Hi Heli Aerobatic fans.
Just a little more info for the pot.
I co piloted for Mike Meger, Enstrom test pilot in the 70's for the world championships in 1973. He won the freestyle event. (PFM won't allow the routine to be called - aerobatics) He took me through the handling so I was able to display a semi aero routine at Farnborough 1974- 1980.
Since then I've completed the same display on Enstrom 280, Hughes 300, Hughs/MD 500 and Enstrom 480. I'm up to 378 public displays, plus as many practices. Every three years or so a World Freestyle championships is held, but it is always a little publicised, little attended event. I've been placed 5th, 1st and a most recent third at the eleventh championships in Austria last year. I feel if the Lynx boys had been allowed to take part, a military first place would have been achieved every year. Q Smith has won this event and a Japanese pilot took the 2002 title on a R22 !! But a fine display.
The real master was of course, Charlie Zimmerman - the German who won the event in two consecutive events using the fixed head B105. A phenomenal display routine.
All the types I fly can be looped and the handling I use on the Enstrom is as follows.
Up to 100 knots S & L, with aft cyclic, although translational flap back also brings the nose up. At the 90 degree point with the disc level and at 70 knots, firm aft cyclic looking over the shoulder for the horizon to come round. At 60 knots, lever is going down and providing the disc is still held level AND a minimum of 40 knots is on the dial, aft cyclic can be maintained to pull through to the descent with lever still being down. As the vertical is passed speed will build to 60 knots which is monitored with cyclic and raised lever. The S & L attitude is usually reached at the entry speed of 100 knots.
This routine is only adviseable over 1000 feet, since any speed error results in considerable height loss. Being a small helicopter, my full display is performed at 400 feet for an effective show. I have 'split the needles' with too much down lever when inverted, but overall all my manoeuvres have been observed by Enstrom flight test department and considered safe. On a personal basis, I have flown the full routine with an eight inch balsa wood dorsal fin extension to check on blade travel and tell tale markings on M/R dampers, so I am happy to go on displaying until the doc tells me to stop !
Mott Stanchfield in Florida flew my routine a few good years before me and quite a few other 'nutty pilots' also enjoy showing off the capabilities of the various articulated head marques.
A final note. Please don't try this at home without some guidance.
Good flying out there.
Rotorboy.