Is having a gas turbine engine is a must for helicopters?

Question

I think it's to noisy,to polluting, and to much fuel consumption.not economical at all.Why don't the helicopter manufacturers out there think out something much better life diesel-hybrid?i think diesel hybrid for helicopters are good don't you think so?Perhaps M1A2 MBT should use diesel-hybrid to don't u think so?

Answer 1

The premises of your question / statements are flawed.

Helos have the weight to horsepower hurdle that was overcome with the advent of the turbine engine.

What makes you think that bio diesel is less polluting than aviation fuel?  Where do you think the HUGE quantities of bio matter are going to come from and do you want to be competing with your neighbor's SUV for food?

Who really gains in this rehashed eco argument?  

What liberties are you willing to give up to comply?

When was this argument fronted before in our history and what were the outcomes?

Who gets to control your thinking and how does that influence your purchasing and voting?

Who gets power from this?

Now think for yourself.

Answer 2

Older chopper used radial Gasoline engines.

Answer 3

I'd bet $$ you wouldn't mind the noise or care how much fuel the medical helicopter used as it transported you or a member of your clan to a trauma center,would you?

Or would you rather go by horse and buggy? Your choice.

Answer 4

As far as jet engines in general, Boeing and Sir Richard are working on Bio Fueled alternative jet engines, but I agree that jet engines are hugely innefficient and they really could do better with todays technology.

I think the real problem is all the un-necessary flying the world does is a large part of the problem.

Answer 5

they are working on other solutions like water and nuclear infusion

Answer 6

My husband is a helicopter mechanic (he now works on commercial wind turbines).  

Helicopters do not use gas like you use in your car.  They use Avgas...Aviation Gas.  What you put in your car is Mogas...motor gas.

Motor gas has an octane of 80 to 87 percent.

Avgas has an octane of 100 to 130 percent.

That supper high octane is a MUST for the flying abilities of helicopters (and other aircraft).

Some Avgas the military uses is even higher octane (my husband worked on Prowlers in the Navy).  That high octane provides the needed instant bosts of power these aircraft require.

Diesel will not work in helicopters, nor aircraft, because it does not provide enough "instant" power....and what are you going to do when the diesel gels in the tank as the helicopter climbs in altitude, and it gets VERY cold?

Diesel vehicles can have a hard time here on earth, when it's cold, much less up in the sky, where it's REALLY cold.

By the way, Avgas is NOT jet fuel...that is yet another type of fuel.

Amazing the information a farmwife picks up when married to a Gear Head like my husband, isn't it?

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 7

The power requirements for aircraft are not like what's needed for land vehicles.  Land vehicles need more power for acceleration and hill climbing, and the rest of the time they need very little or none at all.  The varied power demand is what makes hybrid a very efficient application.  Not so with aircraft; they need lots of power all the time.  And they need very lightweight engines.  Gas turbines are the best answer to this need.

Answer 8

Sure it's noisy.

It is ALSO much more efficient than previous engines for this use.