The Engineering of Helicopter Flight

Helicopters are basically fighting physics every second they stay in the air.

If you fly too fast, the retreating blade literally runs out of lift and the whole machine wants

to flip over, which is why we need flapping hinges to balance everything out.

The engine screams at a wild eight thousand RPM, but the gearbox has to crush that

down to just four hundred or the rotor would disintegrate. Some modern choppers don't even use a

tail rotor anymore, they just shoot air out the back using the NOTAR system to keep you

safe on the ground. It is honestly terrifying how much engineering goes into just keeping these things from

spinning out of control.