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Old 8th Dec 2010, 09:42
  #85 (permalink)  
Thomas coupling
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
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The 902 is doomed. Its the illigitimate child of two uncaring parents: LT and Joep. It's part built all over the place and brought together somewhere else. There is a disconnect between the OEM and EASA QA. Parts are forever slipping through the airworthiness checks and measures (paperwork not quality). The beast itself is nothing revolutionary. Hiding the fan at the back inside the tail cone has in fact reduced its aerodynamic performance and increased its payload. It's still exposed to the idiosyncracies of the dreaded TR failure - so what was the point. [Unless of course you use the monotonous argument that it's safer to operate around in a confined space because the spinner is missing].
I for one actually see it now as looking tired and awkward. The 70's ergonomics in the cockpit layout (metalwork, not avionics), the busy rotor head, the agricutural body work.

Everything's against it. How many left in the UK now? Any future development? Any customers? Doomed, I say...they're all doomed Captain.
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