Consult a dictionary and find the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

1. high-thrust blades

2. blade vortex interaction (BVI)

3. the mitigating technologies

4. random noise

5. the airshed

6. windtunnel

7. piezo-electric actuators

8. mechanical swashplate

9. to cancel out noise and vibration

10. the reverse velocity rotor (RVR)

11. tilting forward

12. to enhance safety

13. shed air

14. precursors

15 gearbox struts

16. blade pitch

17. tiltrotor

Read the text attentively. While reading it, search for the necessary information and fill in the table.

Advantages of rotary-wing aircraft	Advantages of the latest helicopters

Ask questions on the points below and answer them. Rely upon sentences from the text.

- … those that hover efficiently and those that fly efficiently;

- … is the dream of vertical flight proponents;

- … by Frenchman Paul Cornu in 1907;

- … the German side-by-side rotor Focke-Angelis Fa61 of 1936 and intermeshing-rotor Flettner FI282 of 1941;

… they are too noisy inside and out; and they vibrate too much;

- … higher speeds, heavier payloads, less noise and vibration, and lower production and operating costs;

- … include a 200kt (370rm/h) cruise speed; 30% reductions in empty weight and fuel consumption; 605 lower external noise;

- is blade vortex interaction(BVI) – the main rotor blades hitting the air shed by preceding blades

Vocabulary Focus

1. Find the words in the text, which are similar to the meaning of the following words:

- complicated

- to enhance

- horizontal flight

- to be decreased

- on landing

- to demand

- common

- transformation

2. Make up the right choice: between, off, of, in, with, since, by, in, despite, after.

The first “free” vertical flight was made …. Frenchman Paul Cornu ….. 1907, barely four years …. the Wright brother’s first flight, but the machine was impractical. Autogyros became quite sophisticated …. the wars, but they were not true vertical take-… and landing (VTOL) machines. ….. all the technological progress … then, helicopters remain niche players … aviation. Compared … equivalent fixed-wing aircraft, they are still more expensive to buy and costly to operate. Helicopters are arguably the most versatile and useful … air vehicles.

3. Express the same in English:

Зависать, усовершенствование новых конфигураций, вертолет с одним несущим винтом, универсальный, увеличивающийся постепенно, способность работать при любых погодных условиях, снижение, вихрь, неравномерно, технологии смягчения (удара), существенное уменьшение шума, аэродинамическая труба, повышенная безопасность, задержать разделение потока над крылом, отклонять несущий поток по направлению вниз.

Writing Focus

1. Make meaningful sentences from the following words:

1) the most/ yet/ air/ are/ versatile/ helicopters/ and/ arguably/ of/ useful/ vehicles

2) can/ 160 kt/ the latest/ up to/ cruise at/ economical/ but/ is/ than/ barrier/ this/ physical/ rather/ helicopters/ an

3. are/ vibration/ more/ and/ speed/ important/ than/ higher/ noise/ lower

4. procedures/ noise/ with/ being/ tackled/ external/ with/ designs/ rotor

5. interaction/ the main/ is/ on the/ source/ vortex/ noise/ blade/ of/ descent

6. a helicopter/ the tiltrotor/ the cruise/ a turboprop/ capability/ combines/ of/ efficiency/ the hover/ with/ of

Complete the sentences according to the sense. Match the beginning and the end of the sentence.

1) The latest high-thrust blades allow the main rotor…

2) The active twist rotor has shown substantial reduction in noise…

3) Manufactures are testing main rotor blades with active servo flaps…

4) Smart, or active, structures also promise…

5) As forward speed increases, airflow over the advancing blade gets faster…

6) Windtunnel testing indicates the reverse-velocity rotor is capable…

7. the tiltrotor has speed and range advantages…

… to reduce internal noise as well as vibration, …but the configuration present

challenges, … and vibration in NASA windtunnel testing, …while that over the

retracting blade gets slower, … to be slowed in the cruise, …driven by piezo-

electric actuators, …of cruise speeds exceeding 300 kt.      

Speaking

Make up false statements and let your group mates correct them.

Example:

S1: Compared with equivalent fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters are still much cheaper to buy and to operate.

S2: False. Compared with equivalent fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters are still more expensive to buy and costly to operate.

  

2. You are a designer of a helicopter and are going to make a report at the conference. Speak on the following topics:

- advantages of helicopters

- disadvantages of helicopters;

- helicopter improvement;

- future tiltrotors

- a problem of noise reduction

 3. Make a summary of the text “Vertical Horizons”.

UNIT 5

Spacecraft Propulsion

 

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