Helicopter is really a bunch of parts flying in relatively close formation. Things work well until one of the parts breaks formation. vibrations is one of the biggest enemy to helicopter health consition. It is generally accepted that less vibration is better than more vibration.

From decades of operating rotary wing aircraft, military organizations around the world, as well as many civil manufacturers and operators of helicopters, have learned that one of the biggest enemies to sustained normal safety and flight operations is high vibrations throughout the drive train, rotors and fuselage.

Component failure, imbalances in the drive train, uneven friction, and the uneven meshing of gear teeth, cause such vibrations. Rotary wing operators worldwide have borne the costs of dynamic component failure due to damaging vibrations, long before predicted time before overhaul (TBO).

Eli Navon www.cdbdata.com