contactflying wrote:8GCBC, you should explain how the swashplate changes non-rotating collective and cyclic control movement into rotating collective and cyclic control movement and how important all that stuff is up there for safety and control of flight.

FAA-H-8083-21B
Helicopter Flying Handbook

Swash Plate Assembly
The purpose of the swash plate is to convert stationary control inputs from the pilot into rotating inputs which can be connected to the rotor blades or control surfaces. It consists of two main parts: stationary swash plate and rotating swash plate. [Figure 4-11]

The stationary swash plate is mounted around the main rotor mast and connected to the cyclic and collective controls by a series of pushrods. It is restrained from rotating by an anti- drive link but can tilt in all directions and move vertically. The rotating swash plate is mounted to the stationary swash plate by means of a uniball sleeve. It is connected to the mast by drive links and must rotate in constant relationship with the main rotor mast. Both swash plates tilt and slide up and down as one unit. The rotating swash plate is connected to the pitch horns by the pitch links.

tcj wrote:This thread reminds me of an incident where an Oregon State Department of Wildlife helicopter lost a collective control rod bolt in flight. Afterwords we referred to a leatherman tool as a helicopter repair kit.

https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/sav ... rman-tool/