Rotary Club

[Roger the Cabin Boy]

I'm doing a six bladed rotor head for a Super Frelon, which being large, needs jazzing up a bit.  Anyone technical out there who happens to know what the colour coding would be for a six blader?  I'm guessing red/blue/green/yellow/black/white...?

:ar:  

[GTX]

Roger,

You had me there for a moment - I thought you were talking about Rotary International (yes, I am a member) when I read the title.

As for the colour coding, I'm afraid I can't help - I work with helicopters and wasn't even aware of a colour coding requirement.  

Regards,

Greg

[Radish]

When the RN had the first Hoverfly in the late '40s, they chalked the tip of each blade in a different colour. Then after starting the rotors whirling, two hefty seamen with a canvas screen stretched between them walked closer to the rotors until the attendant CPO told them to stop....slight adjustments of "forward an inch" or so until the rotor tips touched the canvas.
After the marks had been made, adjustments were done to the rotors until the whole thing was balanced, repeating the process until it was done.
This story from a guy who held the canvas!

Health and Safety?        

[RotorheadTX]

Working out the precise balancing of a rotor must be a tricky job.   Must be trial and error?

In the old days it was a lot of creative engineering - scary stories about people sticking paintbrushes on broomhandles up until they brushed a stripe on the lowest blade, etc.
Nowadays it's all done with strobes and fancy camera gear, or lasers and interferometers. Safer, for certain, but it takes all the 'excitement' out of the job.    

[MCS]

I'm doing a six bladed rotor head for a Super Frelon, which being large, needs jazzing up a bit.  Anyone technical out there who happens to know what the colour coding would be for a six blader?  I'm guessing red/blue/green/yellow/black/white...?

:ar:

The order I've seen is: red/blue/yellow/green/white/black with the red blade being that which is nearest to a rotating scissor.

On fielded aircraft, I've seen the markings (usually a 1/2-inch or so stripe) applied to any one or more of the following: hub arm, blade cuff, spindle, damper, and pitch control rod.

HTH,
Mike