What is the mechanical change of the angle of incidence, or pitch, of individual rotor blades independently of the others called?

What is the mechanical change of the angle of incidence, or pitch, of individual rotor blades independently of the others called?

• A. Cyclic Feathering
• B. Cyclic Pitch Control
• C. Delta Hinge
• D. Density Altitude

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how a helicopter changes the pitch of each rotor blade as it sweeps around the rotor disk. This cyclic variation in pitch causes the lift vector to move around the disc, tilting the rotor plane and enabling directional control (forward, backward, or sideward motion). The standard term for this control action is cyclic pitch control. It’s different from collective pitch control, which changes the pitch of all blades together to adjust overall thrust, and from terms like delta hinge or density altitude, which refer to separate mechanical or atmospheric concepts. So the mechanism described is best described as cyclic pitch control—the means by which each blade’s angle of attack changes through its rotation to steer the helicopter. Feasibility-wise, cyclic feathering isn’t the FAA term used for this control function, as feathering generally relates to blade alignment with the airflow to reduce drag rather than the pilot’s directional input.

The concept being tested is how a helicopter changes the pitch of each rotor blade as it sweeps around the rotor disk. This cyclic variation in pitch causes the lift vector to move around the disc, tilting the rotor plane and enabling directional control (forward, backward, or sideward motion). The standard term for this control action is cyclic pitch control. It’s different from collective pitch control, which changes the pitch of all blades together to adjust overall thrust, and from terms like delta hinge or density altitude, which refer to separate mechanical or atmospheric concepts. So the mechanism described is best described as cyclic pitch control—the means by which each blade’s angle of attack changes through its rotation to steer the helicopter. Feasibility-wise, cyclic feathering isn’t the FAA term used for this control function, as feathering generally relates to blade alignment with the airflow to reduce drag rather than the pilot’s directional input.