Can Helicopters Use Propellers Like Gyrocopters for Lift?

AI Thread Summary
Helicopters rely on rotor blades for lift and control, making the addition of a propeller unnecessary and overly complex. While gyrocopters use a propeller for thrust and rely on airflow for rotor lift, helicopters achieve sufficient forward speed with their existing rotor system. The primary limitation on helicopter speed is not the propulsion but rather the rotor design and aerodynamics. Therefore, substituting rotor blades with a propeller would not yield significant advantages. The discussion highlights the fundamental differences in design and operation between helicopters and gyrocopters.
majid hussain
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I have a doubt that instead of the rotor blades in the helicopter why can't we use a propeller for thrust producing
 
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Do you mean a propeller in addition to the rotor blades? If so, why? It would increase complexity and not provide any significant benefit. The rotor already provides a means of control, including relatively high speed forwards flight, so there isn't much to be gained from adding additional propulsion (the limiting factor on forward speed of most helicopters is not the amount of propulsion available).
 
majid hussain said:
I have a doubt that instead of the rotor blades in the helicopter why can't we use a propeller for thrust producing
This is how autogyro or gyrocopters work, the propeller provides thrust to drive the gyrocopter forwards, and the air flowing through the main rotor causes it to spin and produce lift, so the main rotor is not powered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro
 

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