Aviation Images - Aircraft in Detail

Helicopter Rotorhead Gallery

Aeris Naviter Hindustan (HAL) PZL Aérospatiale Indra Robinson Agusta Kaman Rotorway AgustaWestland Kamov Saunders-Roe Bell MBB Schiebel Boeing MK-Helicopters Schweizer Bristol MD Helicopters Sikorsky Cassidian Mil Sud Aviation Eurocopter NH International Swiss UAV Guimbal Northrop Grumman Westland Heli Air Design Piasecki

Aeris Naviter

Aeris Naviter AN-2 Enara

Two co-axial rigid two-blade rotors with feathering bearings.

Aérospatiale

Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III (Sud Aviation SE3160)

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor similar to that of Alouette II. Three-blade semi-articulated tail rotor.

Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor with oil-lubricated hinges and bearings Five-blade semi-articulated tail rotor (flapping hinges only).

Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma

Four-blade main rotor, fully articulated hub. Five-blade semi-articulated tail rotor (flapping hinges only).

Aérospatiale SA 341/SA 342 Gazelle

Three-blade fully-articulated main rotor with friction-type lead-lag dampers. Rotor head and mast form a single unit. 13-blade shrouded tail rotor, Fenestron 'fan-in-fin' type with evenly spaced variable pitch blades.

Aérospatiale AS 332L Super Puma

Four-blade main rotor, fully articulated hub. Drag hinges are fitted with elastomeric frequency adaptors. Five-blade tail rotor, flapping hinges only.

Aerospatiale AS 332L2 Super Puma Mk.2

Four-blade main rotor with Spheriflex glass-fiber/carbon-fiber hub. Elastomeric spherical bearings and Kevlar blade retention bands.

Agusta

Agusta A109

Four-blade fully-articulated main rotor. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Composite main rotor blades with swept and tapered tips. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

Agusta A109E / A109SP

Four-blade fully-articulated main rotor with elastomeric bearings. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland AW139

Five-blade fully-articulated main rotor with composite hub. Four-blade canted tail rotor.



AW139 walkaround

AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat

Four-blade rigid main rotor. Hub and inboard portion of flexible blade attachment arms made from a single mono-block titanium forging. Blade pitch is controlled via 'spider' arms that protrude out of the main rotor mast below the hub. The central shaft of the 'spider' is running down the mast through the main gearbox where three hydraulic actuators connect to its lower end. Composite main rotor blades with BERP IV high-speed tips. Four-blade hinge-less tail rotor with elastomeric bearings.

AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin

Five-blade fully articulated hinge-less main rotor with elastomeric bearings. Main rotor hub combines Titanium core with two composite plates forming multiple blade retention rings. BERP high-speed tips. Four-blade semi-rigid flex-beam tail rotor composed of two stacked yokes.



EH101 walkaround

AgustaWestland EH101 (US101 Demonstrator)

Five-blade fully articulated hinge-less main rotor with elastomeric bearings. Main rotor hub combines Titanium core with two composite plates forming multiple blade retention rings. BERP IV high-speed tips. Four-blade articulated hinge-less tail rotor with blade retention rings and elastomeric bearings..

Bell Helicopter Textron

Bell Model 47 (H-13 Sioux)

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor, stabilizing bar perpendicular to blades. Underslung feathering axis head. 2-blade tail rotor.

Bell Model 204 (UH-1M Iroquois)

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor, stabilizing bar perpendicular to blades. Underslung feathering axis head. 2-blade tail rotor.



UH-1M walkaround

Bell Model 205 (UH-1D Iroquois)

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor, stabilizing bar perpendicular to blades. Underslung feathering axis head. 2-blade tail rotor.



UH-1D walkaround

Bell Model 205 (UH-1H Iroquois)

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor, stabilizing bar perpendicular to blades. Underslung feathering axis head. 2-blade tail rotor.

Bell Model 212 (UH-1N Twin Huey)

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor, stabilizing bar perpendicular to blades. Underslung feathering axis head. 2-blade flex-beam tail rotor.

