Quote:
|
Helicopters exhibit a form of lift (I cannot remember the term "translational") when operating right above ground level (what make hover craft possible). So, do subs running close to the bottom shallows also experience a form of pressure lift from the bottom?
|
I think you are mixing two things ... one is the Ground Effect from bottom up to a certain altitude (exact numbers depend on helo) where the downwash from the helo creates additional lift and thus a helo might be able to hover while overweight but as soon as he leaves the cushion by going to high or going forward he goes down (unless the pilot is extremly good and the helo has some hidden power reserves).
The other is Translational lift ... The additional lift a helicopter gains as it moves from hovering into forward flight due to the increased efficiency of the rotor system.
Some good stuff on helos ..."Learning to fly helicopters" and "Chickenhawk".