Helicopter Flight Controls: The Collective
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ต.ค. 2019
- This is the second in my Helicopter Flight Control series covering the four flight controls in a helicopter. In this video, I show you the collective and how it controls main rotor blade pitch. Then I take you for a flight and demonstrate two landings and a takeoff, as well as how I can reduce/increase speed without descending/climbing. Although I don't provide details about the cyclic, it does play a part in this video; hold your cyclic questions for that video, okay?
One thing I failed to make clear in this video: the collective controls the manifold pressure in a Robinson. It does this because the collective is tied to the throttle through the use of a correlator and electronic governor. So when I "pull pitch" -- lift the collective -- the throttle automatically increases to compensate for the additional drag of the blades at a higher pitch setting. When the throttle increases, the manifold pressure increases. Because of this, it's common to use the manifold pressure setting to indicate the collective pitch setting even though manifold pressure is an engine indicator and not a main rotor blade indicator. I hope that makes sense to you; it should when you watch this entire video and listen to my manifold pressure references.
BIG DISCLAIMER: I am not nor have I ever been a flight instructor. The purpose of this video is not to teach you how to fly a helicopter. It's simply to explain, mostly to non-pilots or fixed wing pilots, what the collective control does. If you want more information, I strongly urge you to consult the Helicopter Flying Handbook, which is FREE on the FAA Website: www.faa.gov/regulations_polic... You'll find Chapter 3 especially informative.
About Me and the Helicopter
- I have been flying for about 20 years. My nearly 4,000 hours of flight time is in Robinson R44, Robinson R22, and Bell 206L (Long Ranger) helicopters.
- The helicopter is a 2005 Robinson R44 Raven II -- the same one that appears in the photo at the beginning of the video. You can learn more about them here: robinsonheli.com/r44-specific... I own this helicopter. It is the third helicopter I've owned since 2000.
- My helicopter has ADS-B Out and is picked up by radar facilities. You can see my track for recent flights on Flightradar24: www.flightradar24.com/data/ai... This is a great site for tracking any almost any flight, including the airlines.
About the Video
- The video was recorded with a pair of GoPro Hero 7 cameras (amzn.to/2Lxyzwl), one of which is connected to the helicopter's intercom system with an NFlightCam audio cable (amzn.to/31syLTm). Both cameras record audio, but I dialed down the helicopter sound to about 25% of normal volume so it wouldn't be annoying.
- The camera mounts are MyPilotPro Spider Mounts (amzn.to/2BnbcQv and amzn.to/2Muou3N) which are made specifically for aircraft operations. Utilizing three suction cups, they make it possible to mount cameras on rounded surfaces. You can see one of the mounts in the video near my vertical compass. For more information about camera mounting options for aircraft, visit mypilotpro.com/; I will be reviewing these mounts in an upcoming video.
- The video was edited on a Macintosh using Screenflow software. Learn more about it here: www.telestream.net/screenflow...
- Additional audio in this video was recorded in Screeflow using a Røde Podcaster microphone (amzn.to/2IFnbNr).
- The intro music is by Bob Levitus, famed "Dr. Mac." You can find him here: www.boblevitus.com/
I try to drop cockpit POV videos every Sunday morning and "extras" with more info about owning and operating a helicopter midweek. (Some channel members get early access to some of these videos.) I also host occasional livestreams with Q&A chats. Subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you don't miss anything new! And tell your friends. I'm trying hard to deliver good videos and grow my subscriber base.
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"Pull up on the collective when landing," or adding power, can be seen in nature. Next time you watch a bird landing, check out the furious flapping that they have to do to arrest their downward/forward momentum. Maria makes it look easy--the "dance" is one of the toughest (and super important) maneuver a fling-wing pilot does. Thanks for a great video!
Good comparison. Thanks!
A seagull is a great example of this, and flaps its wings intently just before setting down on the ground.
