Helicopter records

[widgeon]

Read about an English Chappie claiming an FAI record for 1000 kg ( class e) piston helicopter of 50 kph !!.

Is this right 50 kph is hardly breakneck speed. Anyone know what model it was ?

Neil

[CRAN]

Widgeon,

Since it's Quintin Smith (of HeliAIR) I would guess its an R44, but you could e-mail them to find out for sure www.heliair.com There are some folks on the forum that SFH from heliair that would most likely know.

Cheers
CRAN

[Heliport]

widgeon

The helicopter was an R44.
The FAI record is for: Speed over a recognised course by a piston engine helicopter in the 1000-1750kg t/o weight category. The course is Ward Hunt Island (off Ellesmere Island) - the North Pole.

I think the clock continues to run through all stops. If I'm right about that, it would explain what seems like a low average speed for a speed record.

The "English Chappie" is Quentin Smith, a flight instructor chappie who is one of the owners of HeliAir (Denham), a Robinson distributor and one of the top helicopter training schools here in the UK.
Much more important, he also contributes to Rotorheads! :cool:

Come to think about it, he hasn't contributed much recently - Q? :confused:

[Grainger]

Probably 'cos he's been at the North Pole !

Nice one, Q: well done ! congratulations to you and Steve.

[Q max]

North Pole by Helicopter

Yes ... just got back to UK

The point of the trip is not so much to break records - but really for the helicopter profile and to help further the general cause.

However it is an absoloutly stunning place to stand and be.

We actually camped overnight (whatever that means there) - my first camping trip!

...not consitent with a speed record , but record agencies don't like to record firsts since there's no 'repeat business' - they call them 'speed records' so there is someting to 'beat'.

Our trip around the world in an R44 in 1997 was also called a speed record - although that was not really the point...

Happy flying.
Q

[Q max]

Anyone know of any others who have landed there by helicopter? Did Dick Smith land (they still remember him in Resolute Bay).

[widgeon]

Thanks guys makes a bit more sense now , now what is the record Pole to Pole in a helicopter ?.

[Heliport]

widgeon
Don't know the answer, or even if it's been done. If you're interested in such things, you'll find a host of useful (and useless) data at the FAI site (http://records.fai.org/rotorcraft/)
Amongst other things, you'll find that the record for a rotorcraft flight from Chicago to New York is 331.39 km/h. It was set in 1980 and is still unbroken.
The pilot was someone called 'Nicholas D. Lappos' flying an S-76.
Unusual name, sounds vaguely familiar. :confused:

[Lu Zuckerman]

To: Q Max

In 1952 I was flight crew on both a Sikorsky S-51 and a Bell HTL-1 and landed on Ellesmere Island but quite a bit North of Resolute Bay. We were on a re-supply mission operating from the CGC Eastwind bringing new crew and equipment to the weather station at Alert on Dumbbell Bay. On that cruise we set the record for the furthest North transit by a ship under its’ own power. I believe the US Coast Guard and the Canadian Coastguard have since broken that record.

:D

[attackattackattack]

Does the Lynx still hold the world speed record? I was never sure how valid the Wastelands claim was.

If not what does?

[CRAN]

It certainly does my friend!

The claims about the invalidity of the record I believe were due to the claim made by some that the engine was operated in a turboprop mode i.e. some thrust out the back and hence Lynx was a thrust compounded helicopter. This was not really the case, the exhaust pipe was modified but it was purely as a drag reduction. Traditionally the exhaust on the Lynx exits sideways which incurres a significant momentum drag. By allowing the pipe to exhaust rearwards and using some clever duct design much of that needless drag created can be elliminated.

The world speed record for standard configuration helicopters stands at 249.09 mph by G-LYNX (which incidently is still being used as a research aircraft)

CRAN

:) :D :)

[Rollingthunder]

Sunday, February 16, 2003

HALIFAX -- A military helicopter airlifted 20 crew members from the deck of a crippled Spanish vessel off the southeast coast of
Newfoundland on Sunday after the ship issued a mayday call.

The crew was taken to Marystown, Nfld., from the trawler Arcay by a Cormorant helicopter, which set what's believed to be a record by carrying 25 people, including its own crew of five, to shore in one trip.

National Post.

Brave guys.

[Nick Lappos]

No. A Sea Hawk (Jay Hawk) of the US Coast Guard lifted 26 survivors from a foundering cargo ship off the eastern US coast about 2 years ago. I would imagine there might have been a large lift in the Sea King past, as well. Anyone?

Details found:

On 17 December 2000, 34 crew members of SeaBreeze I were rescued off the coast of Cape Charles, Va. The vessel was en route to Charleston, S.C., for repairs when the engine room began flooding. Rescue Coordination Center Norfolk, Va., directed three HH-60 Jayhawks and two C-130 Hercules from CGAS Elizabeth City, N.C., to rescue the crew. The C-130 first on scene coordinated the effort for the helicopters. The first Jayhawk brought 26 crewmen on board and the remaining eight crewmen, including the captain, were rescued by the second Jayhawk. The survivors were treated for mild hypothermia at NAS Oceana, Va. All were released but one victim, who was taken to a Virginia Beach hospital.

See: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/2001/mar-apr/pppm-a1.html

[Old Man Rotor]

17 plus the 4 of us in a 412.........all 17 winched off roof tops...........is that some sort of warped record ??..........they were kids, mums, dad,s and the grandfolk [including the family cat and dog]......all wet, cold and miserable..........

[Captain Lai Hai]

4 crew + 15 savages with weapons and packs in a UH 1H boungainville 92
and 11 in a hughes 500 earthquake evacuation ramu valley PNG 94 excluding the chickens and pigs

em tasol yu pela tok tok maus warra tomas

[CyclicRick]

I heard about 107 bods in a Chinook in Vietnam, mind you they don't weigh much do they it was probably a space problem more than anything!

[t'aint natural]

The Sea Breeze Jayhawks also had a crew of four, of course, so two up front and 28 in back - and they switched off the aircon to save fuel. Got up to 45 degrees in there I'm told.

[Aesir]

142 POB in a Mi-26 in Tetjenia, was shot down by missile and only at about 50% payload.

Although the Mi-26 is only registered for 80 pax it can carry a whole lot more.

I have also had 4 POB in my S-300 legally! Pilot, Female, child & infant under 2 years.

[Rollingthunder]

This has gone in an interesting direction.

I think the article was asking if it was a record for the type.

BTW, the ship was ice encrusted and listing 30 degrees. Seas state 7 metre waves, wind gusts to 35 mph.

[baldspot]

Not sure how many lifts they made but the Bristow S-61 working for the Coastguard out of Sumburgh holds the UK rescue record after picking up 56 crew from a vessel off Shetland.

There's a mention of it online:

"In November 1993 the 2581 GRT Latvian registered klondyker, the Lunohods, broke her anchor whilst manoeuvring in a Force 10 southerly storm. She was high in the water, having little fuel and no cargo and was driven ashore against Kirkabister Ness. All the crew escaped in what still holds the record as the biggest helicopter rescue in Britain. The Coastguard helicopter crew braved buffeting from the high winds to winch 56 crewmen to safety from the ship. Three others were picked up from a life raft and one crewman apparently swam ashore.
The ship's cat was rescued from the vessel a few days later."

Hats off to the crew and to the poor lifeboat lot who had to go back for the moggy!

On the other point, I recall asking a loadie on an RAF Chinook how many squaddies he could get in the back.

"Oh about 50.....unless its Gurkhas. We just pile them in until we can't fit any more.":D

[SASless]

B Model Chinook....Que Son Valley, Vietnam.....138 Vietnamese...plus crew of five ....folded seats up...closed cargo hatch in floor....everyone standing up....rolled forward and trod on the brakes....as the mob shifted forward...raised ramp with 20 more. Then off....barely!


Also, unit lost an A model Chinook near Song Be, Vietnam....best my memory serves me 53 dead Vietnamese, 1 Crewman killed retrieving injured and trapped Vietnamese, Flight Platoon Dog died as well....4 crew, 12 Special Forces, 17 Vietnamese survived. Caused by an engine failure on takeoff.

[bushbum]

I just watched a show on two people ( female and male instructor) who flew a R22 around the world. Now they are planning on a solo attempt at this. I dont know about you, but this seems like madness to me. Although that instructor guy did look very crazy, with that goatee and all. You cheat death once, and now you want to do it again. That little chopper looked like a toy, the whole piston engine thing, and the open ocean...well, it gives me the creeps. As a fixed wing pilot, this seems like madness but I am interested on what you fling wing boys have to say on the matter. Is this instructor know for doing stunts like this, and why is he still flying that little toy. You would think someone with his experience could get on a turbine machine.

