Military Rotorcraft

In the last decade the military helicopter has truly come of age. Armed and attack helicopters have become the tip of the spear, flying and fighting in the vanguard of every modern formation, and acting as the eyes and ears of the commander, providing the Headquarters, ashore and afloat, with a detailed, long range, often real time, view of the battlespace. This new found ability to see further and project fighting power at greater range allows the military commander to increase the operational tempo of the forces under command to out-manoeuvre and out-fight the enemy.

This title explains the development of the helicopter, from Leonardo de Vinci's 'air gyroscope' to the attack helicopters used in the Gulf, and looks forward to the future role of the helicopter. In addition to the role and history of helicopters, chapters are included on design and flight principles, including avionics, engines and transmissions, and survivability.

Military Rotorcraft gives the reader both a sufficient technical background and a good understanding of the tactical roles of the modern helicopter - without assuming any great prior technical or operational knowledge.

The principal authors of the book are members of the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham.