S-61 Sea King Helicopter Rotor Head Animation;Made by Karel Kinable "Fozzy" 40 Sqn Koksijde Airbase Belgian Air Force;4 different camera views; Airframe;Education
I had the S61 course at the factory in 1964. Spent 4 years on HS 50, 4 years VX 10 and 4 years teaching Sea King in the RCN. My understanding of blade movements was that for forward flight, the blades on the right side had the advantage of airspeed and developed more lift. They needed less pitch and lagged a bit. The blades on the left had less lift due to reverse airspeed, they needed more pitch to keep lift balanced. They tended to speed up and lead. The lead and lag of blades was controlled by the dampers. The same dampers were used to position the blades to put # 1 blade over the tail for blade fold. I am 88 now and rustier than the Sea King. I hope my theory of helicopter blade action is still accurate.
Thanks. As an R22 pilot, and coming from the fixed wing world, I had to wrap my brain around the fact that the angle of attack is different depending on where the blade is, as it rotates 360 degrees.
Oh wow, thank you! Now I finally understand cyclic pitch control. Previously I thought there was a mechanism that individually flipped the blades two times per full revolution. But the clever engineering of the swashplate doesn't need to involve this.
This is a very good representation of the rotor head and excellent for learning how swashplates and pitch control rods work. The only minor discrepancy is that the inner blue portion of the swashplate is actually part of the stationary swashplate and therefore doesn't rotate. It is separated from the (outer) rotating swashplate by a pair of ball bearings. Nevertheless, brilliant video!
If you ever wanted to know how a helicopter flies and generates directional lift, watch this video. It is extremely well done, however, it assumes that you have a basic understand of the physics of lift and the engineering surrounding the rotor head itself. Personally, at my level, it was GREAT. Very informative.
Awesome, 5 stars :) This is a pretty simple rotor head. Have you done one of these with a bell-hiller head? I have a hell of a time explaining that one to people :)
Oh that is cool. It's worth watching because camera 2 switches to the perspective of being mounted on the rotating portion of the assemply so yes, the green box "looks like" it's rotating. This gives you a great view of the actual simplicity of the action. In this view the swash plate wobbles, actuating the control rods for cyclic action. OK, I'm not describing it perfectily but I really appreciate what you've done here.
You're fully right. The faster the helicopter moves the faster (relative speed) the right rotorblades move and the left rotor blade (for a counterclock turning rotor seen from above) starts to stall from the inside to the outside. At a certain high speed the right side meets the sound of speed and the left side stalls. That is the reason why helicopters can't fly very fast. Couteracting this effect is done by increasing the angle on the left blades and decreasing the angle on the right side.
Keep a close eye on the defiant SB K, although our man tells me there are still interaction problems between disks and downwash on contra rotating systems. 😳
I never understood how the swatch plate could be connected to the shaft and tip in all directions. Watching this video I can see that it is a simple ball on the shaft that allows it to tilt. Great video, it is stuff like this that makes having the internet pay for its self.
This animation is fantastic Fozzy, Cheers. It perfectly shows all the various sections working during various Cyclic & Collective manipulations. Bloody well done. Any more on the way?
Hi, thanks for your reaction. You're fully right about the main mast and it is also animated like this. The reason why you think it is steady or rotating is because I've put in some lights into the scene which are static in relation to the gearbox (green part). If you rotate around the gearbox you have the impression that the mast is rotating (lights in the mirror effect). If you keep it steady in relation to the lights (gearbox) then you might think the mast is not moving, but it is indeed.
This problem is solved by installing flapping blades (they can move up and down around a hinge or a flexible part close to the rotorhead. The forward moving blade has a higher speed and produces more lift moving the blade up, thus reducing the angle of attack and the lift. For the backward moving blade the opposite happens so the lift increases on the retreating side because the blade moves down and increases the angle of attack.
The amount of moving parts and the stresses and weight they have to deal with while moving always blows my mind. It's... awesomely simple how the whole thing works and... having flown a helicopter (for like 40 minutes, I'm no hotshot) it... DOES kinda help with understanding how to fly it but... still. The engineering required is crazy good.
