Quote:
Using my helmet in a R22 or R44 is kind of a problem, as the low RRPM warning horn gets so muffled by the sound isolation of the helmet, that it's hardly noticeable. Therefore I prefer not to use a helmet on these aircrafts as I worry I won't hear the horn in a low RRPM situation. Is there any solution to it?
"... one day I had a solo flight to OKC for maintanance, and had my music cranked up a little louder than when I have pax with me (not excessivly loud) and was surprised that I could barely hear the horn on my check. "
The FAA Technical Panel Final Report (17 March 1995) proposed the following:
Design Changes
Provide low rotor RPM warning horn through the intercom system.
Interesting. I've had problems with my Lightspeed Zulu-2 headset masking the low RPM horn in some Robinson aircraft. I called Robinson technical support and asked that they start piping it into the intercom and they politely refused.
Then, in September I brought it up during the R66 course and Tim Tucker said "we tested the David Clark and the Bose and it wasn't a problem and it would add weight so we won't do it". I said it
was a problem with my Lightspeed but they basically seem to feel that since nobody has died yet from not hearing the low RPM horn they don't need to address it (and of course if there is a fatal you probably won't know that the pilot couldn't hear the horn, just that for some reason he never lowered the collective).
So granted it's probably shouldn't be the top priority, but it's one that could be solved at modest cost and probably with no weight increase at all. Perhaps someone will do an aftermarket device...