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Old 12th Aug 2008, 23:42
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BlenderPilot
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
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It took place in Ecuador . . .

On the 206 L4 you will hit the left pedal stop with about 85% torque when you are heavy and at altitude, I know because I flew L3 and L4 models at DA 8000+ feet during years, actually I still do at least ones every 15 days.

The 206L4 and to a lesser but still considerable degree the L3, has a small rotor that doesn't produce enough thrust to counter MR torque at higher altitudes with high power settings, (I think it's just certified to 17 knots of crosswind) as I said before, in calm wind with a DA of about 8 or 9 thousand feet YOU WILL hit the pedal stop with about 80% torque applied, now if you decide to apply even the slightest amount of power beyond that, or any sort of tail or wind from the left comes, you will spin.

If you dare take off too heavy at altitude on the L4, once those skids are airborne and you start spinning, you either try to depart with usually fatal results, or you come back to the ground spinning, which in some terrains can mean disaster.

Thus the High Altitude Tail Rotor Kit.

Some people call this LTE, but it's no mysterious phenomenon, it's just an underpowered tail rotor, poor design.

Nick Lappos used to point this all the time, but as he now works for Bell H, I doubt he's able to do so now, I probably wouldn't if I were in his place.

This is another video of a 206L3 suffering from the same poor design at altitude, on this one I am flying the other 206L3 that you can see on the video . . .

206L LTE.
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