Helicopter parts
From RC Helicopter Wiki
Contents |
Major parts
- Main rotor provides the main lifting and control surfaces;
- Tail rotor provides directional and anti-torque control;
- Main mast connects the main rotor to the helicopter;
- Swashplate controls the pitch of the main rotor blades and the flybar;
- Tail belt transfers power from the motor to the tail rotor;
- Torque tube another method for transferring power to the tail rotor;
- Anti-rotation bracket keeps the swashplate straight;
- Blade controls airflow, to create lift or other control;
- Canopy makes your heli look nice, easier to see, and keeps the gubbins clean;
- Tail boom mounts the tail rotor assembly to the helicopter;
- Boom stays strengthen the tail boom.
- Landing gear A safe base to start and finish on.
The rotor head
- Blade grip attaches blades to the helicopter;
- Feathering shaft attaches main blade grips to the helicopter;
- Flybar helps control the helicopter;
- Paddles are the control surface of the flybar;
- Seesaw supports the flybar;
- Head dampers allow limited blade flapping;
- Mixing arms;
- Bell-Hiller mixer transmits flybar response to the main blades;
- Washout mixes out collective input;
- Washout guide and phase ring keep the swashplate inputs in time with the rotor head.
- Rotor blades provide lift.
- Head button helps stopping the head and looks pretty.
Internal combustion helicopters
- Clutch allows starting a liquid powered engine;
- Glow plug ignites the fuel in a nitro engine;
- Klunk helps fuel delivery;
- Header tank provides a fuel supply air trap;
- Nitro engine;
- Petrol engine;
- Gas turbine engine;
- Muffler quietens the engine exhaust;
- Tuned pipe provides more power.
Electric helicopters
- Electronic speed controller (or ESC) controls the speed of an electric motor;
- Battery eliminator circuit (or BEC) provides power to the control electronics;
- Brushed or brushless motor provide power in an electric helicopter;
- Lithium Polymer battery (or LiPo) supplies electrical power.
Electronics
- Servos control the helicopter's control surfaces;
- Gyro helps stabilize the tail;
- Receiver listens to your transmitter;
- Governor maintains the correct head speed;
- Transmitter sends the pilot's commands to the helicopter.
- Battery powers the electronics
- Voltage regulator limits the battery voltage to a safe value.