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Old 12th Jul 2004, 13:55
  #15 (permalink)  
Shawn Coyle
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Philadelphia PA
Age: 73
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Interesting question.
Can it be looped and rolled? Probably. Maybe by someone who really knew what they were doing.
You might check exactly what was done. I remember someone in England years ago who did what appeared to be a loop in, if I remember correctly, a Gazelle. On closer examination it was a sort of loop, but at about 10 degrees or so off vertical. From the ground it looked like a loop....
Should it be looped and rolled? No. There's more to doing aerobatics than just throwing the machine around the sky. The hydraulic system may not be pressurized, so that if you get to the top of the loop and screw it up, you suddenly may not have the controls working. The engine and tranmission oil system are not designed for any sort of sustained operation at low G, and the loads on the rotor and dynamic components are undefined.
I'd quietly drop a word with the S. African insurance companies to have them have a chat with the pilot (and owner, if different) that this is not a good idea.
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