Dangeroos (not the zoo kind)
Please gents ... as a long time supporter of the Menominee product can I offer two pennorth.
Yes the Enstrom can be a mongrel to start. Put that down to the 'shower of sparks' system which heralded the cold & hot start problems circa 1978 plus poor maintenance of the ignition and mixture systems.
Yes, the Enstrom can give a 'bouncy ride.' Put that down to the legion of engineers who don't have type experience or don't understand type RB tracking.
Yes, a ridiculous clutch engagement system. Put that down to a poor design. Hughes and Robinson use an almost identical system but with multiple drive belts that give few problems. Fragrant 'French Chalk' will solve the noise aspect!
Yes, a poor hover performance that can require max permitted power just to hold a hover at 15 degrees OAT. Mainly due to poor maintenance again in getting the operating mixture correct. The PFM requires pilots to lean the mixture to 1550 degrees for maximum power* (not over 29 map) ... something that I've found few pilots will practice. (*or if fuel flow exceeds 130 pph)
And an item not mentioned is the rpm correlation. OK once a pilot has been instructed well and a proficient RPM aware pilot should be able to cope ... but the factory could sure do with something better. Like copying the Hughes/Schweizer/Sikorsky 300 system for a start.
BUT. BUT ... In forty years operations in the UK, there has never been a single fatal accident.
With some 6.500 type hours I've never had an engine failure and my log book tells me while instructing I've completed around 5000 full engine-off landings to the ground without a hint of difficulty.
The 225 BHP version has a ROC of 1475 fpm at max gross standard ISA. Please nominate another piston type that matches that.
The Enstrom has a seven cubic feet luggage locker. (100lbs weight capacity on 28F or FX) Please nominate another three-seat design that can beat that.
The Enstrom can be trimmed to fly 'hands & feet off' for as long as one wishes. Please nominate another type that can better that.
Properly electronically tracked, the Enstrom can be brought down to .1 IPS in the hover. With forward flight vibration level dittoed, the type can be as smooth as any type, piston or turbine, I've flown in 14,000 hours.
VNE is 117 on the 280 version. If leaned to 1650 degrees in the cruise the Enstrom turbo versions will give an 85 pph (11.75 gph) fuel-flow giving an average 240 sm still-air safe range.
The type has won a WHC 'freestyle' event three times. Nominate another type that has done that.
In fact, like owning a classic Ferrari, if one can accept the shortcomings or get them put right, Enstrom ownership can be a total delight and one might be forgiven for wondering why anyone would buy any other type in the price range! I've sold exactly 148 of the blighters. Well someone had to speak up!
Dennis K (head down again!)