comment by OftenBen

a thoughtful web.

Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking. Login or Take a Tour!

comment by OftenBen

OftenBen · 2877 days ago · link · · parent · post: Airbus patents "what could become the fastest helicopter in the world"

So basically putting one of these on a prop engine plane?

markup tips · 0

kleinbl00 · 2877 days ago · link ·

Helicopters are more like planes than most people think.

The Soviets have long put wings on the sides of their helicopters (with crazy-steep angles) in order to get range boosts. If you're a teenage kid in the '80s you think those are weapons pylons. When you dig into it you learn that they damn near double the range.

The border between "plane with a beanie" and "helicopter with an outboard motor" is nebulous indeed.

+discuss+discuss

–

am_Unition · 2876 days ago · link ·

Speaking of soviet 'copters, the Mil Mi-26 cracks me up. It's like a mobile crane -

You prolly know this, 'bl00, I'm just posting for all those hubski lurkers out there. Bonus: Even bigger helicopter that never saw mass production.

+discuss+discuss

–

kleinbl00 · 2876 days ago · link ·

The V-12 is charming and all, but the Russians were clever enough to stop flying it when they feared for their lives. If you wanna get real, it's all about the Piasecki helistat.

And in case you were wondering, no the Americans didn't stop in time.

+discuss+discuss

OftenBen · 2877 days ago · link ·

Helicopters are more like planes than most people think.

This clicked for me when I learned about autorotation.

As a child I thought that the whole premise of helicopters was 'Yeah you can go pretty much anywhere but if that engine fails you're dead.'