Hi ya'll,
Soindizzy is probably right, we are confused and speaking about
different factors.
But, first a couple of wonders> It is said that the retyreating blade articulates downwards, what causes that? Advancing blade
rises because lift increases.
Retreating blade is supposedly flat, is flat in our flight observations. Very strong centrifugal force is generated by a rotor
For a blade to move downwards that strong force would have to
be overcome, correct? What force would do the trick?
There is no question that a blade can not change it's angle of
attack to the plane of rotation, that angle is fixed.
However, the blades act individually to create lift, It is the combo
of each of there lift which creates flight?
That combo is known as the rotor disc which has a center of lift and it is this center from which the craft hangs.
This makes the blades varying angle of attack only important in
that lift is created by each.
The craft flys because the rotor disc (culmination of all blade lift)
has an angle of attack to the line of flight, period!
What is the line of flight if the Gyro is in slow speed (say) with
the nose high? The line of flight is the path the craft is following
which does not relate to it's attitude
Observation of full scale rotor action has been mentioned which
brings an observation.
Full scale Autogyro blades are flexible. Choptors I believe are not
"Our" model blades are not flexible by comparison
It is said the "photos" show full scale blades flexing and perhaps
twisting so that their angle of incidence alters when they turn.
Again I am speaking of "our" rotors which may well differ from
what others use. Our blades are very stiff, it would take a very
strong effort to distort them.
Very good flight photos show the rotor rotation is pancake in
nature, no conning and very little evidence of articulation. Both
advancing and retreating blades appear to be on same plane.
All I have to say is what experience has taught and the bottom
line always is that Aerodynamics prevails for anything airborn.
Hey, Spindizzy> stay out of that Channel on Holloween, the
skeletons of those 109 pilots will grab you, if you are not careful!
Be good,

Hal debolt