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Hmmm... well I know this is off topic and if Frank wants he can not let
this through; but Greg, your understanding of helicopter aerodynamics is
off a just little bit.

Greg R. wrote:

> The Eurocopter (French) models are designed to rotate in the opposite
> direction of most of the ones from North America, and (without going

Fine.  ALL the U.S. helicopters I have flown had left main rotor
rotation.  The primary issue of main rotor rotation direction is to have
a tail rotor design that counteracts main rotor torque.  In short, the
purpose of the tail rotor is to counteract main rotor rotational torque.

> into a lot of nitty-gritty detail) the pilot sits on the left side to
> balance out the forces from the tail rotor (plus the fact that the main

Well the devil is in the details isn't it.  Whoa... I don't buy the
pilot sits on the left side to "balance out the forces of the tail
rotor"... this is just wrong.  There are two pilots seats left and right
and there location in the airframe only deals with the best position
fore and aft for weight and balance around the CG of the airframe and
has nothing to do with "balancing tail rotor forces".

> rotor is tilted slightly to compensate for the sideways thrust of the
> tail rotor) - otherwise the 'copter would hover with one skid low on
> the side that the main rotor was tilted towards.

Most modern helicopter designs have a main rotor shaft that is slightly
tilted to counteract aircraft drift in a hover.  This main rotor tilt
does little to prevent the helo from hovering with one skid low.  In all
left rotating main rotor helos the left skid will be low in a hover
hence the "pilot" position is on the right side because this position is
"higher" and that "pilot seat" has better visibility forward in a hover.
  If the french helo has right main rotor rotation then that helo hovers
right skid low and the "pilot" position would then be on the left
because this is the "higher" seat in a hover.  The only helo that
doesn't hover with one skid low is one that has counter-rotating main
rotors and then there is NO tail rotor as it isn't needed.

--Scott

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