11 December 2011
<< "Reason I ask is the rotors on the helicopter are turning backwards, wwhich tends not to work. That could be due to the frame speed-vs-RPM issue which makes wagon wheels in westerns look like they are turning backwards. >>
Most helicopter main rotor rotation designs, when observed from above, are counter clockwise (CCW). Main design differences in the CW direction are the French, Russians, Poles, Indians, etc. The U.S., UK,, German, Italian, Japanese, they are CCW.
<<"That could be due to the frame speed-vs-RPM issue">>
That is correct - it's a frame speed vs rpm refresh rate sync that gives the illusion of backward rotation. Also, the blades are turning too slowly for effective lift, and if you observe carefully, you can see the aft tip sweep of the rotor blades, which are by design on the trailing edge of the outboard tip section of the blades.
This is not fake - that is authentic footage.
<<"I wonder what was so important -- it looks like land not too far in the background">>
The leading part of the vidoe states "Ship Helicopter Operating Limit Development." This is operational testing (OT), in realistic environments, just like the crew and system would be expected to conduct actual operational deployments. Looks fun, eh? Try this stuff at NIGHT. A whole 'nuther ballgame.
I have 635 carrier landings, mostly in the F-14, in all-weather / day / night conditions, calm seas and hugely pitching decks (yes, large CVN nuke carriers can move around a LOT in heavy seas), and that video is dead-on realistic of what Naval Aviation around the world does for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing operations.
Pitching deck and nasty low-visibility night landings are really a lot of "fun."
Cheers,
Mike