In the last few posts several of you have questioned the possibility of extreme flapping due to sideslipping or flying out of trim. Several statements border on stating that these conditions would not result in flapping extremes.
Who is correct? The proponents of no flapping on this forum, or the professors at Georgia Tech. The FAA sided with Georgia Tech and issued a priority letter telling Robinson to enter cautions in the respective POHs relative to sideslipping and flying out of trim.
Now, let’s forget about whom is right or wrong but please explain the evidence of wild flapping extremes on recovered rotorheads after a loss of control incident. The blade tusks hit the droop stops with such force that they fractured. This would not occur in a zero G incident (tusk fracture) if it were simple mast bumping and resulting mast fracture. In either case there must be a significant energy exchange to result in the mast fracturing or the blade tusks fracturing and what causes this?
Blade flapping. Now we must determine the cause of the flapping.
