What happens when a helicopter experiences engine failure midair?
In: Engineering
If it is just the engine that fails, helicopters do a manoeuvre called an “auto rotation”.
It’s the equivalent of “gliding” for aeroplanes.
The energy stored in the spinning rotor blades is conserved and then gradually used up to lower the helicopter to the ground at a survivable speed.
The pilot has to be really quick at getting the rotor blades into the right setting to descend safely without engine power, but it is a skill that they practice a lot when learning to fly.
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