FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook Practice Test

The ability to control yaw and counter the main rotor’s torque comes from a tail rotor mounted on the tail boom that spins in a plane perpendicular to the main rotor’s plane. By adjusting the thrust of this tail rotor with the anti-torque pedals, the pilot can push the helicopter’s tail left or right, causing the fuselage to rotate around its vertical axis. This anti-torque action is essential because the spinning main rotor tends to force the fuselage to rotate in the opposite direction. The tail rotor provides the necessary counter-torque and yaw control. The other options don’t fit this role: the main rotor is the lift-producing rotor and doesn’t primarily control yaw; an auxiliary rotor isn’t the standard anti-torque device in a typical single-rotor helicopter; and a rudder system isn’t used to provide primary anti-torque in this configuration.