Now this is some awesome animation that clearly shows what's happening at the rotor head as a result of control inputs from the pilot. Imagine how difficult it was for helicopter pioneers, like Sikorsky, to figure all this out and make it practical without getting themselves killed. Btw, Sikorsky is actually old Russian for, "iron testicles."
To my knowledge the system is mirrored. The rear blade doesn't have the folding system. Because this blade hasn't the bladefold system, a counterweight is attached on the other side of the rotorhead to oppose this extra weight.
Dear Fozzyy, Yours is a great animation. At the beginning, I was misled by the fact that the green box rotates. I would have thought that part should remain stationary. Anyway, thanks.
Awesome video, could never explain this to someone in words; most people can't sit still that long. Next time I'm asked about this principle, I'll send them to you.
Good vid. Many Sikorsky's have a similar design.When I first got into aviation I was trained and flew on the old HH-52A's. Had a little time fixing and flying on HH-60's. Fixed and flew mostly on the HH-65's. I did alot of MRH work over the years. Too bad we didn't have this vid when I started in aviation way back when.
ya i agree with the other posts. it looks like ya took your time and did it right. its videos like this that satisfy my curiosity about nerdy stuff like this thanks
Fantastic Video, well done. As an idea, it would be fantastic to see what the cyclic and collective are inputting to achieve the swash plate movements. Well done though.
lol like a merry-go-round. i thought heli heads were the most complicated things in the world until i started rc and got me sum helis, and its actually so simple :P
Not bad at all. I work as a mechanic on S61's. Yeah the graphics are quite accurate. Think I am right in saying that the 61 rotor head was the first to include full lubrication for the lead/lag/flap hinges for the blades (theres a resevoir on top of each hinge that keeps the oil level maintained) right up on top..under the dome theres a resevoir for hyd fluid for the lead/lag dampers.
I could never visualize all previous verbal explanations of how this worked. Your animation is awesome. It's now perfectly clear. Thank you.
You´re very welcome.
This is the best animation I've ever come across related to mechanisms/how stuff works !
Really great job ! Very well done ! I absolutely loved it !
I had the S61 course at the factory in 1964. Spent 4 years on HS 50, 4 years VX 10 and 4 years teaching Sea King in the RCN. My understanding of blade movements was that for forward flight, the blades on the right side had the advantage of airspeed and developed more lift. They needed less pitch and lagged a bit. The blades on the left had less lift due to reverse airspeed, they needed more pitch to keep lift balanced. They tended to speed up and lead. The lead and lag of blades was controlled by the dampers. The same dampers were used to position the blades to put # 1 blade over the tail for blade fold. I am 88 now and rustier than the Sea King. I hope my theory of helicopter blade action is still accurate.
So that's how it works! :D
Thank you for the animation Karel :)
Thank you Karel. Beautifully presented animations.
Nigel Curling You're welcome
Nigel Curling
Simply amazing! This is a great reference to anyone who is learning to fly helicopters. Thank you very much!
Thanks. As an R22 pilot, and coming from the fixed wing world, I had to wrap my brain around the fact that the angle of attack is different depending on where the blade is, as it rotates 360 degrees.
i swear this is the best animation to get the idea of design . thankyou author
You're welcome ;-)
Thanks for posting this, it makes the dynamic control of the rotor pitch very clear.
Oh wow, thank you! Now I finally understand cyclic pitch control. Previously I thought there was a mechanism that individually flipped the blades two times per full revolution. But the clever engineering of the swashplate doesn't need to involve this.
This is a very good representation of the rotor head and excellent for learning how swashplates and pitch control rods work. The only minor discrepancy is that the inner blue portion of the swashplate is actually part of the stationary swashplate and therefore doesn't rotate. It is separated from the (outer) rotating swashplate by a pair of ball bearings. Nevertheless, brilliant video!
What an incredible animation!
It really helps to understand pitch and swashplate movement.
Thanks
Thank you, I was trying to picture this in my head, but this is 1,000,000,000 times better.
Its GENIAL....
Perfetc movie. Now Im undertood!
The best animation that was ever done!
Wow, this is awesome. It helped me with an assignment I have. Its an ingenious system.
If you ever wanted to know how a helicopter flies and generates directional lift, watch this video. It is extremely well done, however, it assumes that you have a basic understand of the physics of lift and the engineering surrounding the rotor head itself. Personally, at my level, it was GREAT. Very informative.
