Heres a bit of reassurance to all Robbie drivers. I drive a dual fuel car. When it runs out of propane - no gauge- it takes a lot less than 1.1 seconds to identify the problem, locate the switch which is out of sight , and flick it over to petrol. The difference is there is no time pressure but the action is now automatic. I don't have to think about it cos I have done it hundreds of times and it is not exactly unexpected when it happens. The implication is practice is good.
I have had an engine stop in flight in an Enstrom. It didn't take very long to bottom the lever. Flying an Enstrom makes one practice for engine failures. I am confident that if I had been in a R22 the outcome would have been no different.
The autorotational characteristics of the R22 don't concern me too much. Blades falling off worries me more and Frank is fixing that one. I do wish he would put fuel injection on it as well. Ironically, it is probably the cost of certification and beaurocracy that prevent Frank from doing this. What a crazy world.
I too would not be flying without the R22 and am grateful for it.
Last edited by Gaseous; 5th January 2005 at 01:33.