So the big day was today and luckily the weather was beautiful right up until the time we flew north !
I flew both aircraft from the right hand seat . My first impression was that the aircraft was much better looking in the flesh especially with the longer skids and a number of people made the same comment . In fact two or three said they had gone from thinking it was ugly to liking the looks by the end of the day .
Looking around the aircraft it looked well built but with a few things that stood out which I didn't like .
1) The weight on the back of the tail attached to wires I believe is there for c of g ( and apparently you can specify for your aircraft how much weight you want depending on your most normal configuration) and it also acts as a damper for the tail rotor . This looks a bit Heath Robinson and I think it should have a cover to make it look " finished "
2). The door handles look like they will last about a week and lack any design at all .....a bit like a bolt sticking out of the door . But they did work .
I was neutral about the interior . It is utility and I am sure leather trim would make it a lot more hospitable and may create some soundproofing as it is not quiet inside . Good headsets would be a must and I didn't find the noise level a problem flying for 1hr 15 north . The seats were very comfortable , albeit hard and there was pilot legroom for a 7 ft giant ! It was very airy and roomy with plenty of headroom even if 6ft 3" . Start up is a simple as flicking a switch and the Garmin has a load of tricks , including voice activation and a 30 second loop to listen to atc command again at the push of a button . ( Nice if you have a 30 sec memory like me !)
My first flight was in the one with the Fram damper . We were 5 up , with two fat boys in the front and average adults in the back . I can't remember fuel but we were around max . When the demo pilot landed solo the aircraft landed on back of skids ...full we lifted flat . Masses of power ....I mean really plenty !! Good t/r authority but it was only about 6-7 knots wind . A lot of aft cyclic required for hover tail into wind as we were very close to forward c of g limit . 117-120 knots is the smoothest and is in tick over . Max cont gave us 125-126 knots with a little more bounce but nothing uncomfortable and around 230 -240 lb per hour fuel burn . Visibility was absolutely stunning and no real need for chin bubble however I would like window in ceiling so you can see if anything is above you . On the run north I was in another one without the Fram and the bounce was a little more noticeable but really not enough to worry about . So to sum up I think typically , just like with cars , the expert designers have missed a few things that would be easy to make better but overall it is a superb machine for the money , it isn't a squirrel ..but if you buy something with 2 blades you know you are going for the cheap version and ride and control responses will be the price . Remember it is actually an L4 which today would set you back around $2.5m and would have steam driven cockpit ...but two more seats and a broom cupboard. The 505 is therefore approx half the price albeit I heard that the price is likely to escalate as the number of orders gets higher , not surprising as I can't see how it can be cheaper to produce than an L4 . I think that if it really can , and Bell say it can , lift 900kg on the hook then it will be a very economical work horse as well . I will try to put a couple of photos on later .
If I can think of anything else I will post it .
Added.....I think it would very comfortably do over 128 knots when less heavy ( not that I think that is a good idea in event of engine failure ..) . Also judging by the fact that my pax were neither sick nor screamed at any point would indicate it’s a very easy Helicoper to fly . In fact so easy even our friend FH1100 could fly it !!!! ( prepare for incoming part eaten hats ��!!!)
Last edited by nigelh; 21st Apr 2018 at 23:10.