Captain
Final Approach
So, with my vast helicopter experience I have a suggestion / question. (and by vast experience I mean I have never flown a helicopter)
It seems to me the collective controls power (throttle to the engine) and pitch to all blades and the cyclic controls pitch and roll by changing individual blade pitch throughout the arc of the main blade.
If that supposition is true then I would further surmise that of the two it would be easier to momentarily let go of the collective during flight than the cyclic.
If BOTH of those are true then why is the collective located on the outboard of the aircraft? That makes each pilot use the wrong hand to do housekeeping tasks like tuning the radio and setting altimeters.
Seems to me that if I'm sitting in the right seat with my left hand on the cyclic and my right hand on the collective then to tune the radio I have to let go of the collective with my right hand and hold the cyclic while I use my left hand to dial a new frequency in the radio. Either that or I have to let go of the collective with my right hand and reach across and dial the radio with my right hand.
Wouldn't it make more sense to put the collective in the middle so if I'm in the right seat I use my left hand for the collective and my right for the cyclic? That way it's an easy matter to let go with my left hand momentarily and tune a radio.
Please let me know where my logic falls apart here. Thanks in advance.
Captain.
It seems to me the collective controls power (throttle to the engine) and pitch to all blades and the cyclic controls pitch and roll by changing individual blade pitch throughout the arc of the main blade.
If that supposition is true then I would further surmise that of the two it would be easier to momentarily let go of the collective during flight than the cyclic.
If BOTH of those are true then why is the collective located on the outboard of the aircraft? That makes each pilot use the wrong hand to do housekeeping tasks like tuning the radio and setting altimeters.
Seems to me that if I'm sitting in the right seat with my left hand on the cyclic and my right hand on the collective then to tune the radio I have to let go of the collective with my right hand and hold the cyclic while I use my left hand to dial a new frequency in the radio. Either that or I have to let go of the collective with my right hand and reach across and dial the radio with my right hand.
Wouldn't it make more sense to put the collective in the middle so if I'm in the right seat I use my left hand for the collective and my right for the cyclic? That way it's an easy matter to let go with my left hand momentarily and tune a radio.
Please let me know where my logic falls apart here. Thanks in advance.
Captain.
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