To: RW-1
It is you who have missed the point. In order to certificate the Robinson design or for that matter any helicopter design the aircraft must accomplish certain test goals. Two of these goals are to demonstrate sideslip and out of trim flight at a specific speed and for a specific period.
In 1994 it was discovered that if you were to attempt either of these two maneuvers you would encounter severe flapping with attendant mast bumping or rotor incursion. The AD was written and Robinson entered a part of the AD in the POH on an unnumbered and therefore unofficial page.
My main point is if it was discovered in 1994 that mast bumping would be encountered if you did a sideslip or flew the helicopter out of trim then why wasn’t this discovered in the certification flight-testing. If a pilot wants to perform these maneuvers the helicopter is completely capable of doing so and this is demonstrated all the time by cattle musterers in Oz. It is a matter of self-protection for Robinson helicopters and if something happens when you do either of these maneuvers, it is pilot error.
That is why I continually state that if the Robinson design were presented for certification at this point in time and Frank told the FAA that his helicopter could not perform those maneuvers they would tell him to take a hike.
PS It is spelled pedestal.
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Lu Zuckerman ]