PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Flying Pumas
Thread: Flying Pumas
View Single Post
Old 24th Jan 2008, 23:43
  #31 (permalink)  
Fareastdriver
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5,222
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
"When your light & turning right, best be careful else you'll get a fright!"
and don't be afraid to use differential braking.

It always amazes me to watch pilots boot a Puma around the ground with legfulls of tail rotor. The manufacturers went to a great deal of trouble to but brakes in for the pilots (for Bristow read pilot) to use for maneuvering on the ground. There is nothing unusual about it, thousands and thousands of single piston or jet aircraft HAVE to do it.

The original tail boom/pylon attachment fitted to the Puma was more than adequate to cater for the aerodynamic loads but it been pilots trying to twist the pylon off ground taxiing that has led to the doubling, and now, trebling plates on the joint.

Don't throw in the old chestnut that the manufacturer did not expect the aircraft to taxi so much on offshore work. The French military taxi theirs for miles.

I personally always initiate any sort of an appreciable turn with brake and normal a couple of toefuls will do. Slight correction with the tail rotor to control the rate of turn but large elements need more brake.

If the brakes don't work properly or the nosewheel resists the turn. Get them fixed.

Last edited by Fareastdriver; 25th Jan 2008 at 03:18.
Fareastdriver is offline