Regards

BB

[Red Wine]

This has been done in Bi-planes, in Jets, Row Boats, Jet Rangers and Bath Tubs............really there is not much of a challenge anymore.

A good GPS will do all the hard work for you...and work out your ETA's and hence fuel to the litre.,,,,so the challenge becomes that of urinary and backside endurance.

And of course the various countries which provide the SAR coverage for these modern day "mavericks" will pick up the cost of retrieving them when they screw it up.

Perhaps they just wanted to be alone......:E

[whirlycopter]

He unfortunately had a less succesful adventure which is discussed in the following thread.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79533

Fortunately all survived but didn't win many friends within the SAR community.

[Thomas coupling]

I wonder if they can get insurance cover for this type of stunt?

[Grainger]

'Q' and Jennifer Murray flew an R44 around the world quite successfully thank you in 1997, raising a lot of money for charity in the process.

Jennifer flew her R44 solo around the world in 2000, again very successfully.

Sounds like the program was both ill-informed and a bit out of date.

[Whirlybird]

If you can do it in an R44, why not an R22? If you can manage to carry enough fuel somehow, and don't mind living in the same clothes for however long it takes - you have no luggage space and after taking essentials and fuel I doubt if you could manage the weight for even a toothbrush. But in my wilder moments I've thought about it vaguely...simply because it's never been done before. I could never afford it though. Someone once said to me that Jennifer Murray hadn't done anything I couldn't do, if I had her money. Very flattering, I've no idea if it's true or not, but I'll never find out, because I never will have her money. :{ But good luck to her, if she's the one attempting it!

[SASless]

Somehow I have this nagging worry the nexus of an R-22 and extended flight thereof.....connotes a short film.....and tenure on Planet Earth. Braver souls than I.....everytime I think of Robbies....I eat another big ol' greasy double cheeseburger and large size fries......in an attempt to keep my solo crew weight greater than the max crew weight for the Robbie.

[bushbum]

I am begining to understand what these pilots were doing. Sounds like the instructor Q has done some crazy stuff in his day. What I dont understand is why Q would want to fly that little toy. In the video I watched it looks like if you ever had to move the control stick to fast the thing might just fall off. Most instuctors I know want to move on to fly bigger and better, and you would think with his fame he would have no problem getting on something that doesnt have mags. I give him credit, I would rather tie a buch of helium ballons around my waist and float that way, then jump in that tiny machine.

[Grainger]

First - clearly a machine that can fly twice around the world without incident could hardly be classified as a "toy".

I can assure you that the "control stick" :rolleyes: doesn't fall off. Oh, and we usually try to fly in such a way that you don't have to "move it too fast".

Second, how do you know that Q doesn't fly turbines as well ?

If you don't want to fly Robbos, bb, that's your choice, but why not try it ? You never know, you might actually have a bit of fun !!

[headsethair]

Two things we can all do without:

(1) Out of date Discovery Channel programmes (and people watching who can't tell the diff between a 22 and a 44).

(2) People who have never flown the Robinson product. Go to your nearest SFH airfield and fly the new Raven II. Then please report back.

[t'aint natural]

Bushbum... you're a troll, right?

[SASless]

errrr....now look....I have never had SmallPox....nor Shingles....nor Cerebral Malaria....nor one second in a Robbie......nor do I need any of those things to know I don't care to have them. A mere vicarious experience is sufficient for those with a modicum of wit. To each their own....but for me....I will double up on those fatpills just in case I get a case of terminal CRS and get into one of the things.

[Steve76]

:E I'll show them......round the globe in a Rotorway Exec. That'll take some beating by the mini 500 squad.....:}

[Whirlybird]

Steve76,
You're crazy...but can I come along too? :)

SASless,
If you don't want to fly a Robbo, that's fine, honest! Please don't feel the need to kill yourself with cholesterol related diseases, just so that we R22 pilots don't drag you to one and strap you in kicking and screaming; I promise you, we won't. On the other hand, if you want to use non-Robbo flying as an excuse to eat good tasting junk food, that's OK too.:D :D But wait a minute...smallpox and nasty spots, shingles and feeling ****ty, cerebral malaria and a high chance of death...or flying an R22 which most of us manage to do quite safely while having lots of fun? Somehow I don't quite follow the analogy...but I am a bit tired this morning.

bushbum,
The R22 is small, and underpowered in a lot of situations, but most definitely NOT a toy! Q has thousands of hours on both it and the R44, which is much bigger and looks less scary to the uninitiated. Find out about it and go for a flight before you start jumping to conclusions.

