotor aircraft have main rotors turning on opposite directions, they cancel each others' torque out so no tail rotor is needed. Direction of the fuselage in hover has to do with changing the side load on both main rotors in opposite directions.

OK, I'm probably boring everyone so I'll quit before I get further behind!

I'm far from an expert as you know, I seem to remember a few years ago there is helicopters now called 'Notar' or something similar that have no tail rotor, don't know what they did to them not to need one.

Col.

I'm far from an expert as you know, I seem to remember a few years ago there is helicopters now called 'Notar' or something similar that have no tail rotor, don't know what they did to them not to need one.

 

Col.

Yes,

I'm aware of them but have never seen one or studied the principle. As I understand it the Notar used an internal fan to produce the same effect without an external tail rotor. That's about all I know about it.

Yes,

 

I'm aware of them but have never seen one or studied the principle. As I understand it the Notar used an internal fan to produce the same effect without an external tail rotor. That's about all I know about it.

Yes, using the Coanda effect to control flow around the tail:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOTAR

Controlling the flow with the assistance of a rotating, vented drum in the tail, hence the shape and size...

NOTAR helicopters blow hot air out of the tail boom through a slot that rotates! :pilot:

Christopher Tarana