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Dissymmetry of Lift - Helicopter Study Guide

Dissymmetry of lift occurs when the advancing blade produces more lift than the retreating blade due to differences in airspeed over each blade during forward flight. This causes unequal lift and would cause the helicopter to roll to one side if not corrected. Flapping corrects for dissymmetry of lift by allowing the blades to move vertically and change their angle of attack. The advancing blade flaps up to decrease lift while the retreating blade flaps down to increase lift, equalizing lift across the rotor disc.

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228 views3 pages

Dissymmetry of Lift - Helicopter Study Guide

Dissymmetry of lift occurs when the advancing blade produces more lift than the retreating blade due to differences in airspeed over each blade during forward flight. This causes unequal lift and would cause the helicopter to roll to one side if not corrected. Flapping corrects for dissymmetry of lift by allowing the blades to move vertically and change their angle of attack. The advancing blade flaps up to decrease lift while the retreating blade flaps down to increase lift, equalizing lift across the rotor disc.

Uploaded by

Истребитель Пилот
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Aerodynamics

Relative Wind

What is dissymmetry of lift?


August 16, 2018 by ETL

Dissymmetry of lift is the unequal rotor thrust, or lift, produced by the rotor disc due to
forward flight or wind.

With forward flight, one blade is advancing into the wind while the other blade is retreating,
or going with the wind. Uncorrected, the advancing blade produces more lift than the
retreating blade, as the airflow over the advancing blade is greater. If left uncorrected, the
helicopter would be difficult to fly and would roll to the left due to the increased lift from
the right side of the rotor disc. The lift is equalized across the rotor disc through a
process called flapping. With flapping, the rotor blades are able to move vertically to
increase or decrease their angle of attack and thus increase or decrease the lift produced
by an individual blade.

Example: Calculate lift at 100 knots indicated airspeed for the advancing and retreating
blade using the lift formula CL*½p*V2*S.

Reference(s):
FAA-H-8083-21A – Helicopter Flying Handbook pg. 2-18
Principles of Helicopter Flight, 2nd Edition, pg. 91
FM 3-04.203-2007 Fundamentals of Flight pg. 1-39

Other Helicopter Aerodynamic Principles

Aerodynamics
Dissymmetry of Lift, Lift

What is flapping?
August 16, 2018 by ETL

Flapping is the vertical movement of a blade up or down to increase or decrease lift in


order to compensate for dissymmetry of lift.

To equalize lift across the rotor disc, the advancing blade flaps up and the retreating blade
flaps down. Flapping modifies the resultant relative wind by moving with or against the
induced flow, which changes a blade’s angle of attack. The effect of the advancing blade
flapping up is the same as increasing the induced flow. The increased induced flow will
decrease the blade’s angle of attack as the resultant relative wind is influenced more by
the induced flow and less by the (rotational) relative wind. With a lower angle of attack
and the same rotational speed, the advancing blade produces less lift than without
flapping. The opposite is true for the retreating blade. When the retreating blade flaps
down, it moves with the induced flow. This movement reduces the induced flow and
increases the retreating blade’s angle of attack as the resultant relative wind is influenced
less by the induced flow and more (rotational) relative wind.

As a blade’s angle of attack changes, so does the blade’s inflow angle. The inflow angle is
the angle between the rotational relative wind and the resultant relative wind. Other
factors removed, there is an inverse relationship between the inflow angle and the blade’s
angle of attack. If the inflow angle increases, the angle of attack decreases, producing
less lift. If the inflow angle decreases, the angle of attack increases, producing more lift.
About the Author

Bradley J. Fenster loves aviation and has a passion for teaching. Brad is the owner and the
primary helicopter instructor for ETL Aviation. Prior to learning to fly, Brad spent several
years in the military. Brad was a Special Warfare Combat Craft Crewman in the U.S. Navy
and he was also a Ranger-qualified infantry officer in the Army. Brad is a father and lives in
Lexington, Kentucky with his beautiful wife and two cats.

© 2022 Helicopter Study Guide • Built with GeneratePress

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