Hey, I just had an idea...how about round the world in a RAF 2000 autogyro? :eek: :eek: :eek:

[the wizard of auz]

they gotta be nuts...... I flew a C172 from west oz to Manilla in the Philippines and all that water scared me. now I aint usually scared of much at all........ but around the world in a R22, apart from sounding like alot of fun, scares me.
have trouble when I think about taking a robbo over to much bush, neverlone all that water.
I would still love to have a bash at it though.
the GPS might make life a bit easier, but believe me when I tell you that without an agent doing all ya paper work for ya it can be a friggen nightmare....... I did it.

[Head Turner]

Just one question.

Who foots the bill when things go wrong and they have to be rescued.

I'd like to know, maybe they'll insure me for some record breaking daredevil stuff

[Bladestrike]

I'm certainly not going to make any friends here but I'll admit to not liking flying the Robbie very much

....all kinds of placards of "Don't Push Here" and "Don't Pull There" and a rotor brake that looks disturbingly like the chain I use to pull on and off my basement lights, and a foamy cyclic grip that wouldn't be found on the cheapest kid's bike.

I've flown Bell 47's with various engines, wood blades as well as the metal ones, Hughes 300's and 500's, all the 206's (A,B,L,L-1,L-4), 205's, 222's, S-76's and 61's, but the only one I never really liked was the Robbie. And I gave it a good go too, a full fire season with water bucketing and slinging. No, it never quit on me as some of the others on my licence have done, and no, there wasn't grease to clean off the head after every flight, and actually, things tended to work as intended and there was very little maintenance required, and actually, it was kinda fun to fly after I got used to it, and when my rather over-inflated ego adapted to the many calls over the radio like "Can you sling a toaster over from camp 4?", I'd have to admit, it's actually a pretty good little helicopter.

But I still didn't like it. ;)

[skeptic]

So someone drove around the world in a Fiat 126. Is that commendable, or clever, or anything other than just plain daft? The Robbo is the Fiat 126 of the helicopter world, and like SASless I'd never consider getting into one. Ever.There are too many stupid ways to die unnecessarily than to risk that. Rubber bands driving the transmission?????A real helicopter????You cannot be serious!

[Barannfin]

Bladestrike

Umm are you just pullin' my leg here? Just want some clarification, what did you use a R-22 for at a fire base??? Yea I know im naive. :8

[the wizard of auz]

the robbo is just the bees knees for chasing stock around the bush in oz though. and when you do all the sums its a fairly cost efficiant little bugga too.

[t'aint natural]

Change the record, somebody.
It's been playing for 20 years now and it's boring.
I fly 'em, and I know why they're the best-selling helicopters in the world by a factor of ten.
Go Frank, a genius in the mould of Young, Piasecki, Hiller and the great Igor!

[Bladestrike]

Baranfin, it was actually an R44.

Quebec, our French province, had handed over a rather large fire to an English speaking troup from our West coast. Being billingual, I was "volunteered" from my Base Manager position to fly around the English only and French only bosses and "translate" in the Robbie. The bird is perfect for flying around fire bosses but this grew old very quickly so I pulled some strings, got my hands on a bucket, and off I went. I don't recall how much water I could carry. It was actually a fun little bird but the teasing from much lower time drivers on the mediums played hard on my ego....but as we were getting paid by the hour, I was bringing in more coin. ;) I was managing an EMS IFR Twin base at the time that was going "tits up" so I wasn't in the best humour to begin with.

