Flying Objects

The helicopter

A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter derives its source of lift from the rotor blades rotating around a mast. The word 'helicopter' is adapted from the French hélicoptère, coined by Gustave de Ponton d'Amecourt in 1861.

As an aircraft, the primary advantages of the helicopter are due to the rotor blades that revolve through the air, providing lift without requiring the aircraft to move forward the way an airplane does. This creates the ability for the helicopter to take off and land vertically without the need for runways. For this reason, helicopters are often used to operate in congested or isolated areas where airplanes are generally not able to take off or land. The lift from the rotor also allows the helicopter to hover in one area for extended periods of time, and to do so more efficiently than other forms of vertical take-off and landing aircraft, making it useful in accomplishing tasks that airplanes are not able to perform.

Although helicopters were developed and built during the first half century of flight, some even reaching limited production; it wasn't until 1942 that a helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky became the first helicopter to enter full-scale production, totaling over 400 copies. Even though most previous designs utilized more than one main rotor, it was the single main rotor with antitorque tail rotor configuration of this design that would come to be recognized worldwide as the helicopter.

Vocabulary

- Aircraft: vehicle which is able to fly through the air (or through any other atmosphere).

- Lifted: mechanical force generated by solid objects as they move through a fluid.

- Rotors: the rotating armature of a motor or generator.

- Rotorcraft: category of heavier-than-air flying machines that use lift generated by wings that revolve around a mast called rotor blades.

- Fixed- wing aircraft: heavier-than-air craft where movement of the wings in relation to the aircraft is not used to generate lift.

- To take off: depart from the ground.

- To land: arrive to ground.

- To hover: hang in the air; fly or be suspended above.

- Full-scale production: Large amount of an object’s manufacture.

ACTIVITIES

I. Fill in the gaps using the following words:

Runways-Hover -Lifted- Aircraft- Rotor blades- Designs- Take off

a) As an aircraft, the primary advantages of the helicopter are due to the _________ that revolve through the air.

b) The lift from the rotor also allows the helicopter to _____ in one area for extended periods of time.

c) A helicopter is an _______ which is _______ and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors.

d) Even though most previous ________utilized more than one main rotor.

e) This creates the ability for the helicopter to ________ and land vertically without the need for __________.

I. Read each statement and decide whether it is True (T) or False (F). Justify the false ones in the provided space.

a) ____ An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly through the air (or through any other atmosphere).

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

b) ____ To take off is the same as arriving to ground.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

c) ____ Although helicopters were developed and built during the first half century of flight.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

d) ____ Rotors belong to the category of heavier-than-air flying machines that use lift generated by wings.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

e) ____ Helicopters were developed and built during the second half century of flight.

III. Read the text again and match the concepts with the definitions according to the context.

a) Propelled 1. ____ place or set apart

b) Worlwide 2. ____ turn on or around an axis or a center

c) Due to 3. ____ spanning or extending throughout the entire world

d) Isolated 4. ____ cause to move forward with force

e) Revolve 5. ____ to make up; devise; invent (a new word or phrase)

f) Coined 6. ____ Expecting or ready for something as part of a normal

course or sequence

IV. Complete the words.

a) h_ _ _ z _ _ _ _ l something that is oriented horizontally

b) c _ _ _ e _ _ _ d become or cause to become obstructed

c) e_ _ _ c _ _ _ _ _ y in an efficient manner

d) a _ _ _ _ p _ _ _ _ _ _ g carry out a task

e) f _ _ _ - s _ _ _ e large amount of an object’s manufacture.

f) c _ _ _ _ g _ _ _ _ _ _n an arrangement of parts or elements

g) a _ _ _ t _ _ _ _e Rotor consisting of a rotating airfoil on the tail of a single-

rotor helicopter

V. Choose the best option to the question.

1. What is an helicopter?

a) a means of transportation

b) a gadget

c) a kind of aircraft

d) an electronic device

2. Why helicopter is classified as rotorcraft?

a) because it have rotors.

b) because it derives its source of lift from the rotor blades rotating around a mast.

c) because it is in the group of aircrafts.

d) because Gustave de Ponton decided it.

3. One of the advantages of the helicopter is:

a) It is faster than the helicopter.

b) It is easier to use.

c) It does not need wings.

d) It can take off and land without the need for runways.

4. When helicopter were developed in full-scale?

a) In the 1940’s

b) In the 1900’s

c) In the 1950’s

d) In the 1980’s

VI. Draw the main parts of the helicopter. (at last 4)

VII. In pairs, create a short dialogue using at least 5 of the following words and expressions:

Helicopter, Aircraft, Airplane, Wings, Flight, Take off, Air, Hover, Lift, To land, To hover, Runways.

Appendix

Key Answers

I. a) rotor blades

b) hover

c) aircraft, lifted

d) designs

e) take off-runways

II. a) T

b) F

c) T

d) F

e) F

III. a) 4

b) 3

c) 6

d) 1

e) 2

f) 5

IV. a) horizontal

b) congested

c) efficiently

d) accomplishing

e) full – scale

f) configuration

g) antitorque

V. 1) c

2) b

3) d

4) a

BY CONSTANZA FARFÁN AND SOFFIA CARBONE B.