•Total drag is the average of all the types of drag, and because of this, total drag is probably one of the most useful (and least understood) to the pilot                                   

•The low point on the total drag curve is called the L/D max (it is the best lift to drag ratio)                                                                                                                                       

•This is used in many places behind the scenes

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        –The most obvious is this is your max rate of climb airspeed (Vy). If your drag is            the lowest at say 53 kts (R22 BII, 55kts for R44's) then it would make sense that            you would climb the best at this airspeed.

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       –This would also give your best fuel endurance. Assume for a moment that you               work for a media company that wants you to report on the I55 traffic back up. If             you wanted to stay on station for the longest possible time what airspeed should           you use? If you said L/D max you are correct.(Low drag equals lower fuel                         consumption)

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•Helicopters are extremely interesting machines did you know that you use far more power in a hover than you do in forward flight? Look at the total drag curve it tells you this.

 

•In the Upper right photo there is a representation of what is know as the power curve (it is an approximate reproduction of an R22 however most if not all helicopters will be similar) You will notice it looks like the total drag curve with the upper most airspeeds removed.

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•As you can see when you are sitting in a no wind hover (max gross weight) you are going to be using close to 100% of available power, as you accelerate into forward flight the power requirement drops drastically all the way till you hit your L/D max (Vy)  in the R22 case that’s 53kts (55kts in the R44) as you continue to accelerate you will enter what is called the front side of the power curve.

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       –When you are on the front side of the power curve more airspeed will use more             power