The Auditor---
Bell 205B? Which one of the possibly 6 at most in service are you referring to? BTW Bell only
ever made about 320 odd 205 Commercial aircraft. How many are still alive - 200?
With regard to all the blether about exemptions, redesigns and other waffle it
is no different to the B205A1. 9500 Internal, 10500 External, the condition being
that the load is not imposed on the gear. i.e it's picked up and dropped off in flight.
The Simplex and Isolair kits both attach to the cargo swing points which are at the gear saddles.
If these points can handle the gross weight of 2250 kg's plus the dynamic load surely 1400 kg's in
the opposite direction is of no consequence. Hardly rocket science.
What do you "dedicate" all these Mediums to in the off season. Don't say IFR/Offshore. A lead pig like that would be
useless as a firefighter. BTDT. A B3 is definitely easier to market.
Let me see - I have about 7000 odd hours in helicopters, 1000 of them in the smoke in Australia and Europe,
1200 in Bell mediums, and 400 odd in the 350. Oh! can repair most of the above legally as well. Maybe you
need a "consultant" you could pay!
Granted Chopperdr may have been handling the truth a little carelessly but a B3 would certainly keep
a Bell medium pretty honest.
helmet fire---
Let me apply the same math to the 205A1.
Average EW B205A1 2586
Pilot 90
1 hour and 20 370
3542 Bambi (1590 ltrs) 1667
Gross weight 4713
or 10388 lbs.
2000' and ISA plus 25 is a DA if the QNH is normal of at least 5000'. Quote me the performance page
in the flight manual where this happens OGE as you have imposed on the B3. From my fuddled memory you are on
the stops at about 4000' DA.
It's been about 10 years. I would say your claim of 1400 litres all day is close at those temps and altitudes.
Maybe the Auditor could measure it for you.
OK a 205A1 with a few STC's like a -17 and 212 MR dynamics etc is a completely different story, even a 212
wouldn't see which way it went.
"the 212/205 A1 will carry at least 1400 litres plus 40 litres of foam all day" - really?
Interesting to note that the Isolair tank is only physically capable of carrying 1223 litres
and that Simplex quote 1420. Are Australian Isolairs bigger?
Would love to know the weights that the UH-1's are lifting seeing that they are only certified to 9500 lbs maximum
in all cases. And people wonder why they break. A UH-1 is not a "205".
The B3 next to me weighs 1252 empty
EW 1252
Pilot 90
1 plus 20 180
Simplex Tank 115
Water 1000
Gross weight 2637
Ex the 350B3 Flight manual 2000' ISA + 25 OGE Hover = 2640 kg. Just but still OGE. This would give you about a 200' drop
from above the highest point in South West WA. So I guess at lower temps and heights you could pick up the claimed
1100 litres.
Sounds like you may have the smoke but forgotten the mirrors with your guess. Would love to see some REAL numbers as
to what is lifting what in AUS. Maybe the Auditor should pedal his wares down there.
Red Wine--- Yes there is more than one helicopter operator in Australia. The one that got the contract has been in operation
since 1955. Interesting to note that their hydraulic accessory drive that was developed years ago still powers all the 315B
Lama tank installations here in Europe.
"I'll bring my own fish and chips thanks"