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Old 11th Jun 2007, 08:02
  #217 (permalink)  
Oracle
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: UK
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Angel 412s..............

Yup, Wings, the 2S11 switch is pretty standard these days. Anyone who ever suffered from the old 212 roof relays failing during starter load, with the resultant loss of 5 to 8 volts during the critical phase of start will remember why! (The engine hangs up at @12% NR, you have no voltage left to blow it through and the hot end burns out happily as the ITT passes 900 degrees C going UP!). Starting one of those puppies with flat ni-cads was a one-armed paperhanging exercise! The 2s11 switch 'remedies' this problem as only Bell (Product Liability) Textron Corp could. Problem is, all Bells were designed to start Number 1 engine first and 2 second (an Army pilot arithmentical logic process, I believe) so there is that bias in the (il)logic of the electrical system design, rather than true parity. As most 212 and 412 operators alternate 'first start' engines each day to spread wear, this can make it 'interesting' when starting number 2 first - especially on the odd-ball machine having a reluctance in its No 2 self-energizing generator relay! This is why it is often easier when starting Number 2 to quickly 'whip' the No. 2 start/gen switch straight up to reset and then straight back down to ON without stopping halfway (after 70% has been attained) to get the genny on line. When starting No 1, the Start/Gen switch will normally just switch straight on as advertised without resetting first. Similarly, some starter-generators will drop the respective battery bus switch off when start button has been engaged. This often confuses newbies until the magic finger reaches up, reselects the affected Bat Bus Bar Switch back ON and the start continues as advertised. - It was so just so much easier on the UH-1/B205!!! Of course then you had to remember NOT to try selecting the starter/generator on if you had been foolish enough to start with a falling battery voltage during crank (<14v) as one of my old Squadron Commanders proved when - despite warnings - he did this and several horrified people (inlcuding himself) watched the nosedoor and battery blow off the front of the aircraft! The Halcyon Days of knackered Ni-Cads! Lead-acids are the real deal!

As for 412 EP fits. -Standard offshore machines with external float kit, internal ADELTs (as all are now, I believe). I gather some operators without the floats do get slightly more from beeping down for cruise, but as I warned of before, the damage done to the rotating components (EP especially in climb) at 97% by far outweighs the perceived minimal fuel-burn saving, let alone the transient beep switch torque spikes which have been known to catch far too many tired 7-hour a day offhsore pilots without their brains-in-gear! As for quietness - well, man - IT'S A BELL! A little blade-slap is your personal acoustic signature! Heading Front Line with a 412? Definitely want 100% on!!!! (and clean underwear and lots of Kevlar Armour-plating - preferably in a 412B!)

In the end, Keep It Simple Stupid usually works better as a company policy in mixed-crew reality - so 100%NR across the non-OEI board is easier, safer and protects the aircraft, crew and passengers better from unintentional transient 'beeping' damage and excessive wear on your precious rotating 'bits'!

Happy Trails!
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