AE2025 HELICOPTER THEORY

UNIT I - DEVELOPMENT OF ROTATING WING AIRCRAFT

ROTORCRAFT

A rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine that uses lift

generated by wings, called rotor blades, that revolve around a mast. Several rotor blades
mounted on a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) defines a rotorcraft as "supported in flight by the reactions of the air on one or more
rotors". Rotorcraft generally include those aircraft where one or more rotors are required to
provide lift throughout the entire flight, such as helicopters, cyclocopters, autogyros, and
gyrodynes. Compound rotorcraft may also include additional thrust engines or propellers and
static lifting surfaces.

CLASSIFICATION OF ROTORCRAFT

 Helicopter
 Cyclogyro/Cyclocopter
 Autogyro
 Gyrodyne
 Rotor kite

HELICOPTER:

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by rotors. This
allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward, and
laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-
wing aircraft and other forms of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft cannot perform.

EVOLUTION OF HELICOPTERS:

The helicopter is arguably one of the earliest ideas for achieving flight. Over two
thousand years ago, the Chinese constructed what are known as Chinese Tops, illustrated below.
These simple toys consisted of a propeller attached to a stick that would be spun rapidly through
ones hands to spin the propeller and achieve lift. These toys are still common today.

(Chinese Top)
 Later, in the 15th Century, famed inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci designed one of
the more aesthetically pleasing concepts for a helicopter, but such a craft was never actually
constructed

(Leonardo da Vinci's "Helicopter", 15th Century)

First Successes

In England in 1796, Sir George Cayley constructed the first powered models of
helicopters that were driven by elastic devices. One of these models, shown below, attained an
altitude of ninety feet.

(Sir George Cayley's helicopter, 1796)

In 1842, almost fifty years after Sir George Cayley, fellow Englishman W. H. Phillips
constructed a model helicopter that weighed 20 pounds (9 kg) and was driven by steam. He
proposed a full-sized three-propeller machine (one propeller for lift, and two for directional
control), but it was never built. In 1878, Enrico Forlanini, an Italian civil engineer, also
constructed a steam driven model helicopter that only weighed 7.7 lb (3.5 kg).
 In 1880, Thomas Edison was the first American to perform any notable research on
helicopters. Edison built a test stand and tested several different propellers using an electric
motor. He deduced that in order to create a feasible helicopter, he needed a lightweight engine
that could produce a large amount of power.

Modern Helicopter History

First Vertical Flight
The first manned helicopter to rise vertically completely unrestrained was constructed by
Paul Cornu, a French mechanic, in 1907. Cornu's helicopter had two propellers that were rotated
at 90 rpm by a 24-hp (18 kW) engine.

(Cornu's helicopter, 1907)

As another first, Cornu was most probably the first helicopter experimenter who was
concerned with control. To this end, Cornu had installed sets of vanes just below each rotor to
deflect the downwash for maneuvering and forward thrust. While Cornu's helicopter was
historically significant, its performance and control was rather marginal, and it was never a
practical machine.

New Developments
The next influential development in the field of helicopters was brought about by a ma
who never actually built a helicopter himself. In 1923, Juan de la Cierva successfully flew hi C.4
autogiro, an aircraft that has two propellers, a powered one to provide thrust, and an unpowered
rotor to provide lift. Cierva's autogiro was noteworthy because it was the first to use an
"articulated" rotor that allowed its blades to flap up and down in response to aerodynamic forces
on the blades during forward flight. As will be discussed in the next section, the articulated rotor
helped to eliminate large blade stresses at the rotor hub. Cierva died in an airliner accident in
1936 at the age of 42, and he never had the opportunity to incorporate an articulated rotor into a
helicopter himself. The first recognized helicopter record was set in October 1930 by Italian
Corradino D'Ascanio when he flew his helicopter over a distance of one half mile at an altitude
of 59 ft (18 m) for 8 minutes and 45 seconds. D'Ascanio's helicopter had two contrarotating
coaxial rotors (two rotors on the same shaft) that were controlled by flaps on booms trailing each
blade near its tip.
 (D'Ascanio's helicopter, 1930)

First True Helicopters

Just before and during World War II, Germany made several large, significant steps in
helicopter development. The FA-61 helicopter, designed by Heinrich Focke, first flew in June
1936, and was later used in publicity stunts by the Nazis. The FL-282 helicopter, designed by
Anton Flettner, became operational with the German Navy, and over 1000 of them were
produced. This helicopter utilized twin intermeshing rotors, had a forward speed of 90 mph (145
km/h), and could operate at an altitude of 13,000 ft (3,965 m) with a payload of 800 lb (360 kg).

