User Guide

LONGBOW 2
3.4
Angle of Incidence
Angle of incidence refers to the angle of the blades with respect to the plane of
rotation of the rotor disc. This angle is strictly mechanical and is not affected by
differences in airflow. This is the angle that the pilot alters with flight controls.
The
collective alters the angle of incidence of all of the blades to the same
degree at the same time. The
cyclic control changes the blades’ angles of inci-
dence differentially at various points along the path of rotation, causing the plane
of the entire rotor disc to tilt. (If the pilot pushes the cyclic forward, the angle of
incidence of the blades is greater when they are passing over the tail than it is
when they are passing over the nose. This tilts the entire rotor disc forward.)
See Collective Stick and Cyclic Stick, pp. 4.2 - 4.3.
Rotor disc plane of rotation
Angle of incidence is
unaffected by airflow
Angle of
incidence