The Amusing Helicopter
Once upon a time there was an amusement park where you could go for a ride in a helicopter.
Oh, it was a wonderful ride, because they let you fly the helicopter yourself.
Or I should say yourselves.
You see, these were specially designed helicopters, custom-made for the amusement park.
Some were two-seaters, and some were three-seaters. There were no one-seater helicopters in this amusement park. You'll soon understand why.
It was easy to spot the two-seater helicopters, because they had two rotor blades, 180° apart. And the three-seater helicopters had three rotor blades, spaced 120° apart, just as one would expect.
What made these amusement park helicopters special was how the controls worked. The pilot sitting in a given seat only controlled the pitch angle of one of the blades. Each pilot controlled the pitch angle of a different blade. That's why the two-seater helicopters had two blades and the three-seater models had three blades.
Now if you know anything about helicopters (or airplane or ship propellers), you know that the pitch or bite angle of the blade determines how big a slice of air it grabs as it whirls around. If you 'feather' the blade, you set the pitch angle to zero, and it has no 'bite' at all. If you set the pitch angle to 90°, the blades would just churn up the air without generating any lift or propulsion. The pitch angle has to be set to some ideal value for the propeller to do its job.
In the amusement park, most of the visitors who go on the helicopter ride don't know very much about flying a chopper. They have no idea what pitch angle to set their blade to.
But what makes the ride fun is that each pilot is independently controlling just one of the two or three blades. So, unless they are coordinated, they typically have the various blades set to different pitch angles.
And as you might expect, this unbalances the helicopter and prevents it from flying very well, if it flies at all.
Mostly, the chopper just sits on the ground, bouncing spastically, shaking and shimmying, and going nowhere.
The operator of the helicopter ride never explains to the visitors how to coordinate their piloting to uniformly set all the rotor blades to the same well-chosen pitch angle. Nope nope nope. That would spoil the show.
Now usually there is one pilot who knows better than the others which pitch angle is best if you really want to get the chopper off the ground. But the other pilots don't have a clue. They set the pitch angle of the blade under their control to some arbitrary and capriciously chosen value which, in all likelihood, is unsuitable for flight.
And so the question is, what should the more knowledgeable pilot do?
Should he set his own blade to the optimal pitch angle and just keep it there, waiting for the other pilot to catch on?
Should he match his own blade to the setting of his moronic co-pilot, just to keep the chopper from flipping over on the ground?
Or should he set it to something partway between those two values in an effort to coax his partner to discover the two fundamental laws of smooth ascent — that the blades have to all be balanced against each other and they all have to be set to a functionally efficient absolute pitch to achieve liftoff?
Oh, it was a wonderful ride, because they let you fly the helicopter yourself.
Or I should say yourselves.
You see, these were specially designed helicopters, custom-made for the amusement park.
Some were two-seaters, and some were three-seaters. There were no one-seater helicopters in this amusement park. You'll soon understand why.
It was easy to spot the two-seater helicopters, because they had two rotor blades, 180° apart. And the three-seater helicopters had three rotor blades, spaced 120° apart, just as one would expect.
What made these amusement park helicopters special was how the controls worked. The pilot sitting in a given seat only controlled the pitch angle of one of the blades. Each pilot controlled the pitch angle of a different blade. That's why the two-seater helicopters had two blades and the three-seater models had three blades.
Now if you know anything about helicopters (or airplane or ship propellers), you know that the pitch or bite angle of the blade determines how big a slice of air it grabs as it whirls around. If you 'feather' the blade, you set the pitch angle to zero, and it has no 'bite' at all. If you set the pitch angle to 90°, the blades would just churn up the air without generating any lift or propulsion. The pitch angle has to be set to some ideal value for the propeller to do its job.
In the amusement park, most of the visitors who go on the helicopter ride don't know very much about flying a chopper. They have no idea what pitch angle to set their blade to.
But what makes the ride fun is that each pilot is independently controlling just one of the two or three blades. So, unless they are coordinated, they typically have the various blades set to different pitch angles.
And as you might expect, this unbalances the helicopter and prevents it from flying very well, if it flies at all.
Mostly, the chopper just sits on the ground, bouncing spastically, shaking and shimmying, and going nowhere.
The operator of the helicopter ride never explains to the visitors how to coordinate their piloting to uniformly set all the rotor blades to the same well-chosen pitch angle. Nope nope nope. That would spoil the show.
Now usually there is one pilot who knows better than the others which pitch angle is best if you really want to get the chopper off the ground. But the other pilots don't have a clue. They set the pitch angle of the blade under their control to some arbitrary and capriciously chosen value which, in all likelihood, is unsuitable for flight.
And so the question is, what should the more knowledgeable pilot do?
Should he set his own blade to the optimal pitch angle and just keep it there, waiting for the other pilot to catch on?
Should he match his own blade to the setting of his moronic co-pilot, just to keep the chopper from flipping over on the ground?
Or should he set it to something partway between those two values in an effort to coax his partner to discover the two fundamental laws of smooth ascent — that the blades have to all be balanced against each other and they all have to be set to a functionally efficient absolute pitch to achieve liftoff?
posted by Moulton | 9:33 AM
4 Comments:
I pasted the text of this post into ChatGPT. Here is ChatGPT's response:
«It seems that the author is using this story as a metaphor for teamwork and coordination. The different pilots represent individuals on a team, each with their own responsibilities and tasks. The challenge is to coordinate their efforts so that they all work together efficiently towards a common goal.
