Helicopter & war zone

[Ryanamur]

Enzo wrote:

it kinda makes sense because if you have an engine flameout in a helicopter you will fall the the ground like a stone

...I'm not quite sure about this one... IS THERE A HELI-PILOT HERE?... as I know you could still use the rotor to slow down your descent
rate... it would still be a very hard landing (or crash), but at an impact speed that would probably save the life of the people on board.

I have 35 hrs in a Bell JetRangerII and yes, if you get an engine flame out, you drop like a rock (at least in a one motor chopper). If you
have two or more engines, you should be able to maintain flight but you'd want to land ASAP.

The rotor itself will keep producing lift so that's going to reduce your descent rate but the idea is to keep the rotor at high speed so that
when you get close to the ground you can increase the angle of attack of the blade to create even more lift. This added lift will have two
effects. First, it will greatly reduce your rate of descent (ie: allow you to land roughly as opposed to crash) and second it will decelerate
your rotor.

So, if you check (lift) your collective up too soon during the autorotation, you will run out of energy before you touch down and you will hit
much harder than what is nessecary (in fact if you do it too soon, you might even crash!

Phil