2006-09-28 19:15:13 · 6 answers · asked by syrious 5 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
When a helicopter blade chops thru the air, the tip is actually moving past the speed of sound. So as each rotor tip passes between you ant the hub of the blades, it is creating a sonic boom. What you are hearing are thousands of sonic booms every minute. Because they tend to pass more rapidly than your ears can pick out, you hear a "chop chop chop". Some makes, especially Sikorsky's, have a tendency to sound like a Kenworth tractor trailer flying ovehead b.c the engines are more powerful, and therefore the blades move more rapidly, not to mention the longer rotor blades.
2006-09-28 19:29:44 · answer #1 · answered by Angela M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you hear is the rotor, not the engine which is now mainly a jet engine anyway, only the pre. 1970's mid size helicopters have a internal combustion engine, and the small one person giro- copters, which still you will hear the beat of the main rotor
2006-09-28 19:30:06 · answer #2 · answered by Kitt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sound you hear is the rotor cutting through the air. It depends on the type of helicopter, but generally speaking the rotors are fairly large and displace a lot of air as they rotate.
2006-09-28 19:18:24 · answer #3 · answered by Charlie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most helicopters today are turbo-prop engines adapated for chopper use. The sound you hear is the blades beating the air.
2006-09-28 19:18:55 · answer #4 · answered by christopher s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the better question here is how does a helicopter actually fly
2006-09-28 19:22:46 · answer #5 · answered by mr_oilfield_78 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if your talking about a huue it's the air poping off the chopper from the blades
2006-09-28 19:20:10 · answer #6 · answered by real answers 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