Bell AH-1S Huey Cobra

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor with teetering hinge. Flex-beam yoke bolted to trunnion with elastomeric bearing caps which restrain flapping of rotor through steel sleeves and rubber cores. 2-blade semi-rigid tail rotor system that is underslung and delta hinged with a flex beam employing 1 degree preconing.

Bell AH-1W Super Cobra

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor with Lastoflex elastomeric and Teflon-faced bearings. 2-blade semi-rigid tail rotor system that is underslung and delta hinged with a flex beam employing 1 degree preconing.

Bell UH-1Y Venom

Four-blade hingeless and bearingless main rotor rotor composed of two stacked fiberglass yokes with all-composite blades and cuffs. Yokes accomodate blade flapping, lead-lag and pitch change motions through flexing and torsion. Semi-automatic blade folding for shipboard operations. Four-blade tail rotor assembly consisting of two stacked teetering rotors with titanium yokes independently mounted on a single output shaft using splined trunnions. Elastomeric bearings installed in the trunnions provide the load path for drive torque and thrust loads and provide for flapping motion.

Bell Model 230

Two-blade semi-rigid main rotor (same as Bell 222). 2-blade tail rotor (same as Bell 222)

Bell Model 412 Arapaho (CH-146 Griffon)

Four-blade hingeless flex-beam soft-in-plane main rotor. Hub composed of two titanium flex-beam yokes, four steel spindles with grip lugs for blade attachment, and elastomeric bearings and dampers. Mechanical pendulum dampers mounted on leading and trailing edges of yoke absorb 4/rev vibrations. 2-blade delta-hinge mounted teetering tail rotor.

Bell Model 427

Four-blade soft-in-plane main rotor (same as Bell 406 / OH-58D). 2-blade tail rotor (same as Bell 407).

Bell Model 429

Four-blade hinge-less soft-in-plane rotor system with stacked composite yokes, titanium drive plate and centrifugal force fittings, elastomeric CF bearings and shear restraints, and elastomeric lead/lag dampers. Composite blades with Nickel-Cobalt leading edge abrasion strips and tip caps. Four blade stacked system with two teetering yokes in scissor arrangement and elastomeric flapping bearings. Composite blades with swept blade tips and Nickel-Cobalt leading edge abrasion strips,

Boeing Helicopters

Boeing AH-64A/D Apache

Four-blade hybrid main rotor with kinematic lead-lag hinges. Blade pitch housings connected to rotor hub by single combined elastomeric bearings that allow for axial, flapping and feathering motion. These quasi flap hinges/feathering bearings are offset 4% from the main rotor axis for increased control power. Blades attached to hub by V-shaped 22-ply laminated steel packs that are stiff in the lag plane but flexible towards flapping and torsion. Two elastomeric lead-lag damper packs per blade. Blades feature five stainless steel spars, steel leading edges and mixed steel and fiberglass/Nomex honeycomb skins for maximum ballistic damage tolerance. Swept tips. Twin two-blade teetering 'scissor' tail rotors co-axially mounted on titanium forks with elastomeric bearings. Blades set at 55/125 degree angles and turning at comparatively low RPM for educed noise.



AH-64A walkaround

Boeing CH-47D Chinook

Tandem interconnected three-blade main rotors, fully-articulated, all bearings submerged in oil.

Boeing Chinook HC.2

Tandem interconnected three-blade main rotors, fully-articulated, all bearings submerged in oil.

Boeing CH-47F Chinook

Two three-blade intermeshing contra-rotating tandem rotors, fully-articulated, all bearings submerged in oil. Manually foldable composite rotor blades, using Boeing VR-7 and VR-8 aerofoils with cambered leading-edges.

Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche

Four-blade bearingless FVW main rotor adopted from MBB Bo108 Eight-blade Fenestron ducted-fan tail rotor.

Bristol Helicopters

Bristol 171 Sycamore

Three-blade main rotor, fully articulated. Blade pitch is controlled by a spider 3-blade articulated tail rotor.

Cassidian

Cassidian VTUAV

Three-blade semi-rigid main rotor (similar to Indra Pelican) 3-blade articulated tail rotor (same as Indra Pelican)

Eurocopter

Eurocopter EC-120B Colibri

Three-blade Spheriflex main rotor. Eight-blade Fenestron tail rotor with unevenly spaced blades for noise abatement.