The first American helicopter was the VS-300, designed by Igor Sikorsky of the Vought-
Sikorsky Company. The VS-300 was the first helicopter to use a tail rotor to counteract the
torque produced by the main rotor, and it was this innovation that solved the last major hurdle in
making helicopters practical flying vehicles. This design is now the most common in today's
helicopters.

(Sikorsky's VS-300, 1939)

HELICOPTER COMPONENTS

Helicopters come in many sizes and shapes, but most share the same major components.
These components include a

 Cabin where the payload and crew are carried;

 An airframe, which houses the various components, or where components are
attached;
 A power plant or engine;
 A transmission, which, among other things, takes the power from the engine and
transmits it to the main rotor, which provides the aerodynamic forces that make
the helicopter fly.
 Landing gear, which could be skids, wheels, skis, or floats.
 Main rotor system’
 Tail rotor system

MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM

Main Rotor System
Root: The inner end of the blade where the rotors connect to the blade grips.

Blade Grips: Large attaching points where the rotor blade connects to the hub.

Hub: Sits atop the mast, and connects the rotor blades to the control tubes.

Mast: Rotating shaft from the transmission, which connects the rotor blades to the helicopter.

Control Tubes: Push \ Pull tubes that change the pitch of the rotor blades.

Pitch Change Horn: The armature that converts control tube movement to blade pitch.

Pitch: Increased or decreased angle of the rotor blades to raise, lower, or change the direction of
the rotors thrust force.

There are three types of main rotor system

Helicopter rotor systems are defined by the way the blades connect to the rotor hub

 Articulated rotors
 Semi Rigid rotors
 Rigid rotors

MAIN ROTOR

Articulated Rigid

a. Flap a. No Flap
b. Feather b. No Drag
c. Drag or no dragging c. Feather

Articulated Rotor
 Fully Articulated Semi Rigid
Flap and Drag Flap and Drag
(Flap and drag blade is (the blades and hub are
Hinged and is independent fixed together and flap
of others) only as a unit)

Fullly Articulated Rotor System

A fully articulated rotor system usually consists of three or more rotor blades. The blades
are allowed to flap, feather, and lead or lag independently of each other. Each rotor blade is
attached to the rotor hub by a horizontal hinge, called the flapping hinge, which permits the
blades to flap up and down. Each blade can move up and down independently of the others. The
flapping hinge may be located at varying distances from the rotor hub, and there may be more
than one. The position is chosen by each manufacturer, primarily with regard to stability and
control. Each rotor blade is also attached to the hub by a vertical hinge, called a drag or lag
hinge, that permits each blade, independently of the others, to move back and forth in the plane
of the rotor disc. Dampers are normally incorporated in the design of this type of rotor system to
prevent excessive motion about the drag hinge. The purpose of the drag hinge and dampers is to
absorb the acceleration and deceleration of the rotor blades. The blades of a fully articulated
rotor can also be feathered, or rotated about their span wise axis. To put it more simply,
feathering means the changing of the pitch angle of the rotor blades.

a. Generally consists of three or more rotor blades

b. Each blade is attached to the rotor hub by a horizontal hinge (flapping hinge). Each blade
moves up and down independently of others
c. Position of the flapping hinge is selected keeping in view stability and control
d. Each blade is attached to the hub by a vertical hinge. Each blade moves back and forth in
the plane of the rotor disc independently of others.
e. Location of the drag hinge is selected to control maximum vibrations
f. Dampers are incorporated in the design of this type of rotor to prevent excessive motion
about the drag hinge
g. Purpose of the drag hinge and the dampers is to absorb acceleration and deceleration of
the rotor blades caused by corollis effect
h. Each blade can be feathered about the span wise axis(Feathering axis)
Semi Rigid Rotor System
A semi rigid rotor system allows for two different movements, flapping and feathering.
This system is normally comprised of two blades, which are rigidly attached to the rotor hub.
The hub is then attached to the rotor mast by a trunnion bearing or teetering hinge. This allows
the blades to see-saw or flap together. As one blade flaps down, the other flaps up. Feathering is
accomplished by the feathering hinge, which changes the pitch angle of the blade.