Awesome, 5 stars :)
This is a pretty simple rotor head. Have you done one of these with a bell-hiller head? I have a hell of a time explaining that one to people :)
Thanx a lot, this was quiet easy to wrap my brain around!! :-D
I especially liked the different cameraes, so I could get the complete picture!
Thank you, i finally got it how the helicopter works with your animation help.
Very nice job!
Oh that is cool. It's worth watching because camera 2 switches to the perspective of being mounted on the rotating portion of the assemply so yes, the green box "looks like" it's rotating. This gives you a great view of the actual simplicity of the action. In this view the swash plate wobbles, actuating the control rods for cyclic action.
OK, I'm not describing it perfectily but I really appreciate what you've done here.
Thank you for your work, The first time I understand how helicopter works and how 3d flight is possible.
you’re welcome
Lovelly this video. It perfectly demonstrates the movement and dynaminc of the blades and rotor head. Perfect!!
after a 20 years .. finally i know how's this thing works
Great video showing how the rotor head works. This is a great teaching tool.
You're fully right. The faster the helicopter moves the faster (relative speed) the right rotorblades move and the left rotor blade (for a counterclock turning rotor seen from above) starts to stall from the inside to the outside. At a certain high speed the right side meets the sound of speed and the left side stalls. That is the reason why helicopters can't fly very fast. Couteracting this effect is done by increasing the angle on the left blades and decreasing the angle on the right side.
Keep a close eye on the defiant SB K, although our man tells me there are still interaction problems between disks and downwash on contra rotating systems. 😳
This is a great teaching aid. Thank you!
***** You're welcome ;-)
Thanks to this video, I finally understood todays class. Thank you and kudos!
Fred Machado You're welcome ;-)
wow, quiet impressive!
Thank you very much my friend! This is very helpful for me because I'll be sitting exams soon to be a pilot in the French Air Force!
I never understood how the swatch plate could be connected to the shaft and tip in all directions. Watching this video I can see that it is a simple ball on the shaft that allows it to tilt. Great video, it is stuff like this that makes having the internet pay for its self.
how is the collective pitch lever and cyclic pitch is connected to the swash plate
This animation is fantastic Fozzy, Cheers.
It perfectly shows all the various sections working during various Cyclic & Collective manipulations. Bloody well done. Any more on the way?
very interesting. the slow motion really helps in understanding the concept of how it all works.
I was having some trouble to understant how the cyclic part of the main rotor, with your clip is now clear as water for me. Thanks =)
Extremely well done. Thank you for posting this.
Davvero ben fatto! Complimenti e grazie. Finalmente ho capito come fa a muoversi l’elicottero.
Dovevo arrivare a settanta anni. Meglio tardi che mai.
Now I can craft my own home made heli, thx :D
Now .. how did it go
Excellent Sir !!
Very thanks ..
As Daredevil Dan once told me Man Was Meant to fly but it is a Miracle to HOVER.
Hi, thanks for your reaction. You're fully right about the main mast and it is also animated like this. The reason why you think it is steady or rotating is because I've put in some lights into the scene which are static in relation to the gearbox (green part). If you rotate around the gearbox you have the impression that the mast is rotating (lights in the mirror effect). If you keep it steady in relation to the lights (gearbox) then you might think the mast is not moving, but it is indeed.
kindly tell me main rotorblades and matiral and how can i made plea; my whts app is 009203214706550,kindly contact me.
Yes, adding a couple of marks on the shaft would be the finishing touch. Nice work!
very clear animation. Best reguards from germany
ruediger561 You're welcome ;-)
Oh wow that's great bra,thanks a lot,after this corona thing I'm starting my project.And i show you it
This problem is solved by installing flapping blades (they can move up and down around a hinge or a flexible part close to the rotorhead. The forward moving blade has a higher speed and produces more lift moving the blade up, thus reducing the angle of attack and the lift. For the backward moving blade the opposite happens so the lift increases on the retreating side because the blade moves down and increases the angle of attack.
That is beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this!
Brilliant video! I leant more in 5 minutes than watching countless other "explanatory" videos. Well done! +1
Thank you very much for your nice comment ;-)
so simple yet so genius!
