Flying in Rain

[CHOPPER74]

I would like some advice on how bad it is to fly through rain occasionally for periods of around 10 minutes or so. I have had to do this a few times and in a Robinson type. Guys i know up north seem to do quite a bit of it in heavier rain so how bad is this.

[Teefor Gage]

As long as you don't put your umbrella up inside the cockpit (that brings bad luck, amongst other things!) and you can still see where you are going and the ground, it shouldn't cause too much of a problem. Where I used to fly it was unusual to have a day when you could fly for 10 mins without rain!!
The bigger thing to look out for when there is rain is the type of cloud that it causing it. If it is a large CB, then steer well clear as the turbulence even at several miles from the cloud, is likely to be quite intense - not to mention the possibility of lightning strikes....... "I told you not to mention those!"

[Bitmonx]

One thing I know of is that it does quite some blade erosion. The R22 or the R44 have pretty good stainless steel leading edges on the M/R blades that slows that erosion. However, the T/R blades are in the Robinson more sucseptible to erosion than the M/R ones. Also, any prolonged flying in heavy rain should be avoided if possible. That is just my opinion.
Anybody correct me please if I am wrong.

[delta3]

Robies can fly in heavy rain. (otherwise it would not be of great use in some countries including Belgium).

Following precautions.

1. When starting up a Robbie in heavy rain, watch out for fogging up the windows (there was an earlier thread on that)
2. When flying in heavy rain, depending on dew point etc , same as above
3. Expect some water to come in via the forward vent (which you can not fully close because of the above.
4. The tail rotor will progressively erode, but nothing to worry about in terms of hours, but in term of total usefull life.

d3

[800]

Don't forget the CARBY HEAT, even in the warmer climates.
Check the flight manual for any limitations.
Check your personal limitations!
Keep it legal, and remember;
'Its better being on the ground and wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground"!

[Kleenex]

Could there be an issue with newer helicopters and the factory coating on the blades?

[Thomas coupling]

Good for turbine helos - keps them clean by removing the environmental erosion deposits. Other things to consider though:
Flying for too long in heavy rain can cause blade erosion hence cost for replacing the erosion strips. Sometimes these strips break down unevenly causing the rotor to become unbalanced, then you'll need a track and balance kit on the blades agaian cost.
Wipers are useless above say 60kts - waste of time fitting them!
Heavy rain gets into places you never knew existed giving rise to spurious captions etc.
Dont fly for prolonged periods in rain in small helos, and reduce speed to about 2/3rds Vno.

[Grainger]

Have to fly through rain quite often up here ! Indeed, we had some showers yesterday.

Can't always avoid it around here, but here's the guidelines I use:

- Don't enter the rain unless you can see through to the far side of it.

- Get the windshield heater blower going well before you enter the rain.

- Keep an escape route in sight and be prepared to turn away / back.

- Pick out and keep in sight potential landing spots. (i.e. even more so than usual).

- If conditions deteriorate, act before you lose your horizon ! Turn round or land.

And - as has been said already: CARB HEAT !!

Normally I would not consider going more than five or ten minutes; it is quite tiring - and in a Robbo enough water gets into the cabin that you'd get very soggy !

[CHOPPER74]

Great Information, thank you all for your posts:ok:

[Hairyplane]

This is surely due to wet clothing?

My tip ( learned while operating my Robin DR400 and now applied to my R44 )is to remove wet jackets and tie them up in a bin liner. You'll never clear it otherwise.

Thanks for the advice guys, useful stuff.

HP

[Droopystop]

Make sure your windshield is clean and polished. I believe there are products that make the water just run off in the wind (Rainex?)

[2PWRR]

Here's the other question can you use rainex on plastic windows(perspex) or whatever plastic they are made of nowadays ??
I have been told that it degrades the plastic and causes it to be effected more by UV light !

[Hamna]

Make sure that you have a raincoat available as most machines are really prone to some serious leaks.

[rotornut]

I believe there are products that make the water just run off in the wind (Rainex?)
Johnson's Pledge - that's right, the furniture polish - is an excellent and cheap way to clean the bubble. In fact, it's better than Meguiars and acts as an excellent rain repellant.

[heliduck]

While working for a Robinson dealer I was told by the Chief Engineer of an experience he had when it became impossible to refit the perspex into an R22 properly as the sealant wouldn't adhere to it. Investigation revealed that the owner had been using "Mr. Sheen" to clean the perspex & it had impregnated the bubble with chemicals which the sealant couldn't adhere to - therefore a new bubble was required & I'll let the reader imagine the backflips performed by the owner when he saw the quote! I'd suggest a plastic "squirty bottle" with a mild detergent & water & avoid the commercial glass cleaners. As for fogging up inside, I NEVER fly Robinsons in rainy conditions with the pilots door on as the bubble can become completely obscured in certain conditions within a millisecond. Having said that I don't have to deal with low ambient temperatures so I'll let someone else comment on the best practice there. Call me a sook but I'd rather be wet than dead.

[vorticey]

best thing to keep fog away is leave the doors behind, you dont get wet (untill you land) and flying new blades in the rain realy makes the paint come off uneavenly and peel back. but the absolute best time to be flying around the northern territory in australia!:cool:

[Trevors cat]

Much easier to just kick the windows out and use an umbrella instead. It looks absolutelty spiffing with a bowler hat and pin stripe suit, although it may increase drag ever so slightly. Apply liberal amounts of heater/blower to ensure eyeballs don't freeze over. Hey presto, no more misty windows!

[spinwing]

heliduck ....
tell that Chief Engineer about a product called "prepsol" which will remove all silicon/wax type product from surfaces to allow painting adhesive use etc .... he should have known $$$!!! about that its commonly used by auto body/paint shops .... Mr sheen causes no problems if used sparingly... never had a problem getting "Proseal" to adhere to a prepsol cleaned surface!

In PNG we routinly flew Hu 500s with pilot doors off so as to see where we were going.... not that we knew where we were mind ... but we could see ... sort of .....

DO NOT fly in (heavy) rain with self adhesive blade erosion tape fitted ... it can be way too exciting!!! :ooh: :ooh:

:D :D

[TeeS]

Hi Chopper

One thing I would suggest you be cautious about is entering a small, isolated but heavy shower. As you approach it, you can see the horizon the other side and tend to enter with confidence high. However, when you actually hit the rain, the drops hit so hard that you can't see a thing. It will probably only take a few seconds to fly out the other side but make sure you are happy to hold wings level on instruments alone.

TeeS

[Devil 49]

If one keeps reasonable vis, rain hasn't been an issue for me. I prefer brown polarized sun-glasses when I'm in the rain, they seem to improve vis, or discernment, at least.
Flying through rain can peel blade paint, although it's more likely to tear up blade tape.
The carb heat suggestion is also a good one, and/or engine inlet anti ice.
I've used various polishes for years, Brillianize and Plexor work well. Frankly, I figure keeping the bubble clear is worth the chance that it *may* be an issue if it has to be removed and resealed. Penny wise and pound foolish to sacrifice vis.
Yep, encountered the misted over bubble, airflow's the only thing if you don't have really good demisting, or better yet air-conditioning.
Final thought, even with a polished bubble, be prepared for a significant degradation of vis if you shoot an approach in rain. The water stops blowing clear, and gravity takes over, works more gently, and water accumulates blocking your view just as things get interesting. Wipers, big side windows, or doors off help.