[tacks]

By the way, what kind of fuel is used in a robbie - milk?!?
:E

[Heliport]

Source: FAI - Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
16 June 2003

http://www.fai.org/logos/banner003.jpg

FAI has ratified the following Class E (Rotorcraft) record :
Claim number 7376 : Sub-class E-1c (Helicopters: take off weight 1000 to 1750 kg) Group 1 : piston engine General Category
Type of record : Speed over a recognised course Course/location : Ward Hunt Island - North Pole Performance : 40.04 km/h
Pilot : Steve BROOKS (UK) Crew : Quentin SMITH Helicopter : R44 (1 x Lycoming 540, 260 hp)
Date : 08.06.2002
FAI congratulates the pilots on their splendid achievement.

[Lu Zuckerman]

Back in 1952 we could have reached the North Pole in either one of our helicopters but getting back was another matter. Our ship the USCGC Eastwind traversed further North than any other ship under its’ own power. This record has since been broken. Our helicopters had the range to make it but we did not have the fuel capacity to make it back and we had no way of storing the return fuel at the North Pole.

:cool:

[Another KOS]

Lu, even you were a young man in 1952!

[Lu Zuckerman]

To: Another KOS

I was 21. You can see pictures of the two helicopters in question here: Sticky: ROTORHEADS AROUND THE WORLD. New pics added regularly. Add your own. Pages: 1 2 3 4. See page 4 at the bottom of the thread.

:cool:

[RetreatingBlade]

http://www.easternatlantic.co.uk/rtw.htm (http://)

[The Nr Fairy]

The link above is broken - try http://www.easternatlantic.co.uk/rtw.htm

[GroundGirl]

Simon is off tomorrow morning at 0430. I will try and post some pictures of the Helo soon if I can.

Lets hope he gets the record this time:ok:

[[email protected]]

At least this one looks like a circumnavigation of the globe rather than of one continent!

[HeliEng]

Here is a picture of Simon and his helicopter!

Taken from the website.

http://www.easternatlantic.co.uk/images/Sponsor%203.jpg

[Ascend Charlie]

Round the world??? Well, sort of - he crosses every meridian of longitude, but his latitude doesn't even reach the tropics.

Dick Smith flew the world's first solo run in a helicopter back in the early 80s, and it was a true round-the-world by doing the southern hemisphere down to 33 degrees south as well as the northern route. Dick's JetRanger wasn't allowed through Russian airspace, so he did a mid-ocean refuel on a tanker. No GPS either in those days.

Ross Perot started after Dick did, but Ross wasn't solo. Dick broke the trip in the middle due weather and other commitments, so it wasn't a race, and Ross finished his run first, to claim the first helo circumnavigation.

Dick was the first solo helo to the north pole, and has also been to the south pole.

Lots of luck to Simon for a great achievement, something which would daunt 99% of all pilots, but look at it in the correct light.:ok:

[Dynamic Component]

Is it "around the world" if you have gone nowhere near the equator?:}

[B Sousa]

Love that Reg Number.....reminds me of home:

N-number : N5144Q
Aircraft Serial Number : 0007E
Aircraft Manufacturer : MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER
Model : 369E
Engine Manufacturer : ALLISON
Model : 250-C20 SER
Aircraft Year : 1983
Owner Name : 0454E INC TRUSTEE
Owner Address : 1220 N MARKET ST STE 606
WILMINGTON, DE, 19801-2598
Type of Owner : Corporation
Registration Date : 26-Mar-2004
Airworthiness Certificate Type : Standard
Approved Operations : Normal

International Orange Paint job?? Is that for confidence.......ha ha
Good Luck Simon

[Canadian Rotorhead]

Man, that is one bright paint scheme.

Best of luck, fly safe.

RH

[Heliport]

The route -

Click here (http://www.easternatlantic.co.uk/images/Route%20Pic.jpg)

[Spunk]

Damn it!!! Too late. I didn't read this post until 0800 UTC this morning :(
I guess I missed him passing by Hamburg by a couple of hours.
Next time give me a call so I can arrange some brunch.
Good luck and safe flying to you Simon

Frank

[Woolf]

....if all you had to do was cross all meridians of longitude to fly round the world than surely a quick whizz round the North Pole would do the trick in a few seconds ..... :p

Good luck to Simon, hope he will achieve his target time and return safely!

[SilsoeSid]

Well, funny you should mention that but, I recently saw a programme about Ellen MacArthurs round the world race with the B & Q boat and this was the route,

http://www.hrh.ch/52/vendee_map.jpg

What part of this is classed as 'round the world'? The Antarctic bit or the passing the tropics bit?