 The Chord (1) is the longitudinal dimension of an airfoil section, measured from
the leading edge to the trailing edge.
 The Span (2) is the length of the rotor blade from the point of rotation to the tip of
the blade.
 The Vertical Hinge Pin (3) (drag hinge) is the axis which permits fore and aft
blade movement independent of the other blades in the system.
 The Horizontal Hinge Pin (4) is the axis which permits up and down movement
of the blade independent of the other blades in the system.
 The Trunnion (5) is splined to the mast and has two bearings through which it is
secured to the yoke. The blades are mounted to the yoke and are free to teeter
(flap)around the trunnion bearings.
 The Yoke (6) is the structural member to which the blades are attached and which
fastens the rotor blades to the mast through the trunnion and trunnion bearings.
 The Blade Grip Retainer Bearings (7) is the bearing which permits rotation of
the blade about its spanwise axis so blade pitch can be changed (blade feathering).
 Blade Twist is a characteristic built into the rotor blade so angle of incidence is
less near the tip than at the root. Blade twist helps distribute the lift evenly along
the blade by an increased angle of incidence near the root where blade speed is
slower. Outboard portions of the blade that travel faster normally have lower
angles of incidence, so less lift is concentrated near the blade tip.
a. It consists of two rotor blades.
b. Rotor blades are rigidly attached to hub.
c. Hub and the blades are free to flap as a unit.
d. Hub is free to tilt with respect to the rotor shaft.

Rigid Rotor System

The rigid rotor system is mechanically simple, but structurally complex because
operating loads must be absorbed in bending rather than through hinges. In this system, the
blades cannot flap or lead and lag, but they can be feathered.
There are no vertical or horizontal hinges so the blades cannot flap or drag, but they can
be feathered. Operating loads from flapping and lead/lag forces must be absorbed by bending
rather than through hinges. By flexing, the blades themselves compensate for the forces which
previously required rugged hinges. The result is a rotor system that has less lag in the control
response, because the rotor has much less oscillation.[21] The rigid rotor system also negates the
danger of mast bumping inherent in semi-rigid rotors
a. Blades and hub mast are rigid with respect to each other
 b. There are no flapping hinges, no in-plane lead lag hinges and no damages.
c. The only collective motion permitted is blade feathering to provide collective and cyclic
control.

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

The purpose of the helicopter's power transmission system is to take power from the
engine and transfer it to other components that help power and control the helicopter. The
transmission takes the engine output (torque at a certain angular velocity) and transfers it
to the rotors at another angular velocity and torque (in order to prevent it from damaging
the system). The other components being main and tail rotor gear boxes.

Depending on a helicopter's arrangement, other drive shafts and gearboxes may be

needed at various locations. The main rotor gear box serves to reduce the velocity at
which the engine shaft rotates. This is to prevent the tips of the blades from spinning
faster than the speed of sound. This is undesirable as it would require the blades to be
extremly strong and would be very loud! Typically, the main rotor rpm is about 1/7 of the
engine rpm, but that varies from model to model. The tail rotor gear box has the same
functions as the main rotor gear box, though the tail rotor blades can spin at a higher
rotational speed, since the length of the blades is much smaller (tip velocity = radius *
angular velocity).

Although clutches vary with model, the two most common are the belt-driven and
centrifugal arrangements. As for example, in the R22 helicopter from Robinson, the
clutch arrangement is belt-driven. In this arrangement, mainly seen on small helicopters,
the pulley on the engine shaft is connected to a pulley on the driving shaft going to the
main rotor gear box and tail rotor gearbox. See Figure 1. In all, there are six pulleys and
belts side-by-side. The belts are loosely fitted around the engine and driving shaft
pulleys. In order to make the engine shaft pulley drive the top pulley, the pilot of the
helicopter has to move an adjustable pulley, called the idler, and push it against the belts.
This in turn tightens the belt and allows the engine shaft pulley to drive the driving shaft.
 The adjustable pulley is pushed against the belts by a pilot-activated lever on older
models or by an electric motor on newer ones
.
On the top pulley, there is a sprag clutch. Whenever the engine shaft is driving the shaft
in the top pulley, the rollers inside the clutch are forced to the outer drum and prevent the
top pulley from exceeding engine shaft rpm. This clutch serves as a freewheeling unit.
I.e. whenever the engine shaft starts spinning at a slower rpm than the main rotor shaft
(ex. engine stops), the rollers inside the clutch move inward and allow the outer drum to
rotate at a speed faster then the inner portion. This characteristic of the sprag clutch could
allow a pilot to land a helicopter safely if the engine stalled or simply stopped
functioning.

