Throttle adjustments vs. reality?

[Sholtz]

So I just got done reading Chickenhawk and I noticed more than once it was mentioned how important it is to adjust the throttle whenever changing the collective. However in game it doesn't seem to matter - at startup just ramp it to 100% and leave it there.

 

Is there an aspect I am missing in that I should also learn to adjust throttle along with collective, or is this not modeled in game? Everything I have read and seen so far just has it at 100% and never touched so I am curious about this aspect.

[GunfighterSIX]

So I just got done reading Chickenhawk and I noticed more than once it was mentioned how important it is to adjust the throttle whenever changing the collective. However in game it doesn't seem to matter - at startup just ramp it to 100% and leave it there.

 

Is there an aspect I am missing in that I should also learn to adjust throttle along with collective, or is this not modeled in game? Everything I have read and seen so far just has it at 100% and never touched so I am curious about this aspect.

 

The Huey has a governor that controls the throttle/rotor RPM for you. Army training helicopters at the time did not have this, and you were required to manual control RPM. He might have been talking about those aircraft. There are some EP's (emergency procedures) with the Huey that require you to manual control the throttle, but for normal flight you leave it at 100%.

 

This is from the UH-1h manual.

 

"c. Power Controls (Throttles). Rotating the pilot or

copilot twist grip-type throttle (fig 2-5) to the full open

position allows the overspeed governor to maintain a

constant rpm. Rotating the throttle toward the closed

position will cause the rpm to be manually selected

instead of automatically selected by the overspeed

governor. Rotating the throttle to the fully closed position

shuts off the fuel. An idle stop Is incorporated in the

throttle to prevent inadvertent throttle closure. To bypass

the idle detent press the IDLE REL switch and close the

throttle. The IDLE REL switch is a momentary on,

solenoid-operated switch. The IDLE REL switch is

located on the pilot collective stick switch box. IDLE REL

switch receives power from the 28 Vdc bus and is

protected by a circuit breaker marked IDLE STOP REL.

Friction can be induced in both throttles by rotating the

pilot throttle function ring counterclockwise (fig 2-5). The

ring is located on the upper end of the pilot throttle."

Edited September 26, 2015 by GunfighterSIX

[Sholtz]

The Huey has a governor that controls the throttle/rotor RPM for you. Army training helicopters at the time did not have this, and you were required to manual control RPM. He might have been talking about those aircraft. There are some EP's (emergency procedures) with the Huey that require you to manual control the throttle, but for normal flight you leave it at 100%.

 

This is from the UH-1h manual.

 

"c. Power Controls (Throttles). Rotating the pilot or

copilot twist grip-type throttle (fig 2-5) to the full open

position allows the overspeed governor to maintain a

constant rpm. Rotating the throttle toward the closed

position will cause the rpm to be manually selected

instead of automatically selected by the overspeed

governor. Rotating the throttle to the fully closed position

shuts off the fuel. An idle stop Is incorporated in the

throttle to prevent inadvertent throttle closure. To bypass

the idle detent press the IDLE REL switch and close the

throttle. The IDLE REL switch is a momentary on,

solenoid-operated switch. The IDLE REL switch is

located on the pilot collective stick switch box. IDLE REL

switch receives power from the 28 Vdc bus and is

protected by a circuit breaker marked IDLE STOP REL.

Friction can be induced in both throttles by rotating the

pilot throttle function ring counterclockwise (fig 2-5). The

ring is located on the upper end of the pilot throttle."

 

Oh thats right, the govener! Forgot about that - explains it. Thanks!

[Sholtz]

So I guess this means, if one desired to replicate the true Vietnam era Huey experience (for whatever reason) turning off the governor and manually controlling the throttle would do the trick as far as flight characteristics go :)

[Body Farm]

I remember him writing about throttle adjustment in his early helicopters like the Hiller and H-19, but can't remember if he also wrote it on the Huey?

[AlphaOneSix]

If you want to pretend that your Huey is not a Huey, but instead is some other helicopter with a manual throttle...then yes, you should disable the governor (I wouldn't, but then again I'm a big wuss). All version of the UH-1 had the automatic governor.

 

In fact, I don't know of any turbine-powered helicopter where manual throttle control is normal operation. (Doesn't mean there isn't one, of course.)

[WildBillKelsoe]

A great book to understand for beginners alot of aspects of helicopter control would be Helicopter Pilot's Manual part 1 through 3 by Norman Bailey.

 

He explains that throttle (rotator) must jump ahead of collective (lever) to give enough fuel for the engine, otherwise, it will not develop the required thrust to cope with the changing angle of attack the main rotor is producing by the collective, thus causing an increased rotor drag. But this is not the case with our Huey as this has an automated governor (cam) which does this only if throttle is 100% (324 RPM).

Hence the need to keep throttle at full increase (outward of your thigh) so the governor can work as intended.

 

 

You could of course do it like for example Robinson 22 models by flicking the governor emergency on (the triangular switch), and control throttle manually. Just keep in mind this requires practice.

 

He explains 2 types of throttle management; correlated and uncorrelated.

Edited September 27, 2015 by WildBillKelsoe

[WildBillKelsoe]

Also keep in mind that his crew chief modified the engine to carry more GW than factory.