Helicopters and rotor blades

WBWilder · #1 September 22nd, 2005, 02:56 AM

I can't find a post about this and I'm not sure where to ask, but this seems the logical place.

I'm noticing some of the Huey helicopters in the choice of units have 3 rotor blades and sometimes 4.

In all my reading and picture perusing, I've never seen a Huey with more than two rotor blades. But then I don't know it all and it may be that I have missed this point.

Did some UH-1 helicopters come with 3 or 4 rotor blades?

Any Huey experts out there to clarify?

WB

Pyros · #2 September 22nd, 2005, 06:14 AM

WB,

The UH-1Y Iroquois (Huey) has a common four-bladed, composite, hingeless, bearingless main rotor.

cheers,
Pyros

Weeble · #3 September 22nd, 2005, 07:08 AM

Technically the Huey has always had four 'blades', two of aerofoil section, and two shorter counter-weight balances at right angles to them. This was just Bell's patent system though. As Pyros said the new USMC UH-1Y has the same 'proper' four bladed rotor as the AH-1Z version of the AH1-W SuperCobra.

I've never seen a 3 bladed Huey version though (except in crash photos!)

See:

http://my.core.com/~campholloway/stage1.html

P10 lower right!

Andy "Weeble" Weaver

WBWilder · #4 September 22nd, 2005, 02:01 PM

Live and learn! Thanks for the responses. It is so strange that I've never see a photo of a Huey with four blades. I have seen the smaller blades Weeble speaks of.

Back in the plastic modeling days, I did a number of Hueys, transport and gunship types.

Oh well, I'm clear on this now. Forgive my ignorance and thanks for the answers.

WB

WBWilder · #5 September 28th, 2005, 01:00 AM

Not casting doubt on anyone here. I am convinced you all kow whereof you speak, but I have searched and searched and have yet to find a picture of a four bladed (all four blades equal length from their connecting point with the rotor drive).

Would someone find me a picture like that? Then this tiny question mark in my head would go away. I was mistaken about seeing a three bladed prop in the game so I am most likely wrong here. Just help ease my mind. Thank you.

Talk to me, vets. Have you seen one?
Wild Bill

Pyros · #6 September 28th, 2005, 04:20 AM

WB,

"...New four-bladed all-composite, ballistically tolerant main and tail rotor systems are the most noticeable changes that have been made...."

Here is a link for the BELL company:
UH-1Y

cheers,
Pyros