HELICOPTER CONFIGURATIONS:

Helicopter configurations may be classified in to five main types and several sub classes.

 The Single Rotor

 Coaxial Rotors
 Side-by-Side rotors
 Tandem Rotors and
 Multi rotors

The Single Rotor:

In terms of number of machines in operation today, the single rotor machine with tail
rotor is far the most common type. It has the advantage of being relatiovely simple- one rotor,
one set of controls, one main transmision. While the tail rotor uses about 8 to 10 percent of the
engine power in hovering and 3 to 4 percent in forward flight, the simplicity of the configuration
and the saving in weight as compared with other means of torque counteraction propably
componsate for the loss. One disadvantage is the danger of the vertical tail rotor to ground
personnel, the whirling blades being the pilot and thus not under his precise control.

(Single Rotor Type)

With a single main rotor helicopter, the creation of torque as the engine turns the rotor creates a
torque effect which causes the body of the helicopter to turn in the opposite direction of the rotor.
To eliminate this effect, some sort of antitorque control must be used, with a sufficient margin of
power available to allow the helicopter to maintain its heading and provide yaw control.
 (Torque effect on a helicopter)

Tail rotor

The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted vertically or near-vertical on the tail of a traditional
single-rotor helicopter. The tail rotor either pushes or pulls against the tail to counter the torque.
The tail rotor drive system consists of a drive shaft powered from the main transmission and a
gearbox mounted at the end of the tail boom. The drive shaft may consist of one long shaft or a
series of shorter shafts connected at both ends with flexible couplings. The flexible couplings
allow the drive shaft to flex with the tail boom. The gearbox at the end of the tailboom provides
an angled drive for the tail rotor and may also include gearing to adjust the output to the
optimum RPM for the tail rotor. On some larger helicopters, intermediate gearboxes are used to
transition the tail rotor drive shaft from along the tailboom or tailcone to the top of the tail rotor
pylon which also serves as a vertical stabilizing airfoil to alleviate the power requirement for the
tail rotor in forward flight. It may also serve to provide limited antitorque within certain airspeed
ranges in the event that the tail rotor or the tail rotor flight controls fail.

Coaxial Rotors

Dissymmetry of lift

Dissymmetry of lift in rotorcraft aerodynamics refers to an uneven amount of lift on opposite

sides of the rotor disc. It is a phenomenon that affects single-rotor helicopters in forward flight.

A rotor blade that is moving in the same direction as the aircraft is called the advancing blade
and the blade moving in the opposite direction is called the retreating blade
 retreating blade side advancing blade side

Coaxial rotors are a pair of rotors turning in opposite directions, but mounted on a mast, with the
same axis of rotation, one above the other. The advantage of the coaxial rotor is that, in forward
flight, the lift provided by the advancing halves of each rotor compensates for the retreating half
of the other, eliminating one of the key effects of dissymmetry of lift; retreating blade stall.
However, other design considerations plague coaxial rotors. There is an increased mechanical
complexity of the rotor system because it requires linkages and swashplates for two rotor
systems. Add that each rotor system needs to be turned in opposite directions means that the
mast itself is more complex, and provisions for making pitch changes to the upper rotor system
must pass through the lower rotor system.

(Coaxial Rotors)

In the coaxial machine, fuselage torque is eliminatede by utilising two superimposed rotors,
rotating in oposite directions. The rotors may or may not have same diameter or turn at the same
speed. The only requirement is that the they both absorb the same torque. The coaxial design has
the advantage of having its over all dimensions defined only by the rotor diameter and of a
saving of power over the single rotor tail rotor design. On the other hand, the rotor hubs and
control become more complex and rotor weights tend to increase.
Tandem Rotor

Tandem rotor helicopters have two large horizontal rotor assemblies mounted one in front of the
other. Currently this configuration is mainly used for large cargo helicopters

(Tandem Rotor)

Single rotor helicopters need a mechanism to neutralize the yawing movement produced by the
single large rotor. This is commonly accomplished by a tail rotor, coaxial rotors, and recently the
NOTAR systems. Tandem rotor helicopters, however, use counter-rotating rotors, with each
canceling out the other's torque. Therefore all of the power from the engines can be used for lift,
whereas a single rotor helicopter uses some of the engine power to counter the torque. An
alternative is to mount two rotors in a coaxial configuration.

(Tandem Rotor)

The main advantage of tandem configuration lies in its clean fuselege possibilities, togeather
with a large available centre of gravity range. The useful load may be distributed between two
the two rotors in varying proportions. Disadvantages in transmission and shafting weights are
similar to the side by side rotor configuration.

Side by Side Rotor or Transverse rotor

Transverse rotor rotorcraft have two large horizontal rotor assemblies mounted side by side.

Single rotor helicopters need a tail rotor to neutralize the twisting moment produced by the single
large rotor. Tandem rotor helicopters, however, use counter-rotating rotors, with each canceling
out the other's torque. Counter-rotating rotor blades won't collide with and destroy each other if
they flex into the other rotor's pathway.

This configuration also has the advantage of being able to hold more weight with shorter blades,
since there are two sets. Also, all of the power from the engines can be used for lift, whereas a
single rotor helicopter uses power to counter the torque.

The basic advantage of the side-by-side rotor is that the laterally displaced rotor effect a
reduction in power required to to produce lift in forward flight, similar to the aspect ratio effect
on an airplane wing. The advantage becomes imporatnt in large multi engine helicopters where
standard requires that level flight be possible with one engine dead, since the reduction in power
necessary to maintain level flight in the side-by-side ship permits bigger loads to be carried.

(Side by Side Rotor)

The configuration has the dis advantage of either having high fuselage parasite drag or high
structural weight, for as the supporting pylons become thin and aerodynamically clean they
become heavy.

Multirotor

A multirotor or multicopter is a rotorcraft with more than two rotors. Multirotors often use fixed-
pitch blades, whose rotor pitch does not vary as the blades rotate; control of vehicle motion is
achieved by varying the relative speed of each rotor to change the thrust and torque produced by
each.

Due to their ease of both construction and control, multirotor aircraft are frequently used in
model and radio control aircraft projects in which the names quadcopter, hexacopter and
octocopter are frequently used to refer to 4-, 6- and 8-rotor helicopters, respectively.
Helicopters with many rotors have been propsed for special usees and generally for large
machines. Three or more rotors offer simplifications in control system design in as much control
in all directions may be achieved by simply increasing the thrust of one rotor relative to each
others. For large machines, use of multi rotors offers the advantage of influencing a large mass of
air without having blades of unwidely dimensions.

COMPOUND HELICOPTER

A helicopter with an auxiliary propulsion system which provides thrust in excess of that which
the rotor(s) alone could produce, thereby permitting increased forward speeds; wings may or
may not be provided to reduce the lift required from the rotor system.

A Gyrodyne is a type of VTOL aircraft with a helicopter-like rotor system that is driven by its
engine for takeoff and landing and also includes one or more conventional propellers to provide
forward thrust during cruising flight. Lift during forward flight is provided by a combination of
the rotor, like an autogyro, as well as conventional wings. Due to a number of issues, there is
some confusion over the term "gyrodyne", and the terms compound helicopter and compound
gyroplane are frequently used to describe the same design. The gyrodyne is one of a number of
similar concepts which attempt to provide helicopter-like low-speed performance and
conventional fixed-wing high-speeds, including tiltrotors and tiltwings.

(Compound Helicopter)

A compound helicopter has several advantages over a conventional one. The auxiliary thruster
and wing unloads the rotor at high speed, allowing the compound to fly more efficiently or reach
a higher top speed. The redundant controls allow the compound to change its pitch attitude while
maintaining altitude and airspeed, something the conventional helicopter cannot do. Reduced
vibration levels and controlling structural loads in maneuvers are also possible with the
compound helicopter.
 (Compound Helicopter)

JET ROTOR

Jet Rotor or Tip Jets refers to the jet nozzles located at the tip of some helicopter rotor blades.
The objective is to spin the rotor, much like a Catherine wheel firework.

