A Quiet Helicopter is a real conflict in terms. Stuff whirling, vibrating, and roaring. But, apparently, with some DARPA money and prodding from law enforcement, Hughes did create a quiet OH-6A Loach. They also learned that if you increased the number of blades in the tail rotor you could slow down its speed and the concommitant noise. Brilliant, eh? (Well no, not exactly.) None of the things they did, including lead patches to dampen vibration (done all the time on general aviation airplanes), is new, but they sold the program to some bureaucrat who didn't know and got Federal money for it.
This all is news to me, but it's an excellent story in AIR&SPACE Magazine. See it here.
About Me
- Derf
- I live in the Florida Keys. I've been in the military and worked inside the Beltway. I've had 22 technical books and two novels published. I fly, boat, dive, shoot, and swim pretty damn well.
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