What is the relationship of the total force to the rotor tip path plane?

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Multiple Choice

What is the relationship of the total force to the rotor tip path plane?

Explanation:
The total rotor force is directed perpendicular to the plane in which the rotor tips move. The blades generate lift that, when summed over the disk, becomes thrust along the rotor axis. The tip path plane is the plane traced by the blade tips as they rotate, and the thrust vector points normal to that plane, not within it. That’s why the correct relationship is perpendicular. The other options would place the force in or along the plane of blade motion, or at an angle, which doesn’t match how the rotor’s thrust acts relative to the tip path plane.

The total rotor force is directed perpendicular to the plane in which the rotor tips move. The blades generate lift that, when summed over the disk, becomes thrust along the rotor axis. The tip path plane is the plane traced by the blade tips as they rotate, and the thrust vector points normal to that plane, not within it. That’s why the correct relationship is perpendicular. The other options would place the force in or along the plane of blade motion, or at an angle, which doesn’t match how the rotor’s thrust acts relative to the tip path plane.

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