Helicopters can be found in the aviation fleet of any country in the world. They differ in size, type and purpose. They also have different chassis - wheeled and skid (there is also a float, but we will not touch on it in this article). A helicopter, unlike an airplane, is capable of landing even on a small piece of land. Rotary-wing aircraft are successfully used not only for civil and military needs. They are in demand both in medical aviation and among rescuers and firefighters. Why do some helicopters have a wheeled chassis, while others have a skid landing gear - we will try to figure it out with you.
1. Wheels to wheels of strife
The first helicopter models, which were created by designers in different countries of the world, had a wheeled takeoff and landing device. The rotorcraft took off and landed like an airplane - with a takeoff. Technological progress allowed engineers to modernize the designs of their offspring. Attention was also paid to the take-off and landing device. After all, it depended on him not only how the helicopters would take off from the runway, but also how they would then land on it. With the help of the chassis, the rotorcraft themselves moved around the sites, and they were also towed. In addition, the depreciation of the flying machine during landing depended on the design of the take-off and landing device. Especially on rough terrain.
In the modern world, the scheme of a wheeled chassis with a front strut has become widespread. The design allows the helicopters to maintain good directional stability when they take off for takeoff or take off after landing. Another advantage of such a wheeled device is that the rotorcraft can land relatively safely in poor weather or visibility.
Considering that helicopters are mainly used for the transportation of goods, then the wheeled chassis can reduce the load on the propeller. After all, the device enables the car to accelerate like an airplane. And as a bonus, wheeled helicopters can land horizontally with minimal risk of losing control.
Note that most Russian helicopters have a wheel-based takeoff and landing device. Such models are found in both military and civil aviation. Things are a little different in Western countries, including the United States. There, the overwhelming majority of rotary-wing vehicles have a different chassis - skid. This system also has its advantages.
2. Why does a helicopter need runners
One of the main and main advantages of a runner takeoff and landing device is the cost and ease of maintenance. The production costs of helicopter skis are much less than those of wheels. In addition, the runners are lighter. They are easier to mount and dismantle in case of damage.
The indisputable advantage of the strip landing gear is the possibility of landing the rotorcraft in the territory, which, shall we say, is fatal to the wheels. As an example, a swampy area. Therefore, if the helicopter is used for takeoff and landing in hard-to-reach areas, then a skid landing gear is installed on it.
By the way, the skis of the rotorcraft help to distribute the load evenly over a larger area. Some runner designs are also designed for a hard fit. But, as they say, you can't do without a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. The skid landing gear does not allow the helicopter to make a horizontal landing. There is a great risk that the rotorcraft will catch its skis on some obstacle. As a result, the car will simply turn over. The skid device will not cope with the takeoff run like an airplane. Therefore, helicopters with such a landing gear carry out only vertical take-off and landing. Although on modern models, a wheelbase can also be installed in parallel with the runners. With the help of a special device - a crank, the wheels are lowered below the skis. And the helicopter can already be towed or moved around the site.
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3. Why helicopters with a wheeled landing gear prevail in Russia, and in the West with a skid landing gear
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of a chassis with a wheelbase and runners, it becomes clear why helicopters have different takeoff and landing devices. So, if a rotorcraft is designed to transport goods or transport a large number of people, then wheels are installed, and skids are installed on lightweight helicopters.
Why, in the countries of the West and the USA, rotary-wing aircraft with a skid device prevail, and in Russia with a wheelbase, it is easy to explain. At the dawn of the helicopter industry in the United States, the development of the corresponding infrastructure started. Helipads for vertical take-off and landing began to be massively designed.
Things were quite different in the Soviet Union. In those days, helicopters were designed for use on airplane runways (it was believed that this would be more economically beneficial). Therefore, the chassis was designed for them wheeled. Although, another explanation of this phenomenon is not excluded.
What do you think about why helicopters with a wheeled landing gear prevail in some countries, and in others with a skid landing gear?
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