What do main rotor and tail rotor do?

• A. Tail rotor counteracts torque and provides directional control.
• B. Main rotor provides propulsion only; tail rotor provides lift.
• C. Main rotor provides lift/propulsion; tail rotor counteracts torque and gives directional control.
• D. Main rotor provides steering; tail rotor provides balance.

Answer: (C)

The main rotor does the heavy lifting and provides forward thrust by tilting the rotor disk. As this rotor turns, it creates a reactive torque on the fuselage. The tail rotor counters that torque to keep the body from spinning and also lets the pilot steer the helicopter left or right by changing the tail rotor thrust (yaw control). So lift and propulsion come from the main rotor, while the tail rotor handles anti-torque and directional control.