Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: jln@elaine19.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Autorotation of AV-8B Harrier Message-ID: <1990Dec5.030659.6473@cbnews.att.com> Date: 5 Dec 90 03:06:59 GMT References: <1990Dec4.002219.9452@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Stanford University - AIR Lines: 37 Approved: military@att.att.com From: jln@elaine19.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel) In article <1990Dec4.002219.9452@cbnews.att.com> sasbrb@unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey) writes: >From: Brendan Bailey > What is auto-rotate for the av-8b? Someone I know said that the av-8b >doesn't have it. Do some have it and some don't or do none of them have >this feature? What capability does this give a plane(harrier?) that has it? Autorotation is the method used to land a helicopter after its engine(s) have failed. As best as I understand it, the method essentially involves managing the rotational energy remaining in the rotor blades. Depending on the helicopter, they will stay rotating for 5-8 seconds after the engine quits. When the engine quits, the pilot flattens the pitch on the rotor blades (to conserve energy) and dives for the ground. At the last minute, the pilot flares, using the stored energy to slow the helicopter. All helicopter pilots are taught autorotation during training. The ability of a helicopter to land in a small area during autorotation significantly helps their safety. As for autorotation in a harrier, I don't see how that could be possible. The harrier does not have rotor blades. The Harrier hovers buy using vectored thrust from the engine. If the engine isn't turning, you don't have any thrust. Like any plane, the pilot could try a dead-stick landing, but I understand that is rather hazardous in high-performance jets. >Brendan Bailey -- Jared L. Nedzel --------------------------------------------------------------------- e-mail: nedzel@cive.stanford.edu jln@portia.stanford.edu Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com