Good luck Simon, it's round the world enough for me.

[empty pockets]

just curious but why all the criss-crossing in the usa? surely you could complete the trip a little quicker if you make a direct crossing?

good luck!

[HeliEng]

Empty Pockets,

Taken from the website:

The route has been carefully planned to optimize on climate and light conditions and to remain within the rules set by the FAI (Federation Aeronautic International) which state the aircraft must remain at a latitude of less than 66° 33’ (outside the north and south frigid zones) and cover a minimum distance of 19,850.83nm (equal in length to the tropic of cancer).


The zig zagging is to make up the miles I believe.

Hope that answers your question fully.

[HeliEng]

Day Two, and all seems to be well. CAVOK all round pretty much!!!

[GroundGirl]

Glad to say that Simon has just landed at USCC - Chelyabinsk. He is running right on schedule and has finshed for the day now.

:ok:

[md 600 driver]

any one know when he gets into scotland

steve

[SilsoeSid]

Sorry to bring this up again, but just want it clarified.

From the Eastern Atlantic website;

The route has been carefully planned to optimize on climate and light conditions and to remain within the rules set by the FAI (Federation Aeronautic International) which state the aircraft must remain at a latitude of less than 66° 33’ (outside the north and south frigid zones) and cover a minimum distance of 19,850.83nm (equal in length to the tropic of cancer).

From the Guiness World Records website;

Fastest Aerial Circumnavigation Of The World
The fastest flight under the rules of the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale - the regulatory body for international air sports) which permit flights that exceed the length of the Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn (36,787.6 km or 22,858.8 miles), was one of 31 hours 27 minutes 49 seconds by an Air France Concorde.

Are there different rules for different types of aircraft?

http://img.infoplease.com/images/04alm_globeprojection.gif

[airborne_artist]

"We are a leg up or so at the moment," Oliphant said.

I'm not familiar with the above term - is it in any way similar to getting a leg over?

[SilsoeSid]

Thank you for clearing that up.

[HeliEng]

Now three legs ahead! (Diplomatic choice of wording!!!)

That's a whole day!

[GroundGirl]

Happy to report that Simon is due back to Shoreham Airport this evening sometime between 1730 and 1900L. He has just landed in the Faeroe Islands and then will be on his way back to our fair Isle! I hope that the last bit of the trip goes well and that he is successful in obtaining the record.

:ok:

[HeliEng]

Just been told that Simon has now crossed into Scotland!!!

He has also had a Tornado formate with him for a short while.

Preparations are underway for his return, and no doubt he will be bouncing off the walls on his return!


Nice one Simon!;) :D ;)

[md 600 driver]

three legs sounds like simon

congrats from the yorkshire mob

steve

[HeliEng]

:D FANTASTIC:D

Simon landed at Shoreham 18:30 local time. Safe and sound.

Last seen stuffing his face with Quiche, sausage rolls and anything else he could lay his hands on!

Well done Simon, you are a brave man, and deserve this success. Circumnavigating the globe in 18 days is nothing to be sniffed at.

Congratulations!!!!

Helieng


P.S:- A big well done to J.C too!!!! Great job.:cool:

[MD900 Explorer]

Heli Eng

Will there be any more photos of the trip coming out on Pprune?

Well done to Simon for completeing the trip in one piece and for no wars breakking out en-route.

Obviously back for tea and medals at Eastern Atlanic in Shoreham (and quiche :confused: )

Hip hip HURRAH :ok: :ok:

MD :ok: :ok:

[SilsoeSid]

My heartiest congratulations..........hic!

http://www.terleckifamily.org/champagne.jpg

[HeliEng]

MD900 Explorer

Best place for pictures is going to be the Eastern Atlantic Website.

www.easternatlantic.co.uk (http://www.easternatlantic.co.uk/rtw.htm)

[MD900 Explorer]

Heli Eng

Thanks for that. Great site with the pictures and all.

Many thanks and well done guys :ok:

MD :ok:

[GroundGirl]

Pics from Simon's arrival on Monday:

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Meriol/3_Finals_sm.jpg

Fly Past

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Meriol/5_Landed_sm.jpg

Just Landed

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Meriol/a17_Simon_Champagne_spray_2Rotated.jpg

Celebration

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Meriol/a18_Simon_Glass_ChampagneRotated.jpg

Quick Drink

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Meriol/a15_Simon_sm.jpg

Being Interviewed

[Rich Lee]

Well done Simon!

