Helicopter International

The author of Cyclic & Collectiveis a well-established helicopter test pilot, with considerable experience too of more commercial flying in some of the demanding areas of the world. Consequently he is well qualified to provide advice and guidance for both the beginner pilot and the professional, as well as those who want to know more about helicopters and how they work.

However to dispense that advice needs more than experience. It also needs a pilot who can write in an easy-going, explainable manner, ideally with a sense of humour to keep the reader awake and interested. Fortunately Shawn Coyle has that knack and this, his second book on the art and science of flying helicopters, is a pleasure to learn from.

AeroKurier

[Author]Shawn Coyle was the chief helicopter instructor at the National Test Pilot School in California. His experiences with the species 'student pilot', and also with test flights, are the basis of his book "Cyclic & Collective". He has flown around 80 different aircraft - and helicopter types and was responsible for the testing area of Transport Canada for many years. The book is a helicopter training manual in the classical sense of the word, but is also written for pilots who would like to refresh their knowledge.

Autorotate

Rotorcraft flight is a fascinating subject, full of mysteries to solve, skills to develop, complexities to unravel, challenges and fun. Shawn Coyle's latest book, Cyclic & Collective, helps guide us down this fascinating road with wit and charm. Probably the most comprehensive book on helicopters to date, it covers material of interest to student pilots and long term professionals alike. Still have difficulty explaining transverse flow effect, Shawn can help. Looking for more complexity try reading the sections on AFCS, the Koanda effect, under-slung loads and FADEC. It's all there in simple, easy to understand language with lots of diagrams and illustrations. I recommend the book to all past, present and future helicopter pilots who possess a passion for their craft and a thirst for knowledge about this fascinating aircraft and career.

Pilot Magazine UK

This book has something in it for everybody associated with helicopters, be they pupils, military and civil pilots, instructors, aspiring test pilots or enthusiasts. The author is a test pilot whose experience ranges over more than 43 types, from the Robinson R-22 to the Mi-26. He has an ability to put over complex subjects without resorting to the mathematics which tend to kill interest stone dead.

The book is divided into two sections. The first covers basic helicopter theory, systems, performance and operating techniques as seen from the pilot's point of view. The second section is aimed at those pilots who already know how to fly helicopters, but are interested in broadening their knowledge of the subject. It covers the items in Section 1 in greater depth and continues into design characteristics and systems, including automatic flight control systems, all interspersed with safety hints.

The writing style is light, anecdotal and sprinkled with humorous asides; the package manages to put over a surprising amount of information without inducing furrowed brows. Illustrations are all black and white and clear enough to make the points without over complication.

Unusually, for what appears at first to be a textbook, I found it difficult to put down. The reader is constantly led to nuggets of information that clarify the oddities of helicopter operations. The author also takes the opportunity to have a gentle dig at the manufacturers and regulatory authorities for their more absurd omissions or commissions in the areas of design, information provision and rule making.

In the basic section, I thought it a little strange that the generic helicopter he mainly uses to illustrate his points is turbine powered - common in military usage, but not civil training yet.

Used as a reference book, the index has to be employed extensively because information on any particular subject is sometimes scattered. I think this book has a place on the bookshelf of anybody with an interest in helicopters. It could be legitimately subtitled: ' All you wanted to know about helicopters but did not know where to look', and even answers questions you may not have considered.

Royal Aeronautical Society

This book is written very much from a pilot's perspective. It is split into two sections, one described as basic and the other as advanced. The material covered is complete, ranging from effects of controls through rotor governing to four axis sidestick controllers. However, despite such a spread in topics, I cannot imagine the book being the staple diet of a young graduate engineer in Yeovil, nor of a tyro PPl struggling with an R22. Yet it will be of interest to all those curious about helicopter flight, wherever they are in the spectrum of knowledge and understanding.

The material in the book is covered in a clear and logical manner. The text largely taking the form of an informal narrative. This personal touch is emphasised by the many footnotes which convince the reader that the author writes from a first-hand experience. Diagrams are clear useful and relate directly to the appropriate points in the text. It is all too easy for authors to seek to explain behaviour not by approximation, but by analogy which does not reflect the real nature of the problem. This author certainly does not fall into such a trap.

The author does well to address the fundamental rotor behaviour without recourse to mathematics. However, some basic aspects of helicopter flight mechanics are not mentioned, or are dealt with superficially. For example, there is no discussion of the roll angle adopted in the hover, or in forward flight, or why. This would have helped during the explanation of inherent sideslip. I also found the treatment of cross coupling superficial, but perhaps this mirrors it's significance to a pilot.

