PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - PHI Crash in Louisiana Jan 2009 - 8 Dead, 1 Injured
Old 25th Feb 2009, 05:48
  #254 (permalink)  
ramen noodles
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
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It is safe to say that NO civil helicopter is stronger than the S76 in terms of bird strike safety, except the S92, the EC225 and the AW-139, the only civil helos to meet the new bird strike standard.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for all of us who fly older, grandfathered machines. And it is not just windshields that are vulnerable, the drive shaft covers, blades, engines, and controls.

The same can be said of crashworthy fuselages, fuel tanks, turbine burst protection, flaw tolerant structure (note that the S92 and AW139 fully meet the new FAR/JAR, the EC225 meets selected paragraphs only).

It would be good for ppruners to learn the certification rules for their helicopter, and for the machines they are looking to buy, and seek machines that have the highest level of protection available.
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