PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Zulu
View Single Post
Old 12th Dec 2016, 13:09
  #8 (permalink)  
Otterotor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Age: 69
Posts: 68
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Marines AH-1Z Zulu

Congratulations to the United States Marine Corp helicopter flight crews for sixteen years (5840 days) of mishap / accident free operation of their AH-1Z Viper Helo with original design main and tail rotors.
Was there an event back in 2005? Yes, at flight test over Leonardtown, Md. The data point was intended to be the 1.11 Vne (222 KCAS) and 3.5 G's symmetrical pullup. The recorded data shows 3.7 G's and 223 KCAS. All four cuffs contacted their respective upstops which resulted in compressive buckling failure of each cuff (which was the predicted failure mode). The aircraft (it is not an airplane) subsequently landed with high vibes as the cuffs were no longer as stiff torsionally as they were designed to be. So, a shaky landing on the local golf course but aircraft and personnel survived, I talked with them and visually inspected the cuffs. The data point was slightly outside the design envelope and well outside the operating envelope. It did not go down on my personal log as an accident.


First Flight: 10 December 2000, Reported Accidents: 0
Main Rotor Redesigns: One (1) initiated & pursued for approximately ten years (and $80 mil) with no results to show for it. Zero redesigns completed, implemented or incorporated.


OORAH! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Otterotor is offline