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Many people wonder how a helicopter flies. While airplanes are propelled by jet fuel, helicopters gain altitude through their propellers. Read here to find out exactly how this works and the principle behind it.
How does a helicopter fly? How a helicopter works
How a helicopter flies is difficult for laypeople without background knowledge of mechanical engineering and aircraft to understand.
In fact, helicopters gain altitude thanks to Bernoulli’s principle.
- An engine in the helicopter initiates a horizontal rotation of the rotor blades. With this movement, the rotor blade divides the airflow into an upper and lower flow.
- Since the rotor blade is curved on the upper side, the distance for the airflow is longer there than on the lower side. This means that the upper airflow travels a longer distance than the lower airflow.
- The top and bottom move simultaneously, driven by the engine. This causes the upper airflow to flow faster so that it covers the greater distance on the top at the same time as the airflow on the bottom.
- This is how Bernoulli’s principle comes into play: the different speeds create higher pressure under the rotor blade and lower pressure above it.
- This creates greater pressure under the rotor blade, pushing it upward. Lift is generated.
- According to Bernoulli’s principle, a higher speed of the rotor blades causes a greater pressure difference and thus also more lift.
