Hydraulic Caution System STC???

[Saber 09]

Does anyone know of an STC for installation of a Hydraulic caution light system on the Bell 206B3 similar to what is on an OH-58? I have checked with Bell and Aerospace Associates with no luck. :ugh:

Saber 09

[FH1100 Pilot]

Saber, what's got the bee in your bonnet about 206 hydraulic systems? Reason I ask is because I not only have a fair amount of time (6,000+ hours) in the various 206's without hydraulic problem myself, but since joining the helicopter industry in 1976 I've *never* heard of a hard-over or servo runaway of any sort in a 206. Not only that, I've only ever heard of *two* complete hydraulic failures (burst lines) and only one of them happened in the 13 years I was with PHI.

Not saying it cannot happen, of course, and not saying that it hasn't happened without them cabling or emailing me on it...only that it seems to be very, very rare in this specific type. In fact, you could say that the 206 hydraulic system is the model of reliability.

I would snoop around at PHI. They've operated a few 206's over the years, and they certainly would have the information you're looking for as to the different failure modes.

In your other thread, you say you've noticed "several" accidents of undetermined cause in the U.S. NTSB database which for some reason you seem to want to blame on some sort of hydraulic problem. Me, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I may be wrong...been there/done that before...but if this was really a problem I think Bell would have modified the 206 hydraulic system to the OH-58 configuration a long time ago.

[BlenderPilot]

I once had a loose line that made me loose all the hydraulic fluid in the 206JR, non-event flying one of those without hydraulics.

Anyway, by the time the light comes on you will have already noticed that you have a HYD problem.

If you wan't to purchase something cool for your helicopter, buy one of those fancy Garmin GPS's, or the new LED NAV and ANTI COLL lights, those are pretty neat.

[Aesir]

No I have never heard of such an STC.

[Lutefisk989]

i am not aware of an STC for a Hyd Sys caution light, and would be surprised if there were one for the 206.

following a failure fo the hydraulic system in the 206, it would be hard for the pilot NOT to notice the problem, through control feedback, etc.

[rotorbrent]

Nope there is no such STC and if there were who would buy one since of all the things you can get for a B206 Hydraulic Failure warning light would not be at the top of my list. After 6,000 hours mostly in 206B's

But hey go ahead and spend several million dollars and a couple years of your life developing the STC. You never know.

I worry more about the rubber band powered AS350 hydraulic system than the Bell206 series

Brent

[gulliBell]

I'd much prefer a LOW RRPM warning horn in any 206 I fly before a HYD caution light. Never had a hydraulic problem in a 206, or any other helicopter (B212/412/S76) for that matter, in almost 6000 hours, except of course for the ocassional leaking servo.