Menu Model

Modify physical parameters (helicopter)
Register "Main rotor"

Main rotor diameter
Please enter a value in meters.

Rotor rpm
Desired rpm of the main rotor in rounds per minute.

Transmission gear ratio
A value of 10 for example produces 1 round at the main rotor at 10 rounds of the engine.

Rotor blade chord
The depth of the blade has an effect on the lift produced by the blade.

Pitch Maximum
Pitch Minimum

These values define the pitch values available at maximum/minimum gimbal input. A beginner should enter a minimum of -3. At center position of the pitch stick, the helicopter hovers. Advanced pilots looking for 3D training should enter a minimum of -8. In order to simulate fixed pitch rpm controlled systems, both values should have identical value of f.e. 7.

Pitch Minimum at autorotation
This value is set once autorotation is performed with the <A>-key.

Rotor moment of inertia
This value relates to the rotor blade mass and defines the energy stored in a rotating main rotor. A small value: fast reduction of rotor rpm during autorotation. A large value: slow reduction of rotor rpm during autorotation.

Maximum hub moment
The moment working on the main rotor mast at full cyclic travel. Increasing this value means faster aileron and elevator action.

Hovering instability
At 100% the helicopter is VERY hard to handle, at 0% the helicopter hovers on ti's own.

Translational damping
This parameter defines the speed the helicopter translates a cyclic input into forward movement. Values larger than 0.7 the hovering is getting unrealistic but could help the starter to learn the hovering.

Rotor head damping
This value refers to the character of the rotor head. A little damping increases the reaction speed of the rotor head, a high value produces a lazy reaction to inputs.

Rotor head damping exponent
... the damping of the auxiliary rotor

Rotor head stiffness
The value defines the effects of elevator or aileron moments acting on the rotor axis.

Rotor head vividness
This parameters defines the effect of minor cyclic inputs. High values produce high effects at minor stick movements but this value will not influence the effect of full inputs.

Rotor head linkage play
Elevator linkage play
Aileron linkage play

A high value results in unprecise and indifferent flight characteristics.

Loss on full cyclic input
Applying full cyclic input reduces the rotor speed dramatically as the drag is increased and the motor performance is limited. This number describes that effect.

Elevator tendency
Aileron tendency

Some rotor head systems (f.e. rigid heads) tend to produce a lifting tendency during fast forward flights. These effects are replicated with this value.

Lift losses in vortex condition
A vortex condition describes the effect of a sinking helicopter moving in it's own downstream. Due to the loss of lift, the descend is even faster. The loss of lift is described with this value.

Ground effect
Hovering at low altitude, the helicopter will need less pitch and less performance than he would need at a higher altitude. This value describes the ground effect.

Rise of cyclic effect through airflow velocity
With conventional rotor heads the effect of cyclic input increases with growing airspeed. The rate of this increase can be adjusted with this parameter. Since flybarless rotor heads do not show this behavior, this parameter should be set to 0 for these types of models. The default value for conventional rotor heads is 0.01.



Please also refer to:

General data, Drive, Tail rotor, Landing gear.
Physical data - overview.