This was REALLY useful for the novice to understand the collective and manifold pressure and flight controls. THANK YOU.
Your a great teacher btw. We need more flight instructors like you.
A most effective demonstration of smooth subtle control, and so clearly explained. Wonderful.
Thanks!
Thanks for this video Great demonstration was going to ask about the throttle but read the description looking forward to cyclic next
Most excellent video. Thank you for posting.
Great video Maria - something I had learned about before but - this was both a great explanation as well as excellent demo etc. Thank you :) Nice editing.
Love your videos, for someone like me who could never be able to flya heli videos like yours lets me dream of it and i love that, keep em comin.
Superb video, nice set of instructions! The split camera view really shows everything that's happening
Really impressed with your talk through run through video tutorial. Learnt alot. Thanks Ma'am
Thanks Maria for posting such interesting video,it's good for us to see how it works,greetings from far south Brasil !
Great video as always Maria. The down to earth and lack of noise, adverts etc are a refreshing change. My friend is learning to fly an R44 so this is fascinating watch, naturally I’ve recommended your channel!
Thanks so much!
Amazing explanation with practical.
Excellent video! Thank you! 🙌
Great video!! I never flew in a helicopter, always wondered how it worked... looking forward to next video.
Thank you for the informative video. I find this so interesting.
You’re videos are fantastic
Thanks for this helpful video!
i love that you bring your dog! XD
Good video Maria! And good narration. Your dog is so well behaved, and lucky, ha. Thanks for allowing us to join you.
Thanks! Penny is a good girl.
Good video. Thanks for the information.
Great video. Thank you for explaining.
My pleasure!
I am enjoying the video but also the view of all the trees!! Beautiful 🍁🍂🍁
Nice landing 👍👍 👍
Yes we can see the manifold gauge but we couldn't quite see the numbers until you pointed out where 12 was. 😊 Oops forgot to cast to my tv. When I did that I could see the numbers.
Very interesting!! Good job!!
Very nice! Thanks a lot.
Good tutorial. Very informative for a fixed wing guy
Very interesting Maria 👍
Great video!
Great description
The dog. I love it!😀 (and of course I enjoyed your excellent helicopter instruction as well).
these videos are great
Wow nice helicopter amazing view thanks for sharing
Thanks your video was so useful
very good video!!!!
All things aside, this (along with the cyclic) vids r really detailed informative especially to non-pilot but hv much interest in flying a heli. Tq
Very nice video ty
Man I would have bet this was the Kamloops airport in Canada until I saw your Wenatchee tag!
I've been in that area -- it isn't that far away -- and it does look a lot like this.
Great explanations of Collective, Cyclic and Pedals. Thank you!
I couldn't find the specific Throttle control exclusive video you mentioned. The role of this and the governor are confusing for me.
Thanks again.
Edit: But I did get a pointer from one of your answers to a throttle question in the Comments below. That you set the Gov on before takeoff and it does its job from 80% power on. Thanks.
I haven’t done the throttle video yet. It’s on my list for the spring.
Complimenti Eccellente video!!!!
East Wenatchee is my mom's old stomping grounds. All that side of the family talks about is working in Uncle Perry's orchards and others. Cool view and great instruction.
Thanks!
That was awesome. I've always wanted to know how the collective works. Thanks for another great video. Keep up the good work 😀
Ho super tank you vidéo magnifique bravo
Thank you
💕 Nice, thank you
Great Video- very informative. I’m a Fixed wing Single Engine land Pilot, and I always wanted to know how you land with a collective, and Maria explained that. We flair landing a Plane, and it looks like a flair when Maria pulls back on the collective a little before touchdown. Thanks!
I’m actually pulling back on the cyclic (not collective), but yes, it’s definitely a little flare.
Thanks Maria, it didn't look like a lot of throttle grip twisting? Set it at takeoff? Wow, your text says it all! Interesting vid. as always!
I set it before takeoff. The governor takes over at 80% RPM.
