Can a helicopter fly upside down for some distance ? Be it the real one and also the model one ?

Answer 1

The rotors are able to be tilted on a helicopter, so they can be actually tilted below horizontal if it is designed that way to be able to do so. Sort of like some biplanes can fly upside down. But that takes LOADS of power because the airfoil is terribly inefficient that way. But let's assume you can generate sufficient power and design it so it would work. That would be a big task in and of itself.
It adds a whole dimension to the problem of gyroscopic action of the rotor and tail when you're talking about inverting. That's an engineering dilemma in and of itself.
But if you could accomplish the above, and I imagine that could be done, you still have this nagging problem of now that the helicopter is upside down you have the center of mass of the helicopter above the rotors, which is inherently unstable. A human could not possibly balance the thing upside down, it would take computer-controlled flight, sort of like what they use with unstable inverted wings on jet aircraft, to pull that off. Helicopters have done rolls and inverts, but none has truly been flown upside down for a reasonable distance, let's say 1 mile.
If someone had the time, the money, and the incentive to do it, I don't see why it should be impossible from an engineering perspective, just no one has tackled the problem. Assuming the helicopter also has to be able to function normally in "regular" flight, your biggest problems would be:
1) additional power
2) rotor design that is allows inversion of the rotor
3) overcoming gyroscopic obstacles (control issues)
4) and let's see......control, control, and....oh, yes....control

Answer 2

It is not possible for a helicopter to fly upside down because unlike a n airplane a helicopter is not shaped to conform to the constant changing wind currents.An airplane is created so it is able to glide like a kite when it is flying so less gasoline is consumed. However helicopters are built to simply keep the aircraft in the air and it has no other purposes. helicopters, however can be tilted to a 35 degree angle and sometimes 60 with an extremely meticulous pilot.

Answer 3

If either a chopper or fixed-wing aircraft flies upside down, it has negative lift. In other words it is being dragged down faster than a lead balloon would fall under gravity, so you can only do it for a short time. A chopper is top-heavy. If you ditch it in the sea, it quickly capsizes, so you might have difficulty turning it the right way up again. Most petrol engines can only keep going upside down for a few seconds because the fuel intake from the tank is near the bottom of the tank. But most chopper motors are gas turbines. I don't know much about them but I'd guess that their fuel intake is in a similar position.

Answer 4

I've seen a real helicopter fly upside down. So I am going to say yes on this one.

Answer 5

No a helecoptor can't fly upside down. It has to have the lift produced from it's rotor which can't reverse direction as say a ceiling fan. Therefore it would have the glide pattern of a rock, lol. Tex

Answer 6

Depends on the helicopter. But yes some can, and models often hover while inverted. Answer is easily googled too. "inverted helicopter" they (google) have a video of a model doing exactly this.

Answer 7

There's a picture in this month's Maxim magazine of a helicopter doing rolls and stuff at an Air Show. ITs possible just not for very long periods of time.

Answer 8

They can roll and do loops, but they can't fly upside down in a straight line.

Answer 9

Yes, in space. Unless it`s that bitchen one from the movie Blue Thunder with Roy Scheider, The Shark owner.

Answer 10

no. the chopper would have to use the technique used to decrease altitude when right-sided to increase altitude/maintain altitude when upside-down. since this technique is by slowing prop speed it wouldnt keep the chopper aloft. anyway you look at it, the chopper's going down.