Transporting of Helicopters on trailers

[funfinn2000]

hello gang, I am enquiring about transporting of helicopters on a trailor without having to take blades off, which helicopters travel the best ? which ones do'nt ?? will the Robinson will have to be disasembled??

I have seen a AG company that use a B-47 with a trailor thats supports the blades for travel.

I would be worried about bumpy roads.

Any words please

[McHover]

ff2000,
Have a look at what the film pilot Paul Barth has built in the US to transport his MD-500 :eek: . It's quite a set up, and completely self supporting.
http://www.cassidyinc.com/CC/index.htm
McH

[HeliEng]

Bl***y Hell,

That trailer contraption is something else!!!!!!!

Why don't we have anything like that in the UK??

Fantastic :eek: :eek: :D :D :D :D :D

[Stringfellow Dork]

Why don't we have anything like that in the UK??

Cos the UK would fit in the effing trailer!

[vaqueroaero]

I used to work for a company that would transport a Huey on a trailer. Some shots of it are here:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76347&page=96

[funfinn2000]

did they take the blades off and how far would they travel like that?

We are thinking about a 22, I'm not so sure .

[vaqueroaero]

The blades stayed on, but were supported by two poles that were placed at either end of the trailer bed. We also would put wooden chocks between the mast and the head to prevent any teetering. We also removed the horizontal stabilizer. As far as distances go - when I was there the furthest we went was from San Diego, California to Phoenix, Arizona. A good 8 hour drive. The trailer was custom built. I'll see if I have any more photos at home.

I have also seen people use a similar arrangement for R22's. As long as the blades are supported there doesn't seem to be any problems. I'm not sure what people did to support the blades because of the coning hinges, but like I say I've seen it done.

[funfinn2000]

cool, I had a 22 delivered to me once from Nevada to florida but he came on trailor with the tail off and the blades so there must be some good reason why it's not done.
I mean students beat the **** out of them in hover Autos and full touchdowns I can'nt see why it would be bad to trailor one around supported like you said.

fun

[RotorDompteur]

I stumbled over this company some weeks ago;
http://www.mobilehangar.com/
I don't know how many they have sold yet... But perhaps someone can tell us whether it works or not...
RD

[rotornut]

We owned a Hughes 269B and used a trailer manufactured by Kinzie Helicopters of Oklahoma to move it around. They don't seem to be around anymore so it might be hard to find one of their trailers. Anyway, it worked quite well. You didn't have to remove the blades but simply removed the bolt where the dampers attached to the blades (it's been a while so I can't remember the correct name). You then folded the blades a bit and used supports to hold them in place on the trailer. We hauled it back and forth a number of times across Canada with no problems.

[bellfest]

ff,
contact Ray Cronin at Kestrel Aviation, Mangalore, Victoria Australia. He's got a good one for the 22:ok:

[puntosaurus]

I can't remember where I've seen this - might be the Robbo documentation. It warned that trailers big enough to carry a heli are typically sprung for a much heavier load, and would therefore give your heli a rough ride. It recommended seeking out a specialist who understands this and who has adjusted the suspension to suit the load. HTH.

[Efirmovich]

With the R22's new -4 blades, I think moving them with the ground handling wheels is risky ! :bored:

E.

[lup]

Be very carefull, I think Bell do not allow road transport of certain models, the 206 I think is one,because the planet wheels and bearings are not designed to take the shock loads that can be experienced on the road.

This was brought up years ago, on discussions about keeping down position costs on some jobs, but was a no goer as the gearbox would have to be removed.

It is apparently burried in the maintenance manuels somewhere, I am no expert on spanner matters but it would be worth asking someone who is.

[Flyting]

I spent about 4 years trailoring a R22 around Southern Africa doing game capture. Had to. Needed to have fuel on hand, gear with etc etc. Costs were brought down radically as we would drive anything from 100 - 3000km to do work.

