The popularity of rotorcraft

[Dave Jackson]

helimutt asked for topics. Anyone want to discuss this one?
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The helicopter and the car have many things in common. One is that at some point, they will be sold and a portion of their initial costs will be recovered. A pilot's and a driver's license have something in common also; you never get your money back.

For the helicopter to gain in popularity the high cost of learning to fly it must come down. This can only happen when helicopters are developed that are easier and safer to fly.
A large percentage of a student pilot's time is spent practicing:
 Coordination of the cyclic, collective and pedals.
 Autorotations.

Anything that minimizes the required learning time will eventually help to lower the cost of the license.

Any ideas?

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Project: UniCopter.com (http://www.synchrolite.com/UniCopter_Index.html) [/UL]

[This message has been edited by Dave Jackson (edited 12 February 2001).]

[RW-1]

I always like the car comparison for any aircraft. Isn't it funny that aircraft manufacturers make the cockpit "look" like a car and car manuf's make it look like a cockpit? (more of a planker thing but non the less ... :))

I could address your first area, drawing upon my model heli experiences, a gyro stabilised tail shouldn't be that hard to develop for the full scale heli, which would leave the beginner with managing collective and cyclic more. Of course dealing with gyro failure would be a trip ...

The main part of the heli's huge operating cost per flight hour is due to it having many dynamic componants, one can try to bring costs down, but at it's most basic I do not really think you will ever see a commercially produced heli that doesn't have a higher operating cost for this reason.

Low cost small turbine powered machines may change that, perhaps Williams or another company may take one of the small turbines and create a relatively cheap gas turbine design that could be used. I could invision one in a kit chopper of the R-22/44 size.

Auto's - not too much one can do to address this. Pilots learn flight skills from repetive practice, period (and even a lack of a few weeks in something so important for self preservation shows).

The part I hate about comapring cars to heli's (or aircraft) in saying "soon anyone would be able to fly one" is that half the morons in the world can't handle two dimension's, to add a third, well ...... :)

Heli flying is part skill, part art, there will be those who will take to it quickly, or after much instruction, or never get it no matter how much instruction is given.



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Marc

[helimutt]

Just a point here. Wasn't there a training rig designed to help students hover a helicopter, whilst solo, but still being tethered to the ground? I'm sure it was on TV not so long ago. This sort of thing keeps the cost down but unfortunately, the instructors seeking wages from teaching this skill won't and aren't overly impressed with stuff which reduces our time in the air.
I always thought the point of learning to fly was to spend time in the air mastering the skills necessary, and, being able to use those skills if the worst scenario was to occur?
The costs for training could be reduced in the following ways.
1/. The instructors could be paid half of what they presently get per hour.
2./ The government could reduce the cost of fuel by half.
3./ Flying schools could make zero profit but just enough money to cover costs / overheads.
4/. Don't bother to pay insurance fees.
5/. Fly from un registered aerodromes to reduce landing fee costs.
6./ Fly once every two months instead of once a month.
7./ Don't bother with expensive servicing.
Just a few suggestions.
They are obviously in jest but to reduce the cost of helicopters themselves, this might lead to inferior, unserviced machinery in the skies.
We'll see what people say about it.

[SPS]

Augusto U. Cicare of Argentina designed and produced the SVH-3 simulator which is a fully functional single place Heli placed on a rotating and sliding 'gantry' arrangement.
It is selling well, some have gone to various
air forces around the world.

As for the rest of the suggestions I guess even more money could be saved if no fuel or oil were put in the Heli and no one bothered with licences and medicals either....!

[The Nr Fairy]

There is an official Cicare web page here (http://www.cicarehelic.cjb.net).

and there's an English language version about the simulator here (http://www.deepblue.ch/helicopter/helicopter-simulator.html).

[This message has been edited by The Nr Fairy (edited 13 February 2001).]

[RW-1]

I have flown the Cicare, as we have one in our hangar and a large area of the ramp that had steel plates placed and secured for the purpose.

Fairly nice, one can have some "Fun" in it. they are also moving to make the heli itself certified, so one theoretically could go from the sim, to the bird itself.

In other locataions they have with more room to move around, one can actually do full quick stops, running landings and takeoffs, etc.

Various tail rotor vailure modes and eng failure modes are a trip! :)

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Marc

[Dave Jackson]

Would not the learning time and license cost be reduced if the configuration of the helicopter was symmetrical, such as the intermeshing synchropter?

The symmetry of the two counter-rotating rotor disks eliminates the need for a tail rotor. This reduces the demands on the pilot in coordinating the cyclic, collective and pedal. The yaw function should be similar to that of a plane.

In 1948 the symmetrical Kaman K-125 was flown by a housewife with only 2 hours of ground instruction and 36 minutes of dual instruction.


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Project: UniCopter.com (http://www.synchrolite.com/UniCopter_Index.html) [/UL]

[RW-1]

Possibly Dave, but what does she do when going back into a conventional craft ? Or will that pilot be flying one type all their lives?

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Marc

[Dave Jackson]

If the 'FAA Sport Pilot Proposal' for simpler pilot and aircraft certifications comes into to being, as is planed for late this year, then it will be just as you say.

A lower cost license can be obtained, but it will only be valid for flying a specific type of craft. If a helicopter can be designed that is easier to fly, then the easier it will be to get the license, for that type only.