Thank you Maria for a great demonstration on this part of your helicopter. I guess I can go out now and fly my own. Just kidding, safe flying Maria.
Go take an intro lesson with an instructor.
Wow! I like this. I've always wanted to fly a plane but this is entertainment since am not qualified
hello from Venezuela
Thanks.
Hi Maria, thanks for the video! You mentioned ETL I understand (I think) the tail and main rotor vortices over lap each blade as your slowing down thus vibrations. I also understand that going from flight to hover makes some vibrations. I remember you having trouble with the Huey going thru ETL. You seem to handle the Robinson quite well. Seat time makes ETL easier to work with in any helicopter?
I really like this Helicopter Flight Control Series! 👍🙌👍
I got to go back and catch the first one tho.
I've got about 2300 hours in R44 helicopters and, frankly, at this point it's like driving a car. Unless conditions are weird, I pretty much know exactly how the helicopter will react in just about any situation. Makes it really easy to fly -- and very hard to narrate what I'm doing.
I have built and flown 3D model Heli's for years and understand all the theories you have mentioned about helicopter flight. One of my questions is with a full scale heli, how much if at all negative pitch do you have at full down collective. Also how much positive pitch do you have or can you pull at full up (I'm assuming you can only use full up at the end of an auto)?
Not making him nervous. He probably did the wanna race routine in his head , with a silent giggle to himself..
Hi Maria. As always, simple and informative and wonderful to get an insight into the operation and mechanics of flying the helicopter. So, if your teaching skills are as good as I say, the amount of lift is based on the reading on the "Manifold Pressure" which is basically sucking in more air and fuel?? Having said that, whilst you will offer explainations on the throttle later, I take it the throttle power is decided before using the collective, and having noticed you didn't adjust it during the tutorial/flight, it must generally be left at the selected setting?? Just love your videos, the techno-babble reduced to a level we can all understand and I for one, have learned much from your expert tutorials.. Keep them coming lady..
I cover manifold pressure in the description of the video. As for setting the power, no, you can set it and change it as you like/need to during the flight. I just find it easier to set if for my desired cruise speed in the conditions of the day and leave it alone. There's no need to constantly adjust it unless there's turbulence or I need to perform a maneuver (slow down, speed up, descend, etc.).
Excellent video. I only fly RC helicpoters. Is that a constant speed head? What is the operating rpm range for the engine?
What determines how many blades a helicopter has? Why was the Robinson designed with 2 blades as compared to 3 or 4?
What is the main reason for having the Automatic Throttle system? Is it designed to make it easier for beginners to fly? Would you rather have a system that you control or would you rather have the automated system. I'm assuming it would be like a car going from level to climbing a hill. Instead of the driver pushing on the gas pedal down more, the cars automated system increases the throttle to maintain a certain speed.
Another great video. Was wondering, I have the same set up as you and I don’t hear any helicopter 🚁 sounds in the background. Would like to hear a little of the engine sounds. Suggestions? Thanks 😊.
Two cameras, one with intercom audio and the other one with ambient sound.
Just a small point some old helicopters had the throttle rotation like a motor cycle, I remember my father saying how nice it was when he changed over to the Bell 47 from the old wirlwind or might have been the wessex that the throttle naturelly twisted with application of collective.
Also I know you simplified the autorotation, as the low collective allows the blades to drive the rotation, but it is hard to explain how as the blades remain in a positive pitch. Most people a shocked by the fact that autogyros have positive pitch and when look at them think the blades must go backwards.
Anyway a good video for me to show the Air Cadets.
You want more on autorotations? Here you go: th-cam.com/video/W9UEqinM0Js/w-d-xo.html
What kind of fuel do you use?
Is there a schedule maintenance you must do?
License required above 400 ft?
Very curious and don't know much about helicopters
How often do you use the throttle on the collective?