The heli would be flown onto the trailor which was a double axil leaf suspension. Machine facing backwards on the trailor sothat the windscreen wouldn't get broken by stones being flicked up by the vehicle. Tail boom and both blades was supported by upright supports. The whole thing sat very balanced and I would drive at around 100km/h max just for safety of braking with the weight of the heli, trailor and about 600-800l of fuel.

We enquired with Robinson if we could do the same with a R44 but was told not to as the tailboom wouldn't withstand the stress.

Theres been a move away from trailoring recently due to the stresses of driving long distances on dirt roads - VIBRATIONS and some one had to brake urgently for a tractoring puliing out in front and ended up hittting it. Damage to heli was a bit as the whole machine moved forward...

If you do use a trailor make sure you get into a routine for unhooking. Two machines were flipped over as the pilots were distracted during the unhook and preflight and forgot to undo the one skids side latches. Makes for an interresting explanasion....!!!

[007helicopter]

I have moved several Hiller UH12's in the UK on flat bed lorry trailers before, we built some upright's and supported the blades and they travelled perfectly. Also in the States we moved Hillers on a towable trailer with a pick up truck without any problems as long as the blades are well supported.

The main problem is getting them on and off safely.

Sorry no specifc information about the R22

[rotornut]

Our Kinzie trailer had no suspension. However, since it was designed exclusively for the Hughes 269/300 Series there was no problem as these machines have oleo landing gear dampers that can absorb a lot of road shock.

[NotHomeMuch]

FunFinn2000 is looking for a TRAILOR, which must be very different to the TRAILERS suggested by most of the replies. It would seem the only one that can help is whirleybirdsa who also used a TRAILOR.:}

[Flyting]

I'll try get a pic for you this weekend...

[NickLappos]

It is surprising at first glance, but you can seriously damage your aircraft if you sit it on a trailer and then bounce it. Remember the aircraft structure is designed to take the g's that the rotor dishes out (plus a safety factor) but this is a relatively low number, often at 3 to 4 g's or so. The g's on a poorly sprung trailer on a rough road can be more, and you can bend your helo, or its engine mounts, blades and such.
If you have a g meter that you can mount on a board, just sit it on the trailer bed and drive around a bit, and check the max g. It might surprize you, but that trailer bed would look to your aircraft like a Richter 8 earth quake! You may find that your insurer would not pay for such damage.

In a similar way, I have heard of a pair of Hueys that were seriously damaged while tied down in a C5 during a hard landing - the engines had broken away from their mounts, but the C5 was undamaged.

[Graviman]

It is surprising at first glance, but you can seriously damage your aircraft if you sit it on a trailer and then bounce it.

Interesting point! Vehicle on&off highway suspensions are designed for 3g "bounce" static accel. This assumes 1g nominal and +/-1g, since driver will naturally limit speed as he feels reduced g. The extra g is to give the vehicle margin for the occasional bump that even the most careful driver will experience. A good suspension system will aim to "isolate" above ~1Hz, with vehicle structural modes being ideally 2+ octaves above that (hard to achieve for the really big stuff, if you're are aiming at ~1.6 payload/vehicle mass).

So worse case scenario is that the heli systems will see 3g loads, which can be magnified by either undamped trailer suspension or any mounting system! Even worse is that a running gas turbine will have higher rotational inertia, so when static may rattle away at it's bearings on a trailer...

Maybe a giant "baby bouncer" supporting the rotor hub? :} Landing Oleos can be thought of as very soft overdamped suspension, so will help.

Mart

[havick]

Australian National Helicopters at Alice Springs Airport, in NT Australia have a pretty good set up if my memory serves me correctly.

I saw them towing a B47 Soloy with a F250. The trailer itself supported the aircraft on some sort of airbag self leveling suspension. If you don't know what the roads are like in the NT, well they are pretty crap, apart from the main highway most of the roads are gravel or dirt, and aren't graded that often. Really, if you are looking for a set up for an Ag work, it might pay to give them a call. I know they didn't have any problems with the aircraft from it being carted around on the trailer.

