Pitts, set against Bristow's 100,000 hr trouble-free flight time in the EC225, and the detailed investigations culminating in the cleaning and checking for corrosion of the affected areas, and the cockpit MOD45 alarm, just how likely do you think we are to encounter another shaft failure resulting in ditching?
So a) it aint going to happen and b) if it did, why do you think there is another failure mode that has never manifested itself in the history of the fleet? Doom-mongering perhaps?
Prior to MOD45 cockpit warning, if there had been another failure mode affecting this parameter, it would only be known about on return to base, just like all the other M'ARMS parameters.
So yes, maybe the aircraft will blow into tiny smithereens with blood sprayed all over the airport when it first lifts into the hover, but its more likely that the crew will be beamed out of the cockpit by aliens to be experimented on in orbit whilst the helicopter carries on until it runs out of fuel.
By the way, regardless of what the SIN says, the SB and Flight Manual Supplement for the MOD45 cockpit monitoring says, in the even of a MOD45 exceed, "Limit duration of flight, maximum flight time in MOD45 exceed 2 hours" and fly at 65% torque.
Which is not the same as "land as soon as possible" since the latter puts you on a helideck somewhere in the N Sea - and then what do you do - whereas the former allows you to return to a land airport, hopefully a base with engineering support.
Last edited by HeliComparator; 11th Jul 2013 at 15:41.