Eurocopter EC-135

Four-blade hingeless and bearingless FVW main rotor adopted from MBB Bo108 Fenestron ducted fan tail rotor.

Eurocopter AS350 Ecureuil

Eurocopter AS355 TwinStar/Ecureuil 2 (AS555 Fennec)

Three-blade hinge-less main rotor with Starflex glass-fiber/carbon-fiber reinforced plastic composite hub. Elastomeric lead-lag and centrifugal force bearings. Two-blade tail rotor.

Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin 2

Four-blade hingeless main rotor, Starflex glass-fiber/carbon-fiber hub.

Single steel-rubber sandwich ball joint per blade. 11-blade shrouded tail rotor, Fenestron 'fan-in-fin' type with unevenly spaced blades.

Eurocopter EC155B (Aerospatiale AS365N4)

Five-blade hingeless main rotor, Spheriflex glass-fiber/carbon-fiber hub. 10-blade shrouded tail rotor, Fenestron 'fan-in-fin' type with unevenly spaced blades.

Eurocopter AS532UL Cougar Mk.I

Four-blade fully-articulated main rotor. Five-blade semi-rigid tail rotor.

Eurocopter AS532U2 Cougar Mk.II

Four-blade hingeless Spheriflex main rotor with blades attached to retention ring via elastomeric bearings.. Pendulum-type vibration absorbers. Four-blade hingeless Spheriflex tail rotor with blades attached to retention ring via elastomeric bearings.

Eurocopter EC665 Tiger

Four-blade hingeless FEL main rotor consisting of only 24 parts (w/o bolts and bushings). Hub made of titanium centerpiece with composite star plates bolted on top and below. Flap and lead/lag motions allowed by elastic bending of blade root, pitch allowed by elastomeric bearings. Lead/lag damping by solid-state visco-elastic dampers. Three-blade Spheriflex tail rotor with fork blade roots.



EC665 Tiger

walkaround

Eurocopter EC725 Caracal / AS535 Cougar Mk.II A2 Resco

Five-blade hingeless Spheriflex main rotor head with elastomeric spherical bearings. Main rotor blades are multi-box structure with composite spar and parabolic tip. Spheriflex tail rotor head with four all-composite blades.

Guimbal

Guimbal Cabri G2

Three-blade hingeless Spheriflex-type main rotor with elastomeric bearings. Fenestron-type tail rotor.

Heli Air Design

Heli Air HAD-1 Helineo

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor with mechanical hinges and bearings.

Hindustan (HAL)

Hindustan Dhruv (ALH)

Four-blade FEL hingeless main rotor head with fiber-elastomeric bearings sandwiched between two CFRP star plates (same technology as EC665). Blades are manually foldable. Four-blade FVW flexbeam tail rotor.

Indra

Indra Pelican UAS

Two-blade teetering main rotor with Hiller stabilization bars. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

Kaman

Kaman H-43 Huskie

Two-blade contra-rotating intermeshing twin-rotor with servo-flap control. Rotor blades are attached to hub by drag hinges only, the servo-flaps eliminating blade pitch change and associated bearings. Movement of servo-flaps twists the blades with the natural resilience of the blades used to obtain torsional deflection. Tail unit has twin rudders controlled by autostabilizer.

Kamov

Kamov Ka-2 6 Hoodlum

Two three-blade co-axially mounted counter-rotating main rotors, fully articulated.

Kamov Ka-29TB Helix

Two three-blade co-axially mounted counter-rotating main rotors, fully articulated.

Messerschmitt Bölkow-Blohm (MBB)

MBB Bo105

Four-blade hingeless main rotor with rigid titanium hub. Only articulation is roller bearings for pitch change. Two-blade semi-rigid tail rotor.

Eurocopter (MBB/Kawasaki) BK-117

Four-blade hingeless main rotor with rigid titanium hub identical to Bo105, but larger. Two-blade semi-rigid tail rotor.

McDonnell Douglas Helicopters

MD520

Fully articulated five-blade main rotor. Blades retained by laminated steel 'strap packs' NOTAR anti-torque system.