Sorry I couldn't be of anymore help.

Try looking up Australian National Helicopters on google australia.

Cheers,

Shifty

[Darren999]

I have pictures when we would transport a B47. Blades off. I have seen trailers with the facility to ship with blades on. If you let me have your email address I'll send some on..:ok:

[nicholas_hosties]

As far as I know, all turbine engines should be transported by air ride transport, Piston engines are less susceptible to the brinelling damage which can occur to turbine bearings if transported on a non air ride truck.

[Vertical Freedom]

G'day fellow Rotorheads
I'm seeking pictures please of tail-boom support whilst a Helicopter is being road transport please? Thanks in advance

[jaja]

Transport of a helicopter on trailer. This one went terrible wrong on a highway i Denmark :

https://nordjyske.dk/nyheder/helikopter-spaerrede-spor-paa-nordjysk-motorvej/b65d571e-27c1-4017-8e5b-b6f148fe5409

[Vertical Freedom]

Ouch :{ that's a major bugger :(

[Thilo]

Hi
The game translocation industry in southern Africa has been using trailers for well over 30 years to move their H300s, R22s and E280s between jobs without problems.
The suspension is the most important. The best I saw was a trailer using the rear cantilever suspension off a VW Combi.
Blades are supported. On the H300 two blades are folded forward. On the Enstrom you have to remove them (it's a pain).
I would have to dig to find pictures.

[tucumseh]

The Bridgemary estate in Gosport, Hampshire, has wide thoroughfares specifically for transporting helicopters from RNAY Fleetlands to, for example, Lee-on-Solent. Probably a long time since they were used.

[twisted wrench]

Check out this website in Calgary, Alberta , Canada they have been moving helicopters on trailers for over 30 years . www.calgarygooseneck.com (http://www.calgarygooseneck.com)

[500guy]

Check out this website in Calgary, Alberta , Canada they have been moving helicopters on trailers for over 30 years . www.calgarygooseneck.com (http://www.calgarygooseneck.com)

I've seen more than one helicopter scrapped due to an auto accident while being towed. A 212 and a 500. I've seen one arrive for a job that it missed due to a crack in the landing gear from road bumps. I've also heard of rocks that got kicked up that damaged 20,000 windows. I saw a 600 that was destroyed (paint and windows) because it was shrink wrapped with dust under the shrink wrap then trucked 3000 miles. I've also heard from a guy who used to truck his 206L around that it can put flat spots in the TR drive shaft bearings. They need the oil pressure otherwise it is metal on metal.

If you ask me, if it can fly, you fly it.

[chopjock]

If you ask me, if it can fly, you fly it.

There are advantages to trailering though. For example you can mobilise 24 / 7, day or night and in almost any weather! Also no flight plans required. Sea crossings are much less stressful too! and think of the component times you are saving on. Also if it breaks down you can recover it yourself! Probably take your own fuel too.
Flying long distance to a location just to do work makes it an expensive taxi.

[500guy]

There are advantages to trailering though. For example you can mobilise 24 / 7, day or night and in almost any weather! Also no flight plans required. Sea crossings are much less stressful too! and think of the component times you are saving on. Also if it breaks down you can recover it yourself! Probably take your own fuel too.
Flying long distance to a location just to do work makes it an expensive taxi.

I'll agree with you on the weather bit. And the sea crossings, (though its not an issue in the US)

I have not filed a flight plan ever. Not sure I ever will. VFR only and 99% of that is in uncontrolled airspace.

If it breaks down? my do your ships break down that often? We have less than one day a year per aircraft down for maintenance.

look at the opportunity cost of putting it on a trailer.
If i finish a job in New York today, and want to bring it to job in Missouri (1000 miles away) I can fly it there in the better part of a day and be ready to work the following day. If I trailer it, it takes at least 2 days to load it remove the blades (500) truck it there and unload it. the few thousand dollars in component time is more than paid for from the extra day of work.