Finally, a great, productive discussion about LTE and the 206! Glory be.
I think the main problem with this issue is that there has developed a whole industry full of people who've never flown a 206 but think it has a "defective" tail rotor, and that a 206B parked on the ramp with the engine shut off and the blade tied down is just moments away from snapping into an uncontrolled/uncontrollable right spin.
Look, take a gander at a side profile shot of a 206. See that big vertical fin? Looks dead sexy, but it extends above and below the tail rotor, fully beyond the t/r diameter in both directions. Hmm, do we know of any other helicopters that have this configuration? None that I can think of. [LATE EDIT: What about the BELL 222 and the AS350!]Can we imagine what that big block-off plate does to tail rotor inflow? I sure can!
You DO NOT WANT the wind from four to five o'clock in a 206; you're just asking for trouble. The wind is going to want to push the tail, giving you a right-yaw. As Gomer points out, ANY TIME you let an uncommanded right yaw rate start without stopping it, you already f*-ed up. STOP IT! STOP IT NOW! With FULL pedal if you have to. Then hold the damn pedal in and get the hell out of there - it's a bad place!
But a lot of pilots are under the mistaken impression that you can also get into "LTE" with a crosswind from the left, of all places. They seem to forget that all helicopters exhibit strong weathercock stability. If the wind is off your left, the requirement for left-pedal is diminished. If you get into LTE with a left-crosswind, you're a pretty f*-ed up pilot who should probably turn in his certs and go drive a truck. Seriously.
I mean, look at the video of the 505's first flight. See how the test pilot did that sideways hover towards the end? See which way he was hovering? Right...I mean correct, to the left! Which gave him the dreaded left-crosswind that everyone is so paranoid about. OH MY GOD!!!
Uhh, but nothing happened.
Don't give me this, "The tail rotor gets into horizontal VRS!" bullcrap. It does not. And don't give me this, "The main rotor vortices interact and interfere with the tail rotor thrust!" bullcrap either. Those are all just girly, whiny excuses instead of just admitting that your piloting skills are so poor. KEEP THE DAMN NOSE STRAIGHT WITH THE PEDALS, ALRIGHT? I know you're already preoccupied making your two inept hands try to do the right things on the controls - I know that. But don't forget about your feet! They're in the fight as well. Use 'em or lose 'em.
The 206 tail rotor is fine, especially the one on the B-III. Don't fly the ship OGE, below ETL with the wind off your rear and you'll be fine too. In other words, don't do that U.S. Army NOE crap and you *might* not crash.
Last edited by FH1100 Pilot; 19th Nov 2014 at 01:21.