The question is. when i need to clime to 200 meters i will bull the collective to a specific degree , when i reached 200 meters should i leave the collective at that degree ?? Or push it down ?if i leave the collective at that specific degree the helicopter will stay at that altitude or it will rise more ??
Sooooo dang cool...outstanding.. You must have a ☺ on you face all day long..
trying to hover in one spot is like trying to balance a broom stick on a ball in space..
holding a helicopter in a steady hover takes skill
It really does get easy when you do it enough.
I am curious and have a probably silly question. At 7,20 you said you were "landed on the ramp and were going to take off and doing left traffic on the taxi-way parallel to taxi way one two". My inquiry is this... would YOUR LEFT be the same and or understandable in terms of direction to any other pilot anywhere in or approaching the traffic pattern?
Yes. Left is relative to Runway 12.
well explained. but can't find the video about the throttle...?!
😬 I haven't made that one yet. In the spring, perhaps, when I get home.
So as you pull in collective, are you adding throttle or do you set it at a max level and just fly with the collective and cyclic?
An electronic governor controls the throttle in most modern helicopters. That brings the controls to three: cyclic, collective, and anti torque pedals.
Very interesting, I can see it's lots more complicated than flying Cessna's..and is there such a thing as "auto throttle?" Oops, I read the description after I watched it, and see where there is, I thought I saw it working in flight!.
The throttle actually DOES make tiny twisting adjustments in flight. I usually don't even notice it.
1) During takeoff, when you say "pitch for 45, than 60" are you referring to degrees of rotor blade angle? 2) Once airborne does the throttle position stay the same unless you want to increase speed?
Pitch for 45 means to push the cyclic forward to move at 45 knots. I'm thinking I said this during a takeoff run? Standard takeoff is to push the cyclic forward to 45 knots at about 10 feet off the ground, then adjust cyclic for 60 knots, which is the climbout speed. We don't adjust the throttle in flight in an R44; there's an electronic governor to do that. We just raise or lower the collective. More collective means more blade pitch which requires more power. Generally, that'll cause you to RISE, but if you also push the cyclic forward more, you'll get more speed instead. The cyclic and collective must be worked together to get the results you want.
@@FlyingMAir Yes, you did say "pitch for 45, then 60" in this vid. And, yes, thank you, that now makes perfect sense.
so when does one fiddle with the throttle at all? when you were on the ground, idling at 12 inches mp, i thought you'd have to open the throttle to make up for the change of blade pitch that needs to lift that thing up. i'm new to helis and couldn't quite catch it, but i'm certain i haven't seen her touch the throttle at all, really. would appreciate any explanation cheers
On a Robinson, there's an electronic governor that takes over throttle control at 80% RPM. So in flight, at roughly 100% RPM, the governor is doing all the work. I just adjust the collective as needed to climb, descend, increase speed, decrease speed, etc. I can sometimes feel the governor turning the throttle in my hand when I hold the grip. On my helicopter, I can pretty much set-and-forget the collective in cruise flight -- it generally doesn't move unless I move it. Hope that helps.
@@FlyingMAir interesting. thanks for answering! now i wanna fly a heli...
Do you twist the grip on the collective as you raise and lower it to control the throttle
I don't have to. The Robinson R44 has an electronic governor that controls the throttle at RPMs over 80%.
@@FlyingMAir O.K, what about other helicopters, I've seen many pilots twisting the grip on the collective as they raise it.
Good question! Not all helicopters have a governor. Schweizers and Hueys come to mind. Older helicopters usually don't.
I should clarify that I do twist the throttle to get the RPMs over 80% before taking off. And then I twist again to throttle down as part of the shutdown procedure. And I can override the governor at any time by just twisting. (I can actually sometimes feel it twist in my hand when I have my hand on the throttle in flight.)
Can you explain what the manifold pressure correlates to....
I'm pretty sure that's in the description. It's one of the things I forgot to cover.
