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Old 5th Jan 2009, 10:29
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170'
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Spain
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...

Many years ago , we used a chain, cable, multiple truck inner tubes and a additional chain slackline as a type of cheap shock absorber, all attached to a old Cat engine block.

This was to break down the shale type rock face on remote railroad cuttings to prevent the loose chunks falling on the track layers. It worked great, but the engine block(s) fell apart pretty quick ...

we tried a fuel drum filled with concrete and re-bar and that 'nearly' worked.

Then we welded 4 chunks of RR track together but wasn't heavy enough and spun like a top.

Finally we bought a solid steel anvil and welded a collar around it, similar to the thing you see on dogs and cats after a surgical operation, but in our case to protect the chain...
It worked great until I got too comfortable with it...I went in too low with a swing and brought a massive chunk of rock face down on the anvil and buried the whole shebang and about 30 feet of chain.

Needless to say I was at the other end of the chain,cable and swivels...

Two things happened !

1) I started losing my hair...
2) I promised myself to never do anything with a helicopter that I hadn't seen
someone else do first.

All joking aside...Innovation with helos is what keeps the game so interesting!...
Innovation is far more limited by regulation today than it used to be, (nope, not gonna go there!) and swinging a wrecking ball (or home made substitute) probably needs a new rotorclass load-combination class all for itself

I suggest Class C-BB (Big balls).....A load touching the surface or anything else , very briefly but with malice and aforethought

ps....CG, relax, I'll never tell...

Last edited by 170'; 5th Jan 2009 at 10:45.
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