The tail rotor provides approximately what lift?

• A. 5%
• B. 2.5%
• C. 1%
• D. 7.5%

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the tail rotor’s job is to counter the torque the main rotor creates and to give yaw control. It doesn’t need to produce a lot of force—its role is anti-torque rather than adding lift for flight. In the UH-60 (and most single-rotor helicopters), the tail rotor is sized to provide only a small amount of thrust, enough to balance the rotational force from the main rotor without wasting power or creating excessive drag. That small, targeted thrust is about two and a half percent of the main rotor’s lift, which is why the typical figure given is roughly 2.5%. A higher value would waste power and complicate handling, while a lower value would leave insufficient yaw control under certain flight conditions.