At high speed how does a helicopter react to decrease in collective? Ive been wondering this for a while i expect maybe a float for like 2 seconds then a decent? Or how would that work?
A decrease in collective without changing the cyclic pitch would start an immediate descent.
@@FlyingMAir very cool thank you
👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was going to ask if you take a dog with you, because I saw dog hairs down around the collective, lol.
Maria do you think it would help me if I buy the helicopter fly course. $ 149.00 before I go to flight school ? Or just walk in to a helicopter school.
Yes. Definitely take an introductory flight that includes some ground school and the opportunity to manipulate at least some of the controls.
I didn't know Horizon has flights there... Nice to know...
Three flight to and three flights from Seattle each day. An extra round trip during the summer. It's very convenient.
@@FlyingMAir for me it would be a flight from RDM-SEA-EAT... I like it's airport code... LOL
So the collective can also affect speed?
Yes, in conjunction with the cyclic. The collective sets power; you can't go faster without more power unless you want to descend.
@@FlyingMAir But how do you descend without losing speed then?
You lower the collective and adjust the cyclic as necessary to maintain airspeed.
Does a helicopter have a auto pilot?
Wait, I thought the rotors can achieve a negative angle. But in the vid it looks like they only reach a 0 degree angle (flat).
So nice teach but another partner need with you to focus camera on a right way to see clearly but again thanks to you good teach.....
Ever thought about being a CFI?
Yep. Two things stopped me: (1) Insurance costs and (2) I enjoy flying without having to prevent someone from killing me in flight.
@@FlyingMAir Well, I love the way you explain things and your personality would make it enjoyable.
@@FlyingMAir One of my best friends I've known for about 30 years decided to get his PPL and once earned he wanted to make money on the side as a CFI. It almost killed him. Had a student on controls in a Cessna 172 who freaked out on a bank turn because he lost altitude, overcorrected and crashed the plane right where a bunch of trees and bushes opened up to an open field. My friend got banged up pretty good, and promptly lost his CFI credential _and_ his nerve. Flies only rarely now, and controls from shotgun while in flight mainly -- no launch/recovery.
I'd love to have you teach me to fly...
I am not a flight instructor. I like life too much.😉
And I thought operating an excavator needed co ordination 😐
I know this is a dumb question....but hey....unless somebody tells us, we wouldn't know anything..right.
When you turn left or right....is that when you use your feet on those pedals....
( i saw your feet on those horrible pedals in that huey video)
How the hell do you move 2 feet, 2 hands and twist the throttle and look where you are going at the same time..
Another thrill and increase in my heart rate, while sitting in my comfy chair at home...
Thanks again.. :)
You answered some of my question at the end..sorry...i jumped the gun...
...i was excited...ha.
I'm really not using the pedals much in flight. Maybe tiny adjustments. Believe it or not, it isn't difficult to manage four controls. Like I said, the pedals don't need much attention in flight, although they are very important in hovering. The throttle is controlled by a governor. So it's really just the cyclic and collective and, as you can see, the collective doesn't need constant attention unless you're performing a maneuver.
It can't be hard -- my wasband could do it! LOL.
I have learnt combination of cyclic and collective so I will fly hallys in Afghanistan
I wish she would’ve let everyone know what model of helicopter she was flying.
I wish you would have read the video description.
@@FlyingMAir I apologize ma’am, my comment was meant to be tongue in cheek because you stated specifically, several times, what model you were flying in the video.
😂
Gee, collective is totally mechanical.. ? Metal rods? Just like my 1931 Ford Brake lines which are in fact metal rods (no hydraulics for brakes).
The R44 has hydraulic assist on the collective. It's extremely hard to move with hydraulics off.
“...it pretty much stays where you put it...” Sounds like you’re relying on “pretty much” perhaps too much.
How do you get that idea? "Pretty much" means it usually does but it might not. That means it has to be monitored. Please read the actual words, not what you want to read.
I just came here for arma 3