NAVAIR 01-H57BC-1

11.12 ROTOR BLADE STALL

Blade stall occurs when the angle of attack of a significant segment of the retreating blade exceeds the stall angle.
When this condition occurs, increased blade pitch (or collective) will not result in increased lift and may result in
reduced lift and increased rotor drag. One of the more important features of the TH-57 two-bladed, semirigid system
is its warning to the pilot of impending blade stall. Prior to progressing fully into the stall region, the pilot will feel
marked increase in airframe vibration and control vibrations. Consequently, corrective action can be taken before
stall becomes severe. The threshold of stall varies with the following:
1. Airspeed.
2. Gross weight.
3. Density altitude.
4. G loading.
5. Rpm.

11.12.1 Recovery Procedure

See ROTOR BLADE STALL (paragraph 14.28).

11.13 LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (UNANTICIPATED RIGHT YAW)

Five aircraft characteristics during low-speed flight have been identified through extensive flight and wind tunnel
tests as contributing factors in unanticipated right yaw.
For this occurrence, certain relative wind velocities and azimuth (direction of relative wind) must be present. The
aircraft characteristics and relative wind azimuth regions are:
1. Tail rotor AOA reduction (060° to 120°).
2. Weathercock stability (120° to 240°).
3. Tail rotor vortex ring state (210° to 330°).
4. Main rotor vortex disk interference (285° to 315°).
5. Loss of translational lift (all azimuths).
The aircraft can be operated safely in the above relative wind regions if proper attention is given to controlling the
aircraft; however, if the pilot is inattentive for some reason and a right yaw is initiated in one of the above relative
wind regions, the yaw rate may increase unless suitable corrective action is taken.

11.13.1 Tail Rotor AOA Reduction (060° to 120°)

In a right crosswind, the relative wind shifts toward a tail rotor blade's chord line because of effectively increasing
the induced velocity. The shifted relative wind impacts at a lower AOA, which develops lower lift and results in less
thrust. The pilot will automatically compensate by adding more left pedal, but in some cases can reach pedal travel
limits before adequate thrust can be generated.

11.13.2 Weathercock Stability (120° to 240°)

Winds within this region will attempt to weathervane the nose of the aircraft into the relative wind. This characteristic
comes from the fuselage and vertical fin. The helicopter will make an uncommanded turn either to the right or left
depending upon the exact wind direction unless a resisting pedal input is made. If a yaw rate has been established
in either direction, it will be accelerated in the same direction when the relative wind enters the 120° to 240° shaded
area of Figure 11-3 unless corrective pedal action is made. The importance of timely corrective action by the pilot
to prevent high yaw rates from occurring cannot be overstressed.

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NAVAIR 01-H57BC-1

11.13.3 Tail Rotor Vortex Ring State (210° to 330°)

Winds within this region, as shown in Figure 11-4, will result in the development of the vortex ring state of the tail
rotor. The tail rotor vortex ring state causes tail rotor thrust variations that result in yaw rates. Because these tail
rotor thrust variations do not have a specific period, the pilot must make corrective pedal inputs as the changes in
yaw acceleration are recognized. The resulting high pedal workload in tail rotor vortex ring state is well known and
helicopters are operated routinely in this region. This characteristic presents no significant problem unless corrective
action is not timely. If a right yaw rate is allowed to build, the helicopter can rotate into the wind azimuth region
where weathercock stability will then accelerate the right turn rate. Pilot workload during tail rotor vortex ring state
will be high; therefore, the pilot must concentrate fully on flying the aircraft and not allow a right yaw rate to build.

