Nooby wrote:
Mechta, is what you are describing a civil version of the AW101 or CH-53?
The AW101 is civil certified but
AFAIK there is only one in service in Japan.
I bet a civil version of either of them is oooooo so expensive!
I'm not proposing any existing helicopter. What I am proposing is that the helicopter is a little more than a carrier for a pod which could separate in a controlled manner from the rest of the helicopter and is sufficiently strong and watertight that occupants would not need to leave it in the event of landing in the sea. The S-64 Skycrane is the best known of the basic helicopter + pod concepts, but the Kamov 226 is another example.
Ideally the helicopter's crew would also be contained in the pod, although as this would probably require synthetic vision (video screens instead of windows) for pod strength and non-mechanical control connections for ease of separation, I can't see this being popular with pilots.
The freefall lifeboat is used to describe the pod, as it is a strong safety capsule with energy absorbing seats designed to be dropped into the sea from a considerable height.
Diginagain wrote:
Here's a novel idea; rather than the CAA, invite senior executives from OGUK to try a session in the dunker.
Agreed 100%