MD900 Explorer

All-composite five-blade hinge-less and bearing-less main rotor with flexbeam retention. Blade tips have parabolic sweep. NOTAR anti-torque system.

MK Helicopter

MK3

Two-blade semi-articulated main rotor with underslung rotor head. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

OKB Mil

Mil Mi-2 HOPLITE

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor. Three-blade tail rotor.

Mil Mi-4 HOUND

Four-blade fully articulated main rotor. Three-blade tail rotor.



Mi-4 HOUND

walkaround

Mil Mi-6 HOOK

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor. Four-blade tail rotor.

Mil Mi-8 HIP (Mi-9)

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor, forged and machined steel hub. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Three-blade tail rotor (starboard).



Mi-8T walkaround

Mi-8S walkaround

Mi-9 walkaround

Mil Mi-17 HIP

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor, forged and machined steel hub. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers (same as Mi-8). Three-blade tail rotor (port).

Mil Mi-24 HIND

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor, forged and machined steel hub. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers (same as Mi-8). Three-blade tail rotor (same as Mi-17)



Mi-24D walkaround

Mi-24V walkaround

Mi-24P walkaround

Mil Mi-26T HALO

Eight-blade fully articulated main rotor with titanium hub. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Five-blade tail rotor with titanium hub.



Mi-26T HALO walkaround

Mil Mi-28 HAVOC

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor with titanium hub. Hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Same design as Mi-24, but doubled hinge-offset for enhanced agility. Two independent two-blade tail rotors set as narrow X (35º/145º) on same shaft with self-lubricating bearings.

Mil Mi-35M HIND

Five-blade fully articulated main rotor (same as Mi-28). Twin two-blade scissored tail rotor (same as Mi-28).

N orthrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout

Four-blade fully-articulated main rotor (same as Schweizer Model 333) Two-blade teetering tail rotor (same as Schweizer Model 333)



MQ-8B Walkaround

NH Industries

NHI NH-90

Four-blade hingeless Spheriflex main rotor, titanium hub with elastomeric spherical thrust bearings. Blades feature swept and curved-down high-speed tips. Four-blade hingeless tail rotor with blades attached to retention ring via elastomeric bearings.



NH90 Walkaround

Piasecki

Piasecki H-21 Shawnee (Vertol V-43)

Three-blade fully articulated tandem rotors.



H-21A Shawnee Walkaround

PZL Swidnik

PZL Swidnik W-3 Sokol

Four-blade fully articulated main rotor hub. Salomon-type vibration absorbers. Three-blade tail rotor.

PZL SW-4 Puszczyk

Fully articulated three -blade main rotor. All blades are glass-fiber epoxy composite. Two-blade tail rotor.

Robinson

Robinson R-22/R-44 Beta

Two-blade semi-articulated main rotor, with tri-hinged underslung rotor head and elastic teeter hinge stop to prevent blade-boom contact when starting or stopping rotor in high winds Two-blade tail rotor.

Rotorway

Rotorway Exec 90

Semi-rigid two-blade teetering rotor with underslung hinge. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

S aunders Roe

S aunders Roe Skeeter

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor with drag-hinge friction dampers and inter-blade snubbers. Blade pitch is governed via an internal control spider at the base of the main rotor mast. Two-blade teetering tail rotor (original design was three-blade fully articulated type)

Sch iebel

Schiebel S-100 Camcopter

Two-blade main rotor with titanium hub. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

Sikorsky (Schweizer)

Schweizer 300C (Hughes Model 269/300)

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor with elastomeric dampers. Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

Sikorsky S-434

Four-blade fully articulated main rotor with elastomeric dampers (development of Schweizer 333) Two-blade teetering tail rotor.

Sikorsky

Sikorsky H-5 Dragonfly / HO3S Hoverfly (S-51)

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor. Two-blade tail rotor with teetering hinge.

Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (S-55)

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor. Two-blade tail rotor with teetering hinge.



H-19B Chickasaw

walkaround

Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw / Seabat / Seahorse (S-58)

Four-blade fully-articulated main rotor. Four-blade semi-articulated tail rotor.



H-34 Choctaw

walkaround



H-34G Seabat

walkaround

Sikorsky H-37 Mojave (S-56)

Six-blade fully articulated main rotor. Four-blade fully articulated tail rotor.