Some tip jets rely solely on compressed air, provided by a separate engine, to create jet thrust.
Others use an afterburner type system to burn fuel in the compressed air at the tip (tip-burners) to
enhance the thrust. Some are ramjets or even a complete turbojet engine. Some are rocket tip jets
that run off stored propellant such as hydrogen peroxide.

Tip jets replace the normal shaft drive and have the advantage of placing no torque on the
airframe, so no tail rotor is required.

The main rotor may be driven by tip jets. Such a system may be powered by high pressure air
provided by a compressor. The air may or may not be mixed with fuel and burnt in ram-jets,
pulse-jets, or rockets. Though this method is simple and eliminates torque reaction, prototypes
that have been built are less fuel efficient than conventional helicopters. Except for tip jets driven
by unburnt compressed air, very high noise levels is the single most important reason why tip jet
powered rotors have not gained wide acceptance. However, research into noise suppression is
ongoing and may help make this system viable.
 (Tip Jets)

The jet rotor provides the simplest solution to the torque problem. The rotor torque is supplied by
units at the blade tips rather than by the shaft torque so that by shaft torque so that the fuselage
may be simply supported on a bearing, the only torque transmitted to the fuselage being the
bearing friction. Fuselage directional control may be obtained by a vane or rudder which utilizes
the rotor downwash in hovering and the air stream in forwards flight. Jet thrust may be provided
by tip unuits, as in the ram jet rotor, or by an engune driven blower from which air is ducted to
rearward pionting nozzles at the blade tips.

There are several examples of tip jet powered rotorcraft. The Percival P.74 was under-powered
and could not fly. The Hiller YH-32 Hornet had good lifting capability but performed poorly
otherwise. Other aircraft used auxiliary thrust for translational flight so that the tip jets could be
shut down while the rotor autorotated. The experimental Fairey Jet Gyrodyne, 48-seat Fairey
Rotodyne passenger prototypes and McDonnell XV-1 compound gyroplanes flew well using this
method. Perhaps the most unusual design of this type was the Rotary Rocket Roton ATV, which
was originally envisioned to take off using a rocket-tipped rotor. The French Sud-Ouest Djinn
used unburnt compressed air to drive the rotor, which minimized noise and helped it become the
only tip jet driven rotor helicopter to enter production.

NOTOR

NOTAR is the name of a helicopter system which replaces the use of a tail rotor. Developed by
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (through their acquisition of Hughes Helicopters), the
name is an acronym derived from the phrase no tail rotor. The system uses a fan inside the
tailboom to build a high volume of low-pressure air, which exits through two slots and creates a
boundary layer flow of air along the tailboom utilizing the Coandă effect. The boundary layer
changes the direction of airflow around the tailboom, creating thrust opposite the motion
imparted to the fuselage by the torque effect of the main rotor. Directional yaw control is gained
through a vented, rotating drum at the end of the tailboom, called the direct jet thruster.
Advocates of NOTAR believe the system offers quieter and safer operation.

Although the concept took over three years to refine, the NOTAR system is simple in theory and
works to provide some directional control using the Coandă effect.A variable pitch fan is
enclosed in the aft fuselage section immediately forward of the tail boom and driven by the main
rotor transmission. This fan forces low pressure air through two slots on the right side of the
tailboom, causing the downwash from the main rotor to hug the tailboom, producing lift, and
thus a measure of directional control. This is augmented by a direct jet thruster and vertical
stabilisers.

(NOTAR)

Benefits of the NOTAR system include increased safety (the tail rotor being vulnerable), and
greatly reduced external noise. NOTAR-equipped helicopters are among the quietest certified
helicopters.

NOTAR A relative new solution, the NO TAil Rotor, uses jet thrust rather than blades to provide
directional stability and reduce noise, providing the world's quietest helicopters.
NOTAR also utilizes Coanda Effect with the rotor downwash across the tailboom and an internal
airflow through the tailboom to produce a sideways "lift", or more correctly "thrust" to counter
main rotor torque.

The jet thrust from the nozzle at the end of the tailboom is primarily used for directional control,
with a very small contribution to anti-torque force.

1 Air intake 2 Variable pitch fan 3 Tail boom with Coandă Slots 4 Vertical stabilizers 5 Direct jet thruster
6 Downwash 7 Circulation control tailboom cross-section 8 Anti-torque lift
Diagram showing the movement of air through the NOTAR system