# Why hasn't helicopter control methods improved? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694 "2004-09-23T15:59:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/61 "2004-09-28T15:28:41Z")
A lot of the engineering of helicopter flight seems to be devoted to cancelling torque; hence the tail rotor or other structures to add a counteracting force. Why not have contra-rotating coaxial rotors in all choppers? From everything I’ve read, this design is easier to fly and more maneuverable. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/62 "2004-09-28T15:30:12Z")
Good grief, I got bumped by **flight** answering my very quesito. _Creepy_… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/63 "2004-09-28T15:57:15Z")
Hmmm. Now I gotta wonder. The Russian [KA-50](http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/ka-50.htm) appears to have superior airspeed and maneuverability to the [Apache](http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/ah64d/ah64dtech.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/64 "2004-09-29T00:25:47Z")
The [Kaman HOK-1 Huskie](http://www.rotors.org/hok/hok.htm) turned out to be a very stable aircraft with its intermeshing rotor system. I’ve heard, but do not have a cite, that it was deemed “too stable” for flight training. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/65 "2004-09-29T12:03:41Z")
Remember, I am not dismissing coaxial, or at least tandem rotor systems, just those that do not use any cyclic pitch. All of the problems I descibed above disappear when you introduce cyclic pitch (though some new ones arise). Remember, no flying aircraft I am aware of (besides the airscooter) uses CG motion for control, they all use some form of cyclic (even if it doesn’t go through a swahplate). ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/66 "2004-09-29T19:36:29Z")
> [@flight](#): > > …or at least tandem rotor systems… Thanks for your excellent expositions! Just wondering, do the controls for, say, a Chinook, differ significantly from a more conventional rotor+tail rotor design? ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694/67 "2004-10-04T19:48:45Z")
They are designed to have the same basic controls from a pilot’s perspective. They certainly handle different, but much of this is just due to the size, not necessarily the fact that there are two rotors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-helicopter-control-methods-improved/265694.md?page=3)