11.13.4 Main Rotor Disk Vortex (285° to 315°)

Winds within this region, as shown in Figure 11-5, can cause the main rotor vortex to be directed onto the tail rotor.
The effect of this main rotor disk vortex is to change the tail rotor angle of attack. Initially, as the tail rotor comes
into the area of the main rotor disk vortex during a right turn, the angle of attack of the tail rotor is increased. This
increase in angle of attack requires the pilot to add right pedal (reduce thrust) to maintain the same rate of turn. As
the main rotor vortex passes the tail rotor, the tail rotor angle of attack is reduced. The reduction in angle of attack
causes a reduction in thrust and a right yaw acceleration begins. This acceleration can be surprising, as the pilot was
previously adding right pedal to maintain the right turn rate. Analysis of flight test data during this time verifies the
tail rotor does not stall. The helicopter will exhibit a tendency to make a sudden, uncommanded right yaw, which,
if uncorrected, will develop into a high right turn rate. When operating in this region, the pilot must anticipate the
need for sudden left pedal inputs.

11.13.5 Loss of Translational Lift

The loss of translational lift results in increased power demand and additional antitorque requirements. If the loss
of translational lift occurs when the aircraft is experiencing a right turn rate, the right turn rate will be accelerated as
power is increased, unless corrective action is taken by the pilot. When operating at or near maximum power, this
increased power demand could result in rotor rpm decay. This characteristic is most significant when operating at
or near maximum power and is associated with unanticipated right yaw for two reasons. First, if the attention of the
pilot is diverted as a result of the increasing right yaw rate, he may not recognize that he is losing relative wind and,
hence, losing translational lift. Second, if the pilot does not maintain airspeed while making a right downwind turn,
the aircraft can experience an increasing right yaw rate as the power demand increases and the aircraft develops a
sink rate. Insufficient pilot attention to wind direction and velocity can lead to an unexpected loss of translational lift.
The pilot must continually consider aircraft heading, groundtrack, and apparent groundspeed, all of which contribute
to wind drift and airspeed sensations. Allowing the helicopter to drift over the ground with the wind results in a loss
of relative windspeed and a corresponding decrease in the translational lift produced by the wind. Any reduction in
translational lift will result in an increase in power demand and antitorque requirements.

11.13.6 Recovery Procedure

See Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness in Part V.

ORIGINAL 11-10
 NAVAIR 01-H57BC-1

Figure 11-3. Weathercock Stability

Figure 11-4. Tail Rotor Vortex Ring State

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NAVAIR 01-H57BC-1

Figure 11-5. Main Rotor Disk Vortex Interference

11.14 LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY

The ability of the tail rotor to provide antitorque and yaw control can be greatly reduced by two factors that are
easily confused. Loss of tail rotor authority (LTA) is related to power available to the main and tail rotor. Loss
of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) is related to the direction from which the wind strikes the tail rotor in a hover and
tends to be labeled as an aerodynamic phenomenon compared to LTA, which is most often described as a mechanical
phenomenon.
This occurs when power required for hover exceeds power available power supplied to the main rotor is delivered
as a torque at a certain RPM.
When the engines are providing the maximum that they are capable of at 100% RPM it will translate to a certain
amount of torque. If the pilot demands more performance by continuing to increase collective the AOA on the main
rotor blades will increase. Lift will increase, but so will drag. Because power is a constant, the main rotor response
to the increased drag will be an increase in torque and a decrease in RPM.
Tail rotor thrust required for flight is a function of main rotor torque. Tail rotor thrust available is a function of RPM
squared. When the main rotor slows down it also slows down the tail rotor, providing less tail rotor thrust. Thus,
the increased tail rotor thrust required to counteract increasing main rotor torque with drooped turns is not available.
The pilot can call for more tail rotor thrust by increasing tail rotor torque with increased left pedal, but at some point
the ability to increase tail rotor AOA runs out. When tail rotor thrust required exceeds tail rotor thrust available,
LTA occurs and the nose of the aircraft yaws to the right.

11.15 CONTROL FEEDBACK

Feedback in the cyclic stick or collective stick is caused by high loads in the control system. These loads are
generated during severe maneuvers and can be of sufficient magnitude to overpower or feed through the main boost
cylinders and into the cyclic and/or collective stick. The pilot will feel this feedback as an oscillatory shaking of the
controls even though he may not be making control inputs after the maneuver is established. This type of feedback
will normally vary with the severity of the maneuver. The pilot should regard it as a clue that high control system
loads are occurring and should immediately reduce the severity of the maneuver.

ORIGINAL 11-12