Increasing anti-torque pedal input will primarily increase which of the following?

Increasing anti-torque pedal input will primarily increase which of the following?

• A. Main rotor RPM
• B. Tail rotor thrust
• C. Swashplate deflection
• D. Aileron deflection

Answer: (B)

Anti-torque pedals control the tail rotor to balance the torque created by the main rotor, which is what sets the helicopter’s yaw. When you increase pedal input, the tail rotor blades pitch to produce more thrust, causing the aircraft to rotate about its vertical axis—yaw—in the direction of the tail rotor thrust. This is the primary effect of pedal input. The other options aren’t directly affected by anti-torque input: main rotor RPM is governed by engine power and governor settings, swashplate deflection is controlled by the cyclic and collective for tilting and pitch of the rotor blades, and aileron deflection isn’t a primary control in most helicopters.

Anti-torque pedals control the tail rotor to balance the torque created by the main rotor, which is what sets the helicopter’s yaw. When you increase pedal input, the tail rotor blades pitch to produce more thrust, causing the aircraft to rotate about its vertical axis—yaw—in the direction of the tail rotor thrust. This is the primary effect of pedal input. The other options aren’t directly affected by anti-torque input: main rotor RPM is governed by engine power and governor settings, swashplate deflection is controlled by the cyclic and collective for tilting and pitch of the rotor blades, and aileron deflection isn’t a primary control in most helicopters.