XXavier
Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2006
- Messages
- 1,481
- Location
- Madrid, Spain
- Aircraft
- ELA R-100 and Magni M24 autogyros
- Total Flight Time
- 913 gyro (June 2023)
I'm sure it's entirely possible that you would find it hard to believe. It requires a good deal of experience to understand something as complex as a helicopter.
First, just because you could maintain a hover while only using 10 to 15 percent of anti torque power in a lightly loaded helicopter, does not mean that is all that needs to be available, or all you will use. The heaver you load the helicopter, the higher the percentage of power becomes to counteract the torque, like when another person comes aboard, or you fuel up, or both.
Another little thing we like to have available in a helicopter is called maneuverability. Like.... while in a hover we like to be able to turn the tail the opposite direction it is being torqued once in a while. This requires more of a percentage of power to offset the balance of anti torque. It can require 20% or more of used power to do a pedal turn opposite of torque.
We also like the ability to hover or turn the tail into strong cross winds, which again increases the amount on anti-torque required up to 25% or more.
These parameters must be calculated into the requirement and allocation of power used, and available.
Well, yes... I'm not saying that you're not the expert here. But I insist: your statement was too general.
By invoking all needs to be available, higher loadings and strong cross winds, you have already modulated that statement. It's clear now. While designing a helicopter, you may need to reserve a large fraction of its engine power for the tail rotor, but we weren't talking about helicopter design constraints. Just comparing normal rotorcraft power needs.
XXavier