Definition
An adjustable friction lock on the cyclic control of a helicopter that lets the pilot increase resistance to cyclic movement, holding the cyclic in a chosen position without requiring constant hand pressure.
Plain English
A knob or lever the pilot can tighten to make the cyclic stick stiffer, so it stays where it is set instead of moving on its own or under light hand pressure.
Context Anchor
Seen in helicopter cockpit control discussions, especially when setting up the aircraft for smooth control during instrument flight.
Derivation
‘Cyclic’ comes from Greek ‘kyklos’ meaning circle, because the control changes rotor blade pitch in a repeating cycle around the rotor disk. ‘Friction’ here means mechanical resistance — the device adds drag to the stick’s movement so it doesn’t drift.
Why Pilots Care
It reduces pilot workload and fatigue by holding a constant attitude or airspeed, which is especially useful during instrument flight or prolonged maneuvers.
Analogy
It is like adjusting the hinge tension on a laptop screen: loose enough to move when you want it to, but firm enough that it stays where you put it.
Intuition Check
Do not read cyclic friction as a problem caused by parts rubbing badly. Here, friction means intentional adjustable resistance in the cyclic control.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot loosened the cyclic friction so the stick would move freely.
Example Sentence 2
With cyclic friction properly set, the helicopter held its selected airspeed without requiring constant stick pressure.