The cyclic control primarily affects which motion?

• A. Yaw only
• B. Roll only
• C. Pitch and roll, about the longitudinal and lateral axes
• D. Altitude only

Answer: (C)

Cyclic control works by tilting the rotor disk through cyclic changes in blade pitch as it spins. That tilt changes the direction of the lift force, giving the helicopter movement in the horizontal plane and altering its attitude. When the disk tilts forward or backward, the nose pitches up or down, which is rotation about the lateral axis. When the disk tilts left or right, the aircraft rolls about the longitudinal axis. So the cyclic primarily produces pitch and roll motions. Altitude is mainly controlled by the collective, and yaw is controlled by the tail rotor through pedals.