A closer look
Helicopters are kept in the air by a single, critical component ominously referred to in aviation mechanics as the 'Jesus nut.' This large retaining nut holds the entire main rotor assembly to the mast of the helicopter, and if it happens to fail mid-flight, the rotor blades will detach, leaving the rest of the aircraft to drop out of the sky like a violently spinning rock. The colloquial name comes from the grim reality that if this solitary piece of hardware breaks, your only remaining emergency procedure is to pray to whatever deity you believe in. It is incredibly reassuring to know that billions of dollars of complex rotary aerodynamics all rely on one threaded chunk of metal deciding not to vibrate itself loose
