S-92 Checklist request
Gentlemen;
Thank you for your input. Matari, with regards to the British helicopter museum, firstly, it states it has over 80 helicopters. Unfortunately, the museum lists many gyro planes (I have flown several), and they are not helicopters – although those with pre-rotators come close – but, still short. That might seem to support your argument somewhat – but, I try to be honest and balanced with opinions. To my reckoning, there are two to three times more types in the world than the (89) I have flown. Mind you, I have never taken the time to research and publish the world total – I would rather write articles relating to safety and professional flying techniques. (My articles have appeared in all of the North American helicopter magazines and several overseas.) By the way, that museum is not the largest collection of helicopters in the world, the USSR is.
While I have flown a number of the aircraft in the museum, some of the types I have flown that are not in the museum include: Bell 47 series (4 variants including Soloy conversion) 206 (many variants including L series and four blade prototype), 204, 204 1/2 (204 with 205 engine and drivetrain components), 205, various Huey versions, 209 Cobra, 212 & (UH-1N), 412 (2 versions), Augusta Bell 109 II; Enstrom F-28 series; Sikorsky S-55T, S-58T, Whisperjet, S-61 (Seaking and HH-3), S-76 (A & B); Robinson R-44 series and R-22 series (not all which are in the museum); Hughes/MD (500 series [A,C,D,E], 900, 902, 600N, 520N; Boeing BV-107 series (CH 113A, CH-46), 234/Chinook series as well as a mixture of types including; Alouette II (different variant than the museum), Alouette III, Gazelle, Lama, Astar, Twinstar, AS532 (Cougar II), MI-8 (various versions), EC 120, MI-17 Mark 2 - to name a few that readily come to mind. Additionally, as a test and evaluation pilot and previous rotary wing editor of a major US magazine with contributions over 25 years, I have likely flown and evaluated more “amateurbuilt/homebuilt” helicopters and gyros than anyone else on the planet. Some of the helicopters include: Rotorway series (4+ variants), A 600 Talon, CH-7 Angel Turbo, Mosquito, Mini 500, Baby Bell and Canadian Home Rotors series, Hummingbird (Sikorsky S-51 drivetrain). This is not a complete list. For instance, it does not include experimental helicopters on which I have flown as a pilot/engineering consultant, or helicopters flown internationally under circumstances that are privileged information nor of course the types I have flown that are in the British Museum.
I had hoped this would be a useful forum and one in which we could help each other with a useful exchange of information – but, it appears I was wrong and wasted my time. I came to this forum not to substantiate my background of which only a small part is provided here, but seeking help and what I mostly found was doubters and negativism…. So you can perhaps understand Matari, it would be imprudent (and wrong) of me to tell the British Museum they are short 9 helicopters when in fact they are short several hundred types of the world’s helicopters.
Wishing you all safe and happy flights and a successful pursuit of true understanding of facts - in lieu of providing opinions from those of little knowledge.