CH-37B Mojave

walkaround

Sikorsky H-3 Seaking / Pelican (S-61)

Five-blade fully-articulated and oil-lubricated main rotor with all-steel head. Five-blade semi-articulated tail rotor with aluminum blades .

Sikorsky H-52 Seaguard (S-62)

Three-blade fully articulated main rotor (same as S-55) Two-blade tail rotor with teetering hinge (same as S-55)

Sikorsky H-54 Tarhe (S-64)

Six-blade fully-articulated main rotor with aluminum blades and aluminum and steel head. Four-blade semi-articulated tail rotor with titanium head and aluminum blades.

Sikorsky CH-53G Sea Stallion (S-65)

Six-blade fully articulated main rotor with titanium and steel hub. Oil-lubricated flapping and lead-lag hinges. Hydraulically folding blades. Four-blade tail rotor.

Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low IV (S-65)

Six-blade fully articulated hinge-less main rotor with elastomeric bearings and hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Hydraulically folding blades. Four-blade tail rotor (same as CH-53G).



MH-53M

walkaround

Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk (S-70)

Four-blade hinge-less main rotor with one-piece forged titanium head internally housing elastomeric blade retention bearings (Cylindrical bearings for pitch change and spherical bearings for pitch change as well as flap and lag motion) Hydraulic drag dampers, bifilar self-tuning vibration absorbers above head. Manual blade folding. Ballistically tolerant main rotor blades feature single cold-rolled, arc-welded, and hot creep-formed tubular titanium spar, fiberglass skins, and honeycomb cores. Outer 5% of span swept back 20 degrees. Four-blade flexbeam tail rotor composed of two one-piece graphite-epoxy beams stacked between two titanium retention plates. Rotor plane tilted to port to produce lift, anti-torque thrust, and to extend permissible CG range.



UH-60A Blackhawk

walkaround

Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk / MH-60 Knighthawk (S-70)

Four-blade hinge-less main rotor with one-piece forged titanium head internally housing elastomeric blade retention bearings (Cylindrical bearings for pitch change and spherical bearings for pitch change as well as flap and lag motion) Hydraulic drag dampers, bifilar self-tuning vibration absorbers above head. Automatic electric blade folding. Ballistically tolerant main rotor blades with a single cold-rolled, arc-welded, and hot creep-formed tubular titanium spar, fiberglass skins, and honeycomb cores. Four-blade flexbeam tail rotor composed of two one-piece graphite-epoxy beams stacked between two titanium retention plates. Rotor plane tilted to port to produce lift, anti-torque thrust, and to extend permissible CG range.

Sikorsky S-92

Fully articulated four-blade hingeless main rotor with elastomeric bearings. Bi-filar self-tuning vibration absorbers. Main rotor blades with swept, tapered anhedral tips. Unlimited-life four-blade tail rotor with bearingless composite flex-beam. Pitch control links use elastomeric bearings.

Tail is rotor tilted to port to produce lift, anti-torque thrust, and to extend permissible CG range.

Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone

Same as S-92, but adding automatic electric blade folding. Same as S-92.

Sud Aviation

Sud Aviation SE3130 Alouette II (SE 313B)

Three-blade main rotor, fully articulated with hydraulic lead-lag dampers. Two-blade anti-torque tail rotor.

Swiss UAV

Swiss UAV Neo S-300

Three-blade main rotor .

Swiss UAV Koax X-240

Three-blade coaxial main rotor.

Westland

Westland WG.13 Lynx

Four-blade rigid main rotor. Hub and inboard portion of flexible blade attachment arms made from a single mono-block titanium forging. Blade pitch is controlled via 'spider' arms that protrude out of the main rotor mast below the hub. The central shaft of the 'spider' is running down the mast through the main gearbox where three hydraulic actuators connect to its lower end. Composite main rotor blades with BERP high-speed tips. Four-blade tail rotor (direction of turn reversed on later models)

Westland Sea King

Five-blade fully-articulated main rotor. Automatic, hydraulically-powered folding system Five-blade, later models six-blade tail rotor.



Sea King

walkaround