Transcript -- Large, high speed military helicopters  test the limits of aerodynamics. Their rotors use cutting edge blade technology and design.

The physical world: helicopters - for iPod/iPhone

Transcript -- Modern rotor blades

The physical world: helicopters

Transcript -- An introduction to this album

Transcript -- The physical world: helicopters

Marie and Tracey from the Royal Berkshire Ambulance Unit find out how helicopter rotors work.

How helicopters fly

Transcript -- Marie and Tracey from the Royal Berkshire Ambulance Unit find out how helicopter rotors work.

Transcript -- How helicopters fly

How rotor blades are constructed to cut through the air and keep the helicopter off the ground.

Traditional rotor blades

Transcript -- How rotor blades are constructed to cut through the air and keep the helicopter off the ground.

Transcript -- Traditional rotor blades

Large, high speed military helicopters  test the limits of aerodynamics. Their rotors use cutting edge blade technology and design.

Modern rotor blades

The tail rotor keeps the helicopter from rotating. The cyclic stick is responsible for speed, direction and altitude control.

Controlling a helicopter

Transcript -- The tail rotor keeps the helicopter from rotating. The cyclic stick is responsible for speed, direction and altitude control.

Transcript -- Controlling a helicopter

Education

Want to learn to fly a helicopter? In this album Royal Berkshire Ambulance pilots show two complete beginners the ropes. Normally, Marie and Tracey dispatch air ambulances, now they find out how to fly one. The five video tracks offer a hands-on explanation of the science and engineering behind helicopter flight.  They show how rotors help this tonne of metal take off, change direction and gain speed. They explain the difference between traditional and cutting edge military technology, and demonstrate what happens in an emergency landing. This material forms part of the course S207 The physical world.