Rotorway Talon

[Pushback]

Would some of you Rotor Pilots out there be willing to pass on your comments on the new Rotorway Talon? ... (to a Freighter bloke interested in heli for fun) Have read most of what is on Pprune and it seems that professional helicopter pilots are wary of these machines.... which is disturbing. Would like to know if the shaft driven tail rotor elevates your opinions? Also, I believe the Rotorway can only take 15kts of tailwind before running out of cyclic.... what can the others handle?

[Heli-kiwi]

Its ugly, 15 knot limitation just isn't enough, shaft driven tail rotor...whip de do! It'll probably cost as much as a new R22. Not Certifed until 2011, I think I would go for the ukrainian Aerocopter instead.

Nuff said

[Pushback]

Thank you for your comment Heli-Kiwi.......Apparently it costs about $95k (US) which is getting up there, but it looks good and costs a third to run compared to a Robbie.... safety is no1 priority though. Understand no commercial use and sus resale etc

[r44raven]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOOJxQQVY6A


Looks like the product of a drunken night out between a Hughes and an alouette:8

[widgeon]

http://www.aerokopter.co.za/SAFlyer-flight-test-2nd-visit.doc

Interesting article , the rotor head pictures seem pretty impressive

[500e]

http://www.copter.com.ua/

Try this and find the write up by the SA agent
http://www.aerokopter.co.za/

Of all the non established manifacturers I think this is posably the best

[flyagain]

IMHO Kit Helicopters are run on a false economy. Why pay $110,000AUD (I don't know exact figures) for a new, built Rotorway when you can buy a nearly time ex R22 for a similar price. Fly the remaining time on the R22 (watch the blades) then sell it for a decent price. Fly 200 hours on a Rotorway and see how much you can get for it (maybe $50,000 if your lucky), if it hasn't dug a hole for itself.:uhoh:

There are always both examples in classified listings so it won't be hard to do the math.

[Pushback]

Aerokopter looks very good! Agent quoting $160k USD though. You speak words of wisdom flyagain!

[Trevor Dance]

Hello There,

I have been following the 162F for some time and with the number of reservations that I heard from Helicopter Engineers, I discovered this site :

http://www.epi-eng.com/RW/RW_AnalysisTOC.htm

I emailed an engineer there this week regarding the Talon and the response is sobering. Here is an edited version for brevity.
......
Good News - There is one major improvement: they bought Al Behuncik's entire secondary drive system and his main clutch system, and those will (allegedly) be incorporated into the new ship.

They also put in a tailrotor "shaft drive" which uses a belt off the secondary to drive a gearbox which drives the driveshaft which drives another gearbox in the tail, replacing a simple, lightweight system with more parts, more potential (read shaft vibration) problems, gearbox problems. Admittedly the belt-driven tailrotor system was a bit under capacity. But that could easily have been solved by replacing the single-belt system with a dual-belt system, properly designed, with "fences" between the sheaves on the pulleys to prevent belt interference.
......

Please read the analysis of the engine on their site which unless they have changed this on the Talon, has the same camshaft problems.

I asked Rotoryway at Oshkosh about the problems with the engine and drivershafts and they denied there were any problems, despite numerous reports. If they had explained what they had done to address the issues, I would probably by flying a 162F by now, but by denying there were any problems, I cannot take this company seriously.

When I have spoken to high-time Heli pilots as to what they fly at weekends, they point me to the new generation of auto-gyros from a safety point of view...

Good flying
Regards

[500e]

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/sites/aaib/publications/special_bulletins/s6_2006___raf_2000_gtx_se__g_reba.cfm

Which one were you thinking of ??:suspect:

[rotornut]

Best place for used machines is http://www.trade-a-plane.com/index.html

I agree with flyagain - If you buy a certificated helicopter, like the R22, there is a much better market as it can be used commercially.

[Heli-kiwi]

' a tailrotor "shaft drive" which uses a belt off the secondary to drive a gearbox which drives the driveshaft which drives another gearbox in the tail, replacing a simple, lightweight system with more parts'

Once again here is a heli manufacturer who insists on making its systems far more complicated than it needs to be.......People wonder why the R22 is the most sucessful piston heli ever made. :ugh:

[TheMonk]

Heli-Kiwi:' a tailrotor "shaft drive" which uses a belt off the secondary to drive a gearbox which drives the driveshaft which drives another gearbox in the tail, replacing a simple, lightweight system with more parts'

Once again here is a heli manufacturer who insists on making its systems far more complicated than it needs to be.......People wonder why the R22 is the most sucessful piston heli ever made.

I was just thinking the exact same thing when I read that. BJ Schram would turn in his grave if he read this.

Monk