PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Tailrotor failure - is it always unrecoverable ?
Old 20th Sep 2017, 13:08
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BOBAKAT
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Thaïland
Age: 67
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First, you have two know about the main failure about Tail rotor :
1/ lost of control = pedal, cable, anything change the pitch of the blade but blade runing always
2/lost of part or totally Tail rotor : driving shaft, blade, tail gear box =blade no more runing properly.
Two cases totally different to manage, but you have to identify what happen first..
in case 1, you only lose the "pedal" control of your tail rotor, that'is the simpliest case. Take a look on your T/r if you can to understand whathappen, then, take your time, choice a big and flat safe place to land. On most of the helicopter manual, they say "Perform autorotation". It's trus, but you have another way : make a very flat approach, accept the yaw and keep the nose be to the right or left (depend the rotor clockwise or not). when you are nearly to the touch down low rate of descent low speed, apply slowly the pitch to put the nose "on line" with the frame and slide slowly until stop. Then put the pitch down, shut down and go to the Bar drink a Beer....
In the case No. 2, it's a little more creepy. i got a training by a pilot who's had experiment IRL .. on after the training, it and i'm not sure to do the same thing if happen really to me...
So, when you lose part or totally of the blade the CG change and you lean and you have the nose to go down . All of that happen fast...very fast.
At this time, reduce the speed if needed. Remind that to go straight and maintain altitude, you have to admit the bank and the nose down Take your time ( not too long, you don't know if the T/R maybe destroy the rest of your tail...) to choice a really good place to perform an autorotation...And do it......BUT, you have to know something : All your instrument byair managed are totally false ! Speed/rate of descent/ altitude..The bank and the nose down change the wind in the static plug and dynamic.. So if you have a GPS or another electronic system, trust him for the speed...If not : trust yourself for manage the speed, your rate of descent and perform your autorotation.....Good luck....
I never see this procedure on any manual and nobody train me on , except a old Jungle pilot who's experiment that the sling rope and the hook bump and destroy his Tail rotor. Thanks to him
Sure, to explain the both procedure i take the best case : some speed, and not to close to the ground...
If no speed, try to gain some speed to put some air on your fin and be little be "online" to perform case 1 or 2.
If close to the ground, look like final approach, ( i had experiment it IRL ) PITCH DOWN ! if not you make the weathercock very fast.. It's better to crash on your skids than turning until not controlled crash...
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