Aviation glossary
Helicopter
A rotorcraft whose engine-driven main rotor produces both lift and thrust. Can hover, fly in any direction and land almost anywhere.
A helicopter is a rotorcraft with a powered main rotor. The engine drives the rotor through a gearbox; the rotor carries the weight of the machine and defines the direction of flight. A secondary tail rotor cancels the reaction torque of the main rotor; alternative designs use coaxial rotors (Kamov), intermeshing (Kaman K-Max), tandem rotors (CH-47) or NOTAR. A helicopter can hover, fly sideways or backwards, land without a runway and — in an emergency — descend in autorotation. We cover the history and technology of the helicopter in more depth on the Cabri G2 page.
Related terms
- GyrocopterA rotorcraft whose rotor turns freely from the airflow (autorotation) throughout the flight. Thrust is provided by a separate propeller.
- AutorotationA flight condition in which airflow through the rotor keeps it spinning without engine power. Lets a helicopter land safely after a power failure.
- FenestronA tail rotor housed inside the vertical fin. Reduces noise and the risk of tail-rotor strike compared with an exposed rotor.