To: 3 top
You missed the point completely. The certification requirements dictate what the manufacturer must demonstrate to get certification. The requirements are the same for all normal category rotorcraft. These certification requirements are contained in AC-27-1 and apply to all helicopters that fall under this classification including the R-22 and the R-44. The POH establishes the operational limitations that the pilot must comply with and these operational requirements are established to keep pilots out of “deep sh!t”. That means that if there are no restrictions in the POH the pilot can go to the limits of the certification requirements without getting into trouble.
When the R-22 first went into service there were no problems however after experiencing almost 27 loss of control accidents the FAA instituted a detailed study as to what was causing the problems. Sideslipping and out of trim flight were two of the things that could cause extreme flapping and as a result and AD was issued that described mast bumping and what could cause it.
Now as I stated previously the POH covers the collective asses of the Robinson factory. You say you violate these recommendations and nothing has happened. When it does Robinson will point out that you caused the extreme flapping which resulted in mast bumping and therefore it is your fault. That is the point I was trying to make.
Look at it this way. If Frank Robinson had designed the R-22 today and had the results of the Georgia Tech study he would go to the FAA asking for certification telling them that his helicopter could not be sideslipped nor, could it be flown out of trim. The FAA would state that since he could not meet the basic requirements of AC-27-1 his helicopter could not be certified.
One other point is that no other helicopter has these same restriction/recommendations and no other helicopter has an SFAR written against it. Does this possibly indicate that there is something in the design that precipitated these restrictions and the SFAR. Read rotorhead.
