Main characteristics of helicopter Comparison with Airplanes

Airplanes and helicopters are both aircraft that fly in the sky. Airplanes are more commonly used, but there are cases where helicopters are not well-known. Today, let's briefly summarize the characteristics of helicopters compared to airplanes.

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Fixed Wing vs. Rotary Wing Aircraft

When we think of airplanes and helicopters, airplanes have fixed wings, while helicopters have rotating rotor blades to fly. In other words, fixed-wing aircraft refers to objects that fly with fixed wings, while rotary-wing aircraft refers to those that fly with rotating wings.

Structure

• Fixed-wing aircraft: Requires a runway. Faster than helicopters.
• Rotary-wing aircraft: Does not require a runway. Relatively slower in speed.

Firstly, airplanes have a structure where they generate lift by moving forward at high speeds on a runway, using the thrust. Therefore, airplanes require a runway of about 2-3 km in length, and the thrust is generated by the engine while lift is generated by the wings.

helicopter-airplane

 

Helicopters, on the other hand, generate both lift and thrust simultaneously from the main rotor, even though the engine is operating. Thanks to this structure, helicopters can perform vertical takeoff and landing without the need for a runway, and they are slower in speed compared to fixed-wing aircraft because they need to generate both lift and thrust from the rotor.

Hovering

The biggest characteristic of helicopters compared to airplanes is hovering. Helicopters can remain stationary in the air, allowing them to perform various missions that airplanes cannot.

helicopter-hovering

While airplanes can transport people and goods quickly, helicopters can perform tasks such as rescuing injured people in emergency situations and extinguishing wildfires by scooping water from the air, thanks to their ability to hover.

 

In summary, rotary-wing aircraft, such as helicopters, have the ability to hover and perform vertical takeoff and landing without the need for a runway, which is structurally different from fixed-wing aircraft.