As a professional engineer, the difficulty with a book such as this is that it is too easy to pick faults, since a rigourous mathematical exposition of helicopter behaviour is not given. But that is not the author's aim anyway, and the real merit of the book can be judged if it challenges one's understanding, conveys useful information and is enjoyable. For me, this book scores well on all three counts.

Business and Commercial Aviation Magazine

To many - both inside and outside aviation - the dynamics that keep a helicopter in the air can be perplexing. Two new books aim to dispel the confusion.:

The Art and Science of Flying Helicopters is one of the best helicopter books we've read. Author Shawn Coyle, an accomplished helicopter test pilot, who has flown more than 40 helicopters, does an excellent job of covering the basics - in language that's easy to understand without being dry or simplistic. Best of all, Coyle has a way with the pen that makes the book fun to read.

Coyle's book is aimed at both new helicopter pilots and experienced ones, and is organized into two sections. The first half is devoted to basic aerodynamics, explanations of dynamic components, helicopter performance, powerplants and piloting. Part two, the Advanced Section, traces much the same line, but is written for aviators. The second section delves more deeply into the basics and also touches on topics like flying with underslung loads, flying in icing and mast bumping. Coyle's book is skillfully illustrated, adding to the ease of understanding.

Taking a more conventional approach to the same subject is Principles of Helicopter Flight by Wal Wagtendonk, a Royal New Zealand Air Force veteran and aviation college founder.

Wagtendonks's publication has the look and feel of a textbook, including review questions at the end of each chapter. Clearly its target is the new helicopter pilot and, perhaps, it is more detailed in some of its description of theory and physics than Coyle's book, which takes more of a pilots perspective. For the student most comfortable with a textbook, Wagtendonk's is probably the book of choice. Pilots already flying helicopters or interested in learning more about them, more likely will be better served by Coyle's approach, which is both detailed and easy to read.

Personal Review by J.P. Harrison

Shawn Coyle, former military helicopter test pilot, current helicopter CFI, consultant to the helicopter industry, and regular contributor to Rotor and Wing, has written a training and reference book for helicopter pilots and CFIs. Lessons Coyle has learnt in his career to date, which includes stick time in 43 helicopters ranging from the diminutive Robinson R-22 to the gargantuan Mil Mi-26, are presented in this highly readable, wryly amusing, accurate and up-to-date book.

From the first page on, Coyle's wealth of experience rapidly becomes apparent. Even more valuable is his ability to present that experience in highly practical, well thought out and interesting explanations of the subject at hand. Covered in the part one of the book are the fundamentals of helicopter flight, helicopter components, preflight actions, basic flight maneuvers and autorotations. These are followed by valuable discussions of helicopter instrumentation and warning systems, and helicopter piston-engine and turbine-engine installations. The latter is particularly well presented, and constitutes the only thorough -and practical - treatment of the subject currently available. The section on the helicopter flight manual is particularly instructive, with numerous comparisons between civil and military flight manuals. Discussions of "peculiarities of the helicopter" e.g. vortex ring state, downhill and uphill dynamic rollover, blade sailing, etc., and miscellaneous helicopter tidbits e.g. "negative radio," close the first part of the book.

Part two is titled "Advanced Section." "Advanced Helicopter Dynamics" presents discussions of rotary-wing aerodynamics including developments now being applied to the latest helicopter designs. Consecutive sections discuss advanced helicopter flying, advanced helicopter performance, helicopter systems, helicopter stability and control, engine failures in single-engine and multi-engine helicopters, "further peculiarities of helicopter flight" e.g. vibration, tail rotor effectiveness, underslung loads, mast bumping, etc., "other helicopter types" e.g. coaxial, tandem, intermeshing, NOTAR and fenestron tails, and finally a much appreciated presentation on helicopter automatic flight control systems and experimental flight controls, e.g. sidearm controllers.

"The Art and Science of Flying Helicopters" is under girded by cool professionalism and a love for helicopters, enlivened by considered opinions, advice to the industry in general - and puns. It is a valuable contribution to the small selection of helicopter training texts currently available, and is sure to become a very popular addition to the library of anyone interested in this most fascinating flying machine of all - the helicopter.

Jean-Pierre Harrison (author of books on gyrocopters)