Originally Posted by
P3 Bellows
Crab,
Are you saying we need an "old helicopter"?
If the UK Mil was going to carry on SARing what would be your aircraft of choice - the Wessex?
21st century Wessex.
... ... ...
Jim - the 189 is a modern helicopter and will therefore have a high disc loading (AUM/Disc area) so it will have a fierce downwash regardless of being lighter than the S92. As engines have become more powerful it has allowed designers to reduce the size of the rotors and push air quicker through the fan - that equals faster downwash.
20 minutes ago, I wrote to a MR colleague: "Kintail have done a lot of helicopter training with both Sea King and S-92, pushing the boundaries of regulatory training restrictions, taking the downwash issue on board, and doing lots of Highline in the most extreme circumstances. Our approach to the downwash issue has been along the lines of 'train hard, fight easy' and I would encourage all teams to take that same approach as we near the roll-out of the new service."
Originally Posted by
Vie sans frontieres
How can you be so certain about an aircraft that has yet to be flown in the mountains? What are its handling characteristics like? How stable is it in the hover? How does it respond to turbulence?
My level of confidence in those matters is driven principally by the words of highly qualified informants
who have comprehensive SAR flying experience and experience of flying the AW189 prototypes. Supporting evidence includes the family history (AW149 & AW139), the spec, and the manner in which aspects of that spec exceed the DfT spec.
Originally Posted by
Vie sans frontieres
Hoping desperately that stretchers can be squeezed in is great until you actually have to try and perform a medical intervention. Have you tried doing an anaesthetist's grip from anywhere other than the head end?
It is worth noting that MERT guys talk of Merlin being too small and only a Chinook will do when there is serious work to do. Nothing will ever be big enough in UK SAR.
========================================
Published rear cabin interior dimensions in the AW189.
Cabin max length 3.47m
Cabin max width 2.43m
Cabin max height 1.42m
Cabin volume 11.2m3
(The AW149 cabin is slightly longer due to the absence of a front bulkhead. The volume is 11.6m3. Milanese Pavehawk.)