No small UK helis

[bugdevheli]

Why do we have to go to the USA, Belgium, or Italy to find anyone producing or developing a light helicopter. Have all our designers and engineers emigrated, or have the people here that control our lives in the UK tightened the screw one turn too many?

[ppheli]

Are you saying that the CAA have grounded your latest Bug then?

[Thomas coupling]

:suspect: :suspect: :uhoh:

[Dave_Jackson]

There are a few more people in other countries working towards a light helicopter, but darn few. The problem appears to be a global one, and I would suggest that it relates to cost and to safety.

The cost of a helicopter pilot's license is relatively insignificant when compared to the cost of a large helicopter, but it is a very significant when compared to the cost of a light recreational helicopter. IMHO, the proliferation of light helicopters will significantly increase when they become significantly easier to fly.

Consider the helicopter pilot with its three flight controls; the cyclic, the collective and the pedals. A helicopter with twin laterally mounted main rotors does not have a tail rotor. Therefore, just like an airplane, it should be able to be flown without using the pedals.

In addition, the response to a cyclic input can take approximately six times as long as the response to a collective input. As the flapping hinge offset on a rotor is increased, the cyclic response time is shortened. In fact, an absolutely rigid rotor should give very fast responses to cyclic inputs, and in addition, the absolutely rigid rotor should increase the response rate of the collective slightly.

This craft should be easier to fly than an airplane. Therefore, this in turn should result in a new category of pilot's license that is cheaper than the comparable fixed-wing pilot's license.

The above will also contribute to the safety of flying. The proliferation of the low cost pilot's license will increase the sales of such craft, and this will result in further safety, due to improved reliability.


Just an opinion.

[bugdevheli]

ppheli. Bugs grounded! nooooo. Very soon skies full of them. CAA have been constructive and helpfull. Keep looking up I may be doing a 50ft engine off auto into your back yard soon. Regards Bug.:D :D :D

[Head Turner]

I did hear rumours of one under development at Cranfield.
Was expected to be radical and going some way to better all previous designs.
Maybe it's been shelved or gone off to the skunk works

[CRAN]

There is a UK project as headturner describes, but no information is publically available yet.

[ppheli]

Are we talking about the Belgiam Masquto design here? I know there was Cranfield involvement in that. There have been 3 of these on the G register since 1997/8 - G-MASX, Y, Z and a website at http://www.masquito.be

[Head Turner]

The above web site for Masquito make for very interesting reading for those inquisitive minds. It clearly shows what background work goes into even the smaller rotary craft. We learn something everyday of what goes into getting us into the air. There is another ultra lite in the works by the name of Ezycopter which is using a co-axial design.

[stoutfella]

The Helicopter Museum at W-s-M (off J21 of the M5) has a Cierva Rotorcraft Grasshopper III, G-AWRP, in its collection. Built in 1969 at Redhill, Surrey as a experimental 5-seat coaxial rotor helicopter it was powered by two Rolls-Royce Continental IO-300-C 6-cylinder piston engines. The engines are missing - anyone know of any such engines that could be donated to the museum? - but the rest of the airframe is in remarkably good condition. The design looks "okay" to me - just needs more modern engine(s) (a C-250 variant perhaps?) - no reason why it shouldn't be used as the basis for a new UK-designed and built machine.

As always, just a thought .......................

http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/british.htm

[Buitenzorg]

In vino veritas they say...

British engineers are second to none when it comes to innovation and clever solutions to the most bedevilling technical problems. Witness the achievements of british aeronautical engineers throught the sixties or so (TSR-2 and Fairey Rotodyne to name but two), the near-monopoly of british engineers in Formula 1 racing etc.

Equally, british civil servants are second to none when it comes to stifling individual initiative, senseless bureaucracy and red tape by the country mile (TSR-2 and Fairey Rotodyne to name but two).

Eventually, the brilliant engineers have to make a choice: do I wish to achieve the maximum possible within my chosen field and maybe see one of my ideas take flight, or do I want to continue living in Britain? Can't have it both ways.

Another rum and coke please.

[Jcooper]

I swear I read about a twin engine piston trainer being developed too. Sounded silly to me but I believe it had 2 90horsepower or around there engines. Anyone know what Im talking about and where it is from?