Brilliant vid... now I finally understand how a swashplate works... thanks...
Thanks Benoit ;-)
Wow... Thanks for the video.
thank for you posting ,don't forget more
Everything makes much more sense now!
Also, that is a lot of moving parts.
The amount of moving parts and the stresses and weight they have to deal with while moving always blows my mind. It's... awesomely simple how the whole thing works and... having flown a helicopter (for like 40 minutes, I'm no hotshot) it... DOES kinda help with understanding how to fly it but... still. The engineering required is crazy good.
Perfecto. Now I fully understand. 10/10 great video
Simple and nice! Thank you!
Now I understand the swash plate mechanics.Thanks.
Very Nice ! Thanks !
こんな構造考えて現実化した人間は素晴らしい！
Gyro preccesion is real real mysterious force of nature I still cannot comprehend it exactly and truly how it works in a helicopter
Now this is some awesome animation that clearly shows what's happening at the rotor head as a result of control inputs from the pilot. Imagine how difficult it was for helicopter pioneers, like Sikorsky, to figure all this out and make it practical without getting themselves killed.
Btw, Sikorsky is actually old Russian for, "iron testicles."
hehe, iron testicles blackhawk.
Very Cool!
Awesome... Thank you!
To my knowledge the system is mirrored. The rear blade doesn't have the folding system. Because this blade hasn't the bladefold system, a counterweight is attached on the other side of the rotorhead to oppose this extra weight.
Excellent you make it so easier to understand!!
Dear Fozzyy,
Yours is a great animation. At the beginning, I was misled by the fact that the green box rotates. I would have thought that part should remain stationary. Anyway, thanks.
pretty kool animation
Amazing!!!
Amazing video. Thanks for a job, well done!
absolutely gem of a video animation keep it up...!!!!
Thanks so much, It's very clear !
3dmax rules!!! heel vet gedaan
Thank you very much, i need to build this system for my class, now i understand it better.
Awesome animation.
nice vid now I actually understand how it works, should help for my air tech exam next week :).
its good animation for a basic general idea
thumbs up
Fantastica animazione 3d x comprendere il passo collettivo e ciclico.
Ja Fozzy, dat heb je mooi gedaan.
Awesome video, could never explain this to someone in words; most people can't sit still that long. Next time I'm asked about this principle, I'll send them to you.
Good work! Thanx!
UNBELIEVABLE !!! Great MASTERWORK. GREAAAAAT. PERFECT. WONDERFUL. YOU ARE AN ARTIST. VERY PRECISE
Good vid. Many Sikorsky's have a similar design.When I first got into aviation I was trained and flew on the old HH-52A's. Had a little time fixing and flying on HH-60's. Fixed and flew mostly on the HH-65's. I did alot of MRH work over the years. Too bad we didn't have this vid when I started in aviation way back when.
Nice!
Great amination. I see Sea King rotorheads all the time as I clean them. If only they were'nt as complex as they actually are.
super animation
Great video!
ya i agree with the other posts. it looks like ya took your time and did it right. its videos like this that satisfy my curiosity about nerdy stuff like this thanks
Fantastic Video, well done.
As an idea, it would be fantastic to see what the cyclic and collective are inputting to achieve the swash plate movements. Well done though.
A LOT going on there. Every part is so critical. No short cuts on the preflight check list.
awesome
Brilliant. A nice simple description of how it all works. Now please go and teach Bell Hillier how it should be done. :-)
Very very nice. THANKS
lol like a merry-go-round. i thought heli heads were the most complicated things in the world until i started rc and got me sum helis, and its actually so simple :P
until seeing your amazing video, i did not understood well how does it work the cyclic system.
Now i do
thanks a lot
Not bad at all. I work as a mechanic on S61's. Yeah the graphics are quite accurate. Think I am right in saying that the 61 rotor head was the first to include full lubrication for the lead/lag/flap hinges for the blades (theres a resevoir on top of each hinge that keeps the oil level maintained) right up on top..under the dome theres a resevoir for hyd fluid for the lead/lag dampers.
Excelent !...
Fantastic
amazing
Awesome
Best video showing how the swashplate works.
You're right. It's called the scissor.
Great, thanks