Helicopters and the fundamentals of flight

[Niles_Ferrier]

Hi everyone, Well I figured out how to add kerbals to open cockpit vehicles, and this has spurred me onto certain things, but I am completely stumped on the basics of how to get a helicopter rotor to produce lift and balance. Now I know how to make a rocket or jet engine work, and I know there is a Helicopter add on at Kerbal Stuff, but I am looking to make this bird fly As is.

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss157/Niles_Ferrier/screenshot117_zpslparialk.png' alt='screenshot117_zpslparialk.png'>

Yes its the OH6 LIttlebird, or commonly known as the LOACH. The model is a free to use model, and I have set up the three main meshes (Fuselage) Tail rotor and Main Rotor, but i have absolutley no idea how to get the rotors to spin up and or provide lift and Yaw.

Maybe its asking to much?

Anyway, thanks for your consideration and in advance I apologize if this is in the wrong place.

"Niles"

[The Destroyer]

Your best bet is looking into the firespitter plugin, that's how all rotating blades are done at the moment. I'm no modder (well, no good one) but that's all I know

[Niles_Ferrier]

Yeah, well after flying the "Helicopter" made for ksp, i see a few issues, so this will be a S L O W WIP. Not to impressed with the way a helicopter handles. so I am working on a solution.

[Fizwalker]

I don't think that you necessarily have to use the parts with the firespitter.dll file (KAX uses the same .dll with it's props and the Huey... Um Kuey rotor) so you might be able to use it as a base. AJE might also be a good reference tool. Snjo might also be able to help you with your mod as well.

[Overland]

I believe this might help atleast some things.. I built this little VTOL/STOL (wont land verticly) in a few minutes.. like most of my creations it was a pure accident on a whim..

it uses KAX mod .. on my system it comes up with an incompatable warning for 1.04 firespitter.dll but everything works fine (the mod not the craft)

The aircraft uses the KAX radial propeller and I believe functions somehow with the combination of the center of gravity.. stubby wings and the propeller acting as a rotor.. all I know is it seems to work and feel more realistic than most helicopters ive flown in KSP so far..

that firespitter/KAX huey rotor.. horrible.. im sure it has its uses but when helicopters head for the sky when it hasnt even made one full turn while starting up.. Im not quite fond of it..

this radial engine though on this craft I built.. seems quite easy to fly.. throttle up.. push forward a bit to get her going.. she'll be nose heavy until 13m/s.. keep the nose level or so until a bit of height.. but once past 13m/s she levels off and floats like a butterfly and behaves alot like a helicopter

any turns are easy enough just roll in a direction.. she'll turn and right herself easyly enough without input..

landings a bit of a challenge as similar to takeoff she'll drop like a stone at anything below 12m/s....

much like her pure helicopter cousins though she'll happily kill the operator if flown in anger.. but capable of some amazingly precise manuvers.. ive landed on a helipad with it... crashed into a building.. blew the nose off but kept flying like a mosquito trapped behind a window

I cant help with the modeling and physics side of things. you'llhave to look into the configuration files of KAX for that..

I do feel though it'll give a feel for the physics you want to achieve..

let me know though id be interested in any reply or feedback

http://kerbalx.com/Overland/Skycrawler-1

ive uploaded her here.. and yeah. no need to use SAS.. I hate the thing.. if I want to fly on rails i'll fire up an arcade shooter

doesnt work without the propeller though.. wont glide.. and wont function without the wings so I dunno really whats going on

[Tontow]

I forget what the mod is called, but it angles the thrust vectors so that the center of thrust is in line with the center of mass.