[MD900 Explorer]

I said Nice one bruvva.....Good skills

MD :ok: :ok:

[Heliport]

FAI has received the following Class E (Rotorcraft) record claim:


Sub-class E-1c (Helicopters: take off weight 1000 to 1750 kg)
Group 1 : piston engine
Type of record : Distance without landing
Performance : 1500 km
Course/location : Northam, WA - Nullabor, SA (Australia)
Pilot : Claude MEUNIER (Australia)
Date: 14.09.2004
Current record : new

[the wizard of auz]

I wish I had the money that Cluade has. He has several records in the fixed wings as well.

[RobboRider]

Any detals like:

Helicopter type
How fast
How he set up the fuel system to stay up that long etc?

[the wizard of auz]

Bell 206.
Best endurance speed.
He is part owner of a maintanance facility, so the extra fuel system set up would have been done "in house". dunno what the set up was, but will find out soon.

[Bomber ARIS]

Type of record : Distance without landing

Surely you mean best range speed :8

[the wizard of auz]

D'oh. yup thats what I meant. I should have read it proper.:O

[More Payload]

Group 1 : piston engine

Doesn't look like a Bell 206 but the weight category is right.

[the wizard of auz]

he only had a snotty and a R22 and the robby got wrecked. could be he traded the snotty on a 44. he does that sort of stuff fairly regular.
I'll find out and post.

[Giovanni Cento Nove]

Also of note is the record is "new". Nobody has laid claim to it before. If you look at the FAI site it has all the existing records.

Also of interest is the difference in performance between a piston and a turbine. In this same weight class a YOH-6A travelled more than TWICE the distance - 3561.55 km and this was nearly 40 years ago !!!

The flight was west to east across the USA from Culver City CA (Hughes) to Ormond Beach FL (Daytona).

[Heliport]

The Times of India IAF copter lands a world record


New Delhi:

It may be called Cheetal, but it's most unlike a gentle deer. A Cheetal helicopter of the IAF made the world's highest landing at a density altitude of 25,150 feet on the Sasserkangri Massif, in Eastern Ladakh, on Tuesday morning.

The world record feat by the Cheetal, basically a Cheetah helicopter with a more powerful aeroengine, smashed the record held by the American Bell helicopter of landing at a density altitude of 24,971 feet achieved on July 28, 2004. The Cheetal was piloted by Group Captain A S Butola and Squadron leader S Sharma.

"The motivation was the fact that an IAF Cheetah helicopter had landed at a record density altitude of 23,240 feet just a few months ago — not in the quest of a record, but to rescue casualties," said IAF spokesperson.

[Thomas coupling]

Smashed the previous record.........by...........179 feet:bored:

Did they have a theodolite available to check it????

I think not....................

[Thud_and_Blunder]

TC,

Having a wrong-side-of-the-bed day? Coming from a country where mountain flying involves pootling around places not much more than 3500 ft amsl (or 6000 ft if you venture slightly further North), perhaps you don't appreciate the significance of the achievement. The IAF, and their contemporaries in Nepal and Pak, have been carrying out mountain ops that would make your hair curl, since the 70s. Operational (ie people shooting at you...) deployments of tps onto glaciers at 21000 ft, casevacs from much higher - scary stuff. Perhaps you've never been to the sort of altitude where the IAS envelope between min and max is in the order of 7-10 kts?

Top (pun intended...) bit of flying, although they could've probably saved a bit of weight by leaving the scrambled-egg behind..

..Forgot to add: if the DA was calculated using survey information more than a few years old, they probably UNDERestimated the altitude. The Himalayas are still growing...

[teeteringhead]

Agree with T & B.

What the grunts do to get up there and fight is awesome too. They "soak" for weeks at a time at increasing altitudes before they are fit to fight at 20 grand +, and there's a certain amount of "de-acclimatisation" when coming down. IIRC from what an IAF mate told me, the whole rotation is about 6 months, from which they get about 6-8 weeks on the front line, the rest being acclimatisation and de- on the way up and down.....

[212man]

"The world record feat by the Cheetal, basically a Cheetah helicopter with a more powerful aeroengine,"

Does a standard Cheetah have a marine engine then?

