Dummy-level questions

[gusopenshaw]

How do you secure the rotor blades after landing (say a Bell 206), and conversely, how do you ready them for flight? Also, if you are going to stay awhile, do you always do so? Thanks.

[B Sousa]

Well at least you got the topic correct........Are you a Pilot??
And sometimes some folks dont secure them.. it depends on a lot of things.

[Whirlygig]

Let me describe my efforts at using the Jet Ranger's tie-downs.

There's a long piece of webbing with a tennis ball on one end and a metal hook in the other. Throw the tennis ball over the blade and catch it, thus you can pull down the bendy blade and stick the metal hook into the end. Then the webbing is securely tied to some part of the fuselage.

That's sort of the theory.

As a girl, I am genetically predisposed to be incapable of throwing a ball. So, my instructor suggested that using about a foot of the tape, I swung the tennis ball like a sideways lasso and launch it over the rotor blade. Unfortunately I swung the ball the wrong way and ended up throwing the whole gubbins into a field of cows next door.

Next problem, being only 5'4", was trying to reach the special tie down lugs. After watching and laughing for ten minutes, my instructor told me that there was a ladder in the boot!

Cheers

Whirls

[Revolutionary]

Ah, the old tennis-ball-on-a-rope JetRanger tie down. That brings back memories of a very sore set of nads after throwing the rope over the blades only to have that stupid ball bounce back off the tarmac and... well, you can fill in the rest...

[Arm out the window]

Hope the writing's going well, Gus.
The blades are generally tied down when the machine's left for a decent length of time - if I'm going to be away for more than a few minutes, I tie them down.
It depends on the wind conditions and/or the likelihood of other helicopters operating nearby - the aim is to stop them being blown about. If I'm shut down in some remote pad, the wind's light and the blades aren't moving, I'll just leave them.
The Bell 206 has a 'teetering head' - the blades are free to rock like a see-saw, up to a few feet each way at the tips. In strong, gusty winds they can really bounce around, putting stress on the gearbox mounts, so we tie them down.
As Whirls said, we use a hook that goes into a small lug with a hole in it that sticks out from the end of each blade. You put the hook in, then lead the blade around until it's aligned fore and aft, and you're standing next to the rear of the tailboom. On most machines there's a little tie-down point on the side of the tail boom that you then tie the hook webbing to.

Conversely, when you start, you must make sure the blades aren't still tied to the tail boom!
To do this, most people untie the blade and walk it around to the side, or slightly in front of abeam and take the hook out. That way, when you hit the start button, you can watch it from the cockpit and be sure it's not still tied down. I put the blade I've walked around out to my right and slightly in front of abeam.

[Whirlygig]

Squirrels have the webbing rope attached to little cap things that fit over the end of the blades.

Cheers

Whirls

[Grainger]

trying to reach the special tie down lugs. Never had that problem, Whirls. . .

. . . I just reach up and hook the hook into the little hole on the end of the blade :p

[Whirlygig]

That's 'cos you're a foot taller than me! :ugh: :hmm: :rolleyes: :ok:

Besides, it wasn't that blade end I couldn't do; I had accomplished that with the aid of the swinging tennis ball - it was tying the webbing to the fuselage. Yes guys! I can't reach the fuselage of a Jet Ranger parked on a slightly raised pad!

Cheers

Whirls

[Grainger]

Tee-hee :E

Look on the bright side Whirls - at least you can go through doorways without cracking your head :ouch:

Good job I've nothing fragile or easily damaged in there.

[Arm out the window]

Don't sweat on it, Whirls - I too tend towards the more hobbit-like end of the height spectrum.
The worst thing is that both my kids are shaping up to be at least a head taller than me - where's the justice in this world?!

[22clipper]

Robinson tie downs have a bag on a rope that you slip over the end of the blade. Because Robinsons are 'working class' choppers there are no sophisticated blade catching devices like a tennis ball on a string or a hook.

On R22s you just reach up, grab the balde end & slip the bag on. R44s are bit more problematical. The ideal approach is to grab the nearest lightweight (teenage girls or waif thin catwalk models are the best) around the midriff & hoist them up to put the bag on. Always grab the chic from behind 'cause if you get 'em from the front the belly button jewellery can scratch your face!

[SASless]

Whirls,
I am surprised at you! I would have thought you were devious enough to figure out how to use Bell rotor blade JuJu on the Bell 2 series of helicopters.....the ones with the two blades.

Now Nick, Dave and other techno geeks will tell you the blades react to the various breezes that blow about the head and thus one of the blades will drop to a decent level. Dave would go so far as to describe the nine thousand and twenty three different collective and cyclic settings that are required to cope with all the various possible winds and wind speeds, gusts, and vortices.

I ascribe to the use of JuJu (or as the more professional CAA folks would call it...blade psychology).

With many years of chasing about the helicopter trying to hook a blade in a manner that greatly mimics herding cats....I finally figured out the way to ease that struggle after each flight.

One should simply take the tie down into hand....walk to the blade that is the highest in the air and speak softly out loud...."I think I will tie down that blade there!" all the while looking at the opposite blade. Do not move from your spot...continue the Litany all the while looking at the far blade...even point your extended index finger at said blade. After about the three repetition, the high blade over your head will politely droop to your hand.

Should the blade remain recalcitrant and linger just out of reach....or not move at all....merely say...(out loud) "No...on second thought...I think I will tie that blade over yonder down...and take about two steps in that direction....and hesitate just a second and return to your original position. The blade will politely drop to within reach.

Absolutely fail safe .....I promise!:ok:

Ask HIHU....he is a convert to this. I taught him this techique while we were flying the Huey.

Also....stand on the upwind side when you fling the tennis ball over the blade.

[gusopenshaw]

Thanks for the patient responses. The scene in my book where the ship takes off to escape the bad guys wouldn't have worked out so well with the blades tied down still. I appreciate it.

[212man]

"....with the blades tied down still"

Plenty of pilots have tried! :ugh:

[Whirlygig]

You had better be right Sassy, 'cos if I make an even bigger fool of myself in front of my instructor (who can probably dine out for years on tales of my exploits), there'll be hell to pay! :=

Cheers

Whirls

[[email protected]]

Gus - if you are writing a book and want to make the helicopter bit sound plausible a. go and talk to some helicopter pilots and see what they do, you will be able to bring more detail to the scene and b. don't call it a 'ship'.

[topendtorque]

Plenty of pilots have tried! :ugh:


and paid

first offence----carton!

second ----- fridge--- and smile:)

[B Sousa]

"Squirrels have the webbing rope attached to little cap things that fit over the end of the blades."

Now that the STC is out they have hooks that fit in neat little holes. Makes it much easier and is more secure.

[SASless]

Whirls Mi'love,

Oh ye of little faith....believe me. Would I give you a bum steer my sweet?

If you truely believe...it will work....there is no room for doubt.:E

[Impress to inflate]

The Pumas have large rip-stop nylon bags with an aluminium frame at the opening. On the underside there is aprox 40' of rope. The socks are placed on the blades using an long aluminium pole, then tied off to the a/c this is normaly done in strong winds so you can only just get them on, you look like a mad butterfly catcher trying to catch a blade. The tailrotor is secured by placing "pins" (they look like tuing forks) at the blade root to stop them banging about. I have tested the socks in winds over 90 knots and they work just fine. I will try and dig up some pics. :ok: