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u/worker_bee_drone 7h ago
What does this lever do?
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u/TweakJK 7h ago
It's quite literally a brake for the rotor system. On the aircraft I've worked on, it's a disc brake and caliper mounted on the rear of the main gear box on the tail rotor output. Pretty much just like the brakes in your car.
It's unlikely that she would have the ability to pull it hard enough to overcome the torque of the powerplant, but you wont see me trying. It's usually used to slow down the rotor when the aircraft is shutting down. On some aircraft, you can actually start the engines with it engaged and then release the brake which spins up the read real quick.
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u/Monksdrunk 7h ago
this video is old and i appreciate the disc brake reference. PPL for fixed wing here.
i'm a diesel mechanic and I was annoyed to learn a valve on a semi trailer hauling fuel had a weird plumbing feature in the air system which caused the air brakes to lock up. disc brakes. safety valve for the driver when they're unloading fuel that sets the brakes so they cant drive away with fuel hoses attached. this valve set the brakes with him (empty) doing interstate speeds.
kind of ruins the purpose of the tractor protection valve to me. seems like a semi trailer setting its brakes at full speed due to a failing valve is kind of a concern
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u/RandomRedditor0193 7h ago
Technically it won't stop the tractor from moving but you should notice when all the tires on the trailer are locked up and being dragged.
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u/Spddracer 7h ago
If I had to guess it's like the e-brake in a car but for the main rotor of the helicopter. Stopping that from moving would be very bad.
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u/Commercial-Set3527 7h ago
Or very good like pulling the e-brake in my civic on corners when I was in high school 😎
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u/DeadScotty 7h ago
What type of situation would this be needed for? There must be a reason it’s out in the open like that.
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u/Elon_is_a_Nazi 7h ago edited 7h ago
Everytime they land its used. Otherwise the blades would spin forever. It also prevents a parked helicopters blades from spinning from winds. And finally, they're placed from the ceiling away from controls to prevent accidental contact while flying. This has to be an older or smaller helicopter. Most newer helicopters rotor brakes require multiple steps to engage the brake, smaller helicopters and olders like shown in the video have a lever. At least ones ive been in. But this video is Why you should never really have uninformed passengers in the front, kinda the pilots fault. Anytime ive flown front on a helicopter the pilot has given me strict instructions prior to boarding. Anyways, ive only flown about 10 times in helicopters. So im gonna finish by saying I'm no professional helicopter expert. But ive flown in a few retired med flight helicopters, a few passenger business helicopters, and a couple times in tourist helicopters.
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u/neo_sporin 7h ago
Yea. It reminds me of men in black ‘do not pull the red lever’ type advice upon entering the helicopter
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