Environment Problems Affecting Helicopter Engine Operation

Abstract

One of the advantages of the helicopter is to be able to undertake in roles, which for other vehicles would prove to be difficult and even impractical. When performing flying crane duties, rescue flights or military operations, it has to fly very close to the ground or the sea, land on unprepared fields and this, in open country, in the mountains or in the desert. It is, relative to the fixed wing aircraft, what the “Jeep” is to a passenger car, and due to this, it has more acute environment problems than other types of aircraft. The engines, being one of the more vulnerable components, must be protected against the attack of the environment. This subject being very large, it will be limited to three environment problems which are the most important for helicopter engines: salt spray, dust and ice. The solutions — adopted by Sud Aviation, in close collaboration with Turbomeca, for its helicopters — are presented. The case of piston engines, we shall deal with gas turbine engines only.