Aircraft General Knowledge - Helicopter
Systems you must know
The helicopter has a powerplant, a main transmission, a tail rotor drive system, and a rotor head with its controls. Understand the three flight controls: cyclic (tilt of the rotor disc), collective (blade pitch and therefore total lift), and anti-torque pedals (tail rotor thrust and yaw). Know that the swashplate converts non-rotating control inputs into rotating blade pitch changes, and that the freewheeling unit (one-way clutch) allows the rotor to keep turning if the engine stops.
Engine and limitations
For a piston engine, know carburettor icing risk, mixture control, and magneto checks. For a turbine, know that it is governed to maintain rotor RPM. Every type has limitations in its flight manual: maximum continuous power, transient power limits (often time-limited), rotor RPM limits (a green arc with a narrow range), and VNE. Exceeding transient limits or rotor RPM limits is a classic exam item.
Traps
Questions confuse the collective with the throttle, or claim the cyclic changes blade pitch collectively. Another trap: the tail rotor does not only counter torque - it also provides directional control. Watch for items on the mast bumping hazard and on rotor brake use.
Worked example
If rotor RPM exceeds the upper limit in autorotation, the pilot must manage pitch to restore RPM into the green arc; the same logic applies to any RPM exceedance - correct with collective, not with cyclic.