To: Helo Teacher
I'll have to check my map for location. Evidently, even maps can be wrong.
The subject R22 that suffered the dynamic rollover was owned by Canadian Helicopters Ltd.-Eastern Division. I saw it at the local airport in Le Cedres about five miles from my home. I believe that the accident occured in the Eastern Provences and was trucked to the home base in Le Cedres. Although it really didn't suffer much damage from an an observers point of view it was stricken from the books and it was at that time owned by the insurance company.
Relative to the wear on the teeter journals these two heads came off of R22s that were owned by Geneva Aviation and to my knowledge were not used in training. In the hangar next to Geneva Aviation was a helicopter training school that was set up to train Japanese Students. They wouldn't let me near their maintenance shops as I wanted to check their rotorheads for the same problem.
I wanted to check the rotorhead on the dynamic rollover helicopter but it had been removed and packed up in a shipping crate.
Regarding my comments about the FAA Handbook I also indicated in an above post to Kyrilian that most textbooks get it wrong as well. Check above post for that comment.
Regarding your wanting to perform a test. I would appreciate it if you would perform two tests both of which require that you enter the hover with the cyclic stick in the rigged neutral position. You might have to have the assistance of a mechanic to help you establish that point.
When you lift off and start flying forward make sure that the cyclic is moved in a line parallel to the longitudinal centerline. Not to the left and not to the right. Pass through transverse flow without correcting (assuming this won't get you into trouble).
Check to see which way the helicopter is flying. Is it going straight ahead or is it going to the left? Now, perform the same check and make any necessary corrections. Is there any perceptible difference in stick position relative to where it was in the first test?
------------------
The Cat