The knowledgeable pilot in the story could represent a leader or an experienced team member who understands the importance of coordination and communication. They could choose to either take charge and set the optimal pitch angle for their blade, or try to guide their less experienced colleagues towards finding the right balance through trial and error.
Ultimately, the success of the team depends on everyone working together towards a common goal, and being willing to communicate and collaborate to find the best solution.»
I also pasted the text of this post into Google Bard. Here is Google Bard's response:
«I enjoyed reading your blog post about the amusing helicopter. It is a clever idea to have multiple pilots each controlling one blade of the helicopter, and it is funny to imagine the chaos that ensues when the pilots don't coordinate their efforts.
I think the most humorous option for the more knowledgeable pilot would be to set his blade to something partway between the two values in an effort to coax his partner to discover the two fundamental laws of smooth ascent. This would be the most entertaining option for the audience, as it would allow them to see the pilots slowly figure out what they are doing wrong.
However, I think the most responsible option for the more knowledgeable pilot would be to set his blade to the optimal pitch angle and just keep it there, waiting for the other pilot to catch on. This would be the safest option for the passengers, as it would ensure that the helicopter takes off safely.
Ultimately, the decision of what to do is up to the individual pilot. There is no right or wrong answer, and both options have their own advantages and disadvantages.»
Sam Chan also pasted this blog post into ChatGPT, requesting a poem:
«Once in an amusement park, where fun was in the air,
There sat a wondrous ride, a helicopter so rare.
You could fly it yourself, oh, what a delight!
But mind you, my friend, it wasn't as easy as taking flight.
These choppers were special, made just for this place,
Two-seaters and three-seaters, a thrilling embrace.
The two-seater had two blades, side by side,
While the three-seater had three, spaced just right, like a guide.
Now, the controls were quite unique, let me explain,
Each pilot had a blade, a role to maintain.
They controlled the pitch angle, oh, what a task,
But here's the catch, my friend, they had different blades to bask.
Now, flying a chopper requires balance and grace,
The blades must be in sync, a synchronized embrace.
But the pilots, oh dear, had no clue about this,
They set their own angles, causing quite a twist.
With blades set askew, the chopper would bounce,
On the ground it would stay, not a chance to pronounce.
It trembled and shook, going nowhere at all,
Forgetting the harmony, causing quite the fall.
The operator, sly as a fox, kept the secret well,
No instructions were given, no stories to tell.
But there was one wise pilot, with knowledge profound,
Who knew the right pitch, the key to leave the ground.
Now, what should he do, this pilot so keen?
Should he set his blade right, hoping to be seen?
Or match the fool's choice, to avoid any harm,
Or find a middle ground, a cooperative charm?
He pondered and thought, as the chopper stood still,
Waiting for his partner to understand the skill.
For smooth ascent, they must find a shared way,
Balanced blades and pitch angles, to rise and to sway.
And so, my dear friends, the moral is clear,
To achieve great heights, cooperation is dear.
In life's grand adventures, be it sky or land,
Working together, hand in hand.
For there's no such thing as a free brunch, you see,
But with teamwork and harmony, we'll reach where we want to be!»
Sam Chan then further prompted ChatGPT, suggesting, "Let’s make this a fun story for a 3rd grader." ChatGPT responded thusly:
«Once upon a time, in a land full of rainbows and cotton candy, there was a magical amusement park called WackyWings Wonderland.
In WackyWings, you could fly in colorful helicopters! 🚁 But there was a twist! These weren't ordinary helicopters. They looked like giant dragonflies and you could fly them with your friends.
The two-seater helicopters had two big wings, like a ladybug’s, and the three-seaters had three wings, like a star! ⭐
Here’s where it gets wacky! Each seat controlled one wing. So if you were in a two-seater, you and your friend each controlled one wing. In a three-seater, each person controlled one wing again!
Now, the wings of these helicopters were special because they could tilt and twist. Imagine flapping your hands in the air - that’s what the wings could do!
To fly, everyone needed to make their wings tilt at the same angle, like synchronized swimmers doing the same move in a pool. 🏊
But, guess what? Most people didn’t know how to make the wings tilt just right to fly! The helicopters would wiggle and wobble, and bounce around on the ground like jumping beans!
The park people loved watching the giggling riders trying to figure out how to fly. 🤣
One day, a clever squirrel named Nutty went for a ride with his friend, Benny the Bunny, who didn’t know much about flying. Nutty knew the secret of flying the helicopter was to make the wings tilt the same way.
Nutty thought, “Hmm, should I tilt my wing just right and hope Benny figures it out? Should I tilt it like Benny, so we don't flip over? Or should I do something in between to give him a hint?” 🤔
Nutty had an idea! He decided to play a game with Benny. Nutty started tilting his wing and made funny noises. Benny started laughing and copying him. They were tilting and twisting, making funny faces and sounds. Suddenly, the helicopter started to lift! 🎉
They were flying! It was the most exciting, silly, and wondrous flight over WackyWings Wonderland.
That day, Nutty the Squirrel taught everyone that sometimes, by having fun and working together, you can make amazing things happen, like flying a wacky helicopter in a magical amusement park! 🌈🚁💫»
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