What is the force produced by the rotor, comprising rotor lift and rotor drag?

What is the force produced by the rotor, comprising rotor lift and rotor drag?

• A. Rotor Force
• B. Rotor Lift
• C. Rotor Drag
• D. Rotor Torque

Answer: (A)

The force produced by the rotor is the combination of its lifting force and the drag it experiences. Lift acts upward to help support the helicopter’s weight, while drag acts in the plane of rotation opposing the rotor’s motion. When you consider both together, you get the overall rotor force—the vector sum of lift and drag—that the rotor exerts on the helicopter. This is different from lift alone or drag alone, and also different from rotor torque, which is the twisting force the engine must supply to overcome drag and keep the rotor turning.

The force produced by the rotor is the combination of its lifting force and the drag it experiences. Lift acts upward to help support the helicopter’s weight, while drag acts in the plane of rotation opposing the rotor’s motion. When you consider both together, you get the overall rotor force—the vector sum of lift and drag—that the rotor exerts on the helicopter. This is different from lift alone or drag alone, and also different from rotor torque, which is the twisting force the engine must supply to overcome drag and keep the rotor turning.