[Heliport]

Outlook India has a more detailed report IAF chopper makes world's highest landing in Ladakh

An Indian Air Force Cheetal helicopter today made the world's highest landing at a density altitude of 7621 meters on Sasser Kangri massif in Eastern Ladakh setting a new world record.

The Cheetal, sporting a Cheetah air frame with a more powerful tm-333-2b2 aero engine, thus bettered the record held by the US Bell helicopter of landing at an altitude of 7655 meters achieved on July 28,2004, according to IAF spokesperson Squadron Leader Mahesh Upasani.

Flown by Group Capt A S Butola and Squadron Leader S Sharma the chopper landed at the Sasser Kangri depression between main and south peak at an altitude of 7070, pressure altitude of 7670 meters and density altitude of 7670 meters.

The feat was witnessed and validated by Wing Commander Upadhayay, Chief test pilot, helicopters of HAL and Wing Commander Uni Pillay flying India's indigenous light helicopter Dhruv.

IAF sources said the motivation behind the world record breaking bid was that a Cheetah helicopter of the IAF had landed at a record density altitude of more than 7,500 metres just a few months back -- not in the quest of a record, but to rescue casualities from a mountaineering expedition in extremely challenging conditions.

"This feat made the IAF to launch a bid to break the world highest landing record", the spokesperson said. The achievement would be a great cheer for the country's strategic planners, as India has been in quest for an high altitude helicopter to launch strategic mission over Ladakh and Kashmir Himalayas.

IAF sources said the combination of a light airframe and a more powerful engine has resulted in coming up with a leaner and more capable machine, permitting a higher payload specially suited for flights to Siachen Glacier, world highest battlefield and to areas aroud Daulat Beg Oldi and Karakoram Pass.

The IAF and the Hindustan Aeronautics had till now kept the Cheetal project under wraps. "Air Force has been associated in putting this machine through its trials and is all set to procure them for operations services in the force," the spokesperson said. The French engine is also fitted on the Advanced Light Helicopter.

The US helicopter giant Bell along with Eurocopter and Italian Westland choppers had been in the race for the Indian high altitude helicopter project.

Picture of a HAL Cheetah on the Siachin Glacier

http://www.hal-india.com/helicopter/images/ig1_b.jpg


Can't see how they're all going to fit in that, though.

[Giovanni Cento Nove]

Can see the rest of the worlds remaining Lama operators drooling already!! Especially if it burns less fuel and has a higher TBO than the Artouste. Then again probably will never happen.

[exwessex]

I believe the Indian Army is having its fleet of Cheetahs re-engined with the Turbomeca TM333-hence the improved altitude performance and endurance.

[Thomas coupling]

T and B: you of all people will appreciate that most of us from the mil, have a reasonable understanding of mountain flying. I don't know where you did yours, but mine took place in the rockies with the CAF. So I do have some savvy in this regard :=

I wasn't for a second, deriding their achievements but targeting the media hype regarding the "smashing" of previous attempts at Hi LZ's. Simple as that!

I only have to remind myself of those days doing cushion creeps off ledges to get airborne at 14000, or white out landings in bowls to make me realise - its a doddle doing what I do now....or is it :ooh:

Good luck to them

[VoicesFromTheCreche]

Heliport,

Have you seen how many passengers they get on their trains!

Guess they must do the same with their choppers!!

:p

[Shawn Coyle]

Let's just hope they don't try to land on top of Mt. Everest. There are some things that only men (in the collective, politically correct sense) should do.

[Vfrpilotpb]

Isn't that a Indian model of the old Bell 47 like Chuck and PT used to fly?

looks like it to moi!

Vfr

[Flying Lawyer]

I think it's an Indian model of a Lama.
Built under licence from Eurocopter who took over Sud Aviation as was.


Chuck and PT?
That series was in the late 50's.
You must be as old as me. :D


Tudor

[Robbo Jock]

VoicesFromTheCreche,

I don't think they'll get too many sitting on the roof. At least, not for long :D

[JimL]

...unless that is the roof of the earth.

[Vfrpilotpb]

FL,

You know the one about "Old Fiddles", well sadly my mind tells me to get on with it, whilst ma body complains bitterly!:{ :ok:

PeterR-B

Vfr