Helicopters Key Terms

Learn crucial terminology relating to helicopters

By Cathy Salustri

Even if you know about airplanes and the mechanics of how they fly, you may not know much about helicopters and how they work. Helicopters are aircraft, as are airplanes, but the principles for how they fly differ slightly from airplanes.

Helicopters also have their own unique terminology. Without knowing the key terms spoken in the world of helicopters, it's hard to understand how helicopters work. Here are a few definitions of some helicopter terminology to help you.

Rotorcraft

A rotorcraft refers to any aircraft with rotating wings. Although all helicopters are rotorcraft, not all rotorcrafts are helicopters.
Try: To understand the differences between helicopters and other types of rotorcrafts, read the full definition of a rotorcraft at the website for Information Superbrand.

Anti-torque

Anti-torque is the force that keeps the helicopter from twirling in circles as it flies. The anti-torque rotor at the helicopter's tail prevents the main rotor on top of the helicopter from spinning out of control.
Try: Visit FlightSimBooks.com, which has an excellent article about anti-torque rotors, to learn more. The website offers diagrams to accompany its explanations.

Jesus nut

It may sound like a joke, but the Jesus nut is quite serious. It's the nut that holds the main rotors on a helicopter.
Try: The Helicopter Page defines Jesus nut, and it also has a diagram that illustrates how this helicopter part relates to the rest of the rotor assembly on a helicopter.

Cyclic control

In order to fly a helicopter, you need to know how to operate the cyclic control. A helicopter's cyclic control helps the pilot control the pitch and flight path of the helicopter.
Try: To better understand how cyclic controls work, read more at Aerospaceweb.org. This website has diagrams accompanying its explanations of cyclic controls and the related parts needed for flying a helicopter.

Skids

Skids are the long skinny things that a helicopter lands on. Helicopters rely on skids instead of wheels.
Try: The Helicopter History Site, Helis.com, explains what skids are, how they work and what advantages they have over wheels when it comes to helicopters.

Autorotation

Autorotation occurs when the helicopter cannot supply power to the main rotors, but the helicopter's rotors continue to rotate.
Try: The website for The Willis Law Firm, named HelicopterCrashes.com, explains autorotation and how it works. The definition also includes illustrations of a helicopter in autorotation.