mooneyguy
been around forever
This is something I recieved in an email, Pretty cool photo's
Kopp-Etchells Effect
When helicopters pass through dust storms,
contact of the particles with the rotating blades
produces either sparks or static electricity.
The phenomenon has been observed during
combat operations in Afghanistan;
Michael Yon has documented the effect,
and has named it after two
U. K. Soldiers who died there.
"Kopp-Etchells"
When operating in sandy environments,
sand hitting the moving rotor blades
erodes their surface.
This can damage the rotors;
the erosion also presents serious
and costly maintenance problems.
The abrasion strips on helicopter
rotor blades are made of titanium,
which is very hard, but less hard than sand;
so when a helicopter is flown near to the ground
in desert environments abrasion occurs,
and at night there is a visible corona
or halo around the rotor blades,
caused by the sand hitting the titanium
and causing it to spark and oxidize.
Kopp-Etchells Effect
When helicopters pass through dust storms,
contact of the particles with the rotating blades
produces either sparks or static electricity.
The phenomenon has been observed during
combat operations in Afghanistan;
Michael Yon has documented the effect,
and has named it after two
U. K. Soldiers who died there.
"Kopp-Etchells"
When operating in sandy environments,
sand hitting the moving rotor blades
erodes their surface.
This can damage the rotors;
the erosion also presents serious
and costly maintenance problems.
The abrasion strips on helicopter
rotor blades are made of titanium,
which is very hard, but less hard than sand;
so when a helicopter is flown near to the ground
in desert environments abrasion occurs,
and at night there is a visible corona
or halo around the rotor blades,
caused by the sand hitting the titanium
and causing it to spark and oxidize.
