There are three main types of helicopter rotors: single rotor, dual rotor, and tilt rotor. Single rotor helicopters are the most common but have limited weight capacity. Dual rotor helicopters like the Chinook have counter-rotating rotors for control and lift. Tilt rotor helicopters can hover like a helicopter and fly fast like an airplane. Rotor blades use different mechanisms for control including feathering, flapping, and lead/lag movement. Forces on the rotor like torque and dissymmetry of lift are counteracted through techniques such as tail rotors and adjusting rotor pitch.

1. Single Rotor: Majority of helicopters are designed this way. Relatively simple way to accomplish everything you need to do. Limited weight capacity.Dual Rotor: Chinooks. Counter-rotating. Controls are more complicated. Rear rotor is yaw and pitch control, and together they are roll control.Tilt Rotor: Helicopter vertical capability combined with high speed flight. (eliminates dissymmetry of lift)Main rotating wings create lift.Feathering action: Changing the rotor pitch (angle of incidence).

2. Rolling the rotor blade side to side. Greater pitch = greater lift.

3. Will generally have a positive pitch angle, to create positive lift.Flap or Teeter: Blades going up and down. Some have each blade moving independently, others the entire rotor system teeters on center point. Used to counteract DISSYMMETRY OF LIFT.Lead/Lag or Hunt: Blades can move in/outT/T Strap: Tension torsion strapCommon blade is 3, 4 (very common), and 6 (common on larger helicopters)Types of RotorsSemi-Rigid: