How Does A Helicopter Work?
In order to fly, an object must have "lift." Lift is what pushes something up. Lift is made by wings. Wings have a curved shape on top and are flatter on the bottom. That shape makes air flow over the top faster than under the bottom. The faster air on top of the wing makes suction on the top of the wing and the wing moves up. Airplanes get lift from their wings. A helicopter's rotor blades are spinning wings. A helicopter moves air over its rotor by spinning the blades. The rotor makes the lift that carries the helicopter up. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-is-a-helicopter-k4.html A fixed wing aircraft uses its forward motion to push air over its wings, which creates lift due to the shape of the wing. The shape allows a higher air pressure to form underneath and a lower pressure on top. The same principal is at work in a rotary wing aircraft, the only difference is that its the wing that is moving into the air.
To move upwards the pilot will input a command into the collective control which will increase the angle of attack of the rotor blades, its the same as a fixed wing aircraft pulling up. This increases the force of lift, which when it overcomes the weight of the aircraft causes it to rise upwards or climb.
To descend the pilot will input a command to the collective and the angle of attack will decrease, the force of lift is also decreased and when the weight of the aircraft overcomes the lift the aircraft descends http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130531062535AAhbHM8 A helicopter has one or more motor-driven rotors instead of fixed wings. It can take off and land vertically, move in any direction on a lateral plane, or hover in one place. The lift developed by a fixed-wing aircraft's wing depends on two things: the angle of attack of the wing and the velocity of the air in relation to the wing.
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