How a helicopter steers

In the picture

1. 1Tilted plate on the ball joint: the control that the pilot leans
2. 2Linking rod: carries the plate’s tilt up to a blade
3. 3Blade pitched higher on one side: it lifts more at that point of the turn
4. 4Thrust arrow leaning forward: the tilted disc pulls the helicopter ahead

Examples

• A pilot pushing the stick forward makes the helicopter fly forward.
• A drone with spinning rotors leans toward the direction it flies.

Quiz: How a helicopter steers (Age 13)

1. 1

   What does tilting the plate at the base of the rotor change?

   • The angle of each blade as it turns
   • How hard the engine pushes the rotor around
   • How fast the rotor spins
2. 2

   How does a helicopter get pushed in the direction the pilot wants to go?

   • The rotor spins faster so the helicopter is pulled ahead
   • Only the body tilts while the rotor stays level
   • The whole rotor disc tilts that way, so the thrust tilts that way too
3. 3

   How often does the plate change each blade’s angle?

   • Only once, when the pilot first tilts it
   • Once during every turn of the rotor
   • Twice every time the helicopter turns

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.