Robinson v Brantly

[bugdevheli]

Having tried both machines for a couple of hours hovering , the Brantly made the Robinson seem like hard work. Which is the better machine

[manfromuncle]

Here we go.

Better for what? Learning, long trips, cost, parts, maintenance, looks, reliability, comfort, baggage, handling, safety....???

[Tailboom]

Have you gone mad !!!! there is no question what is the better machine the R22 by a mile !!!!! I'd rather walk than go by Brantley, it might have been good 40 years ago !!!!!!:ugh:

[Heli-kiwi]

Did you do anything beyond hovering?.....Did you know that if you push the stick forward you can actually fly somewhere? :ooh:
How many Brantlys are out there flying today? Compared to R22s and if you have flown anything bigger like a JR or Squirrel then you will realise how different the Brantly is to everything else out there. Besides it looks like something out of a Mr Magoo cartoon :}

[outofwhack]

I have to agree on the last sentiments. I have only seen photos of a Brantly and thats enough to make me know I would not want to even try one.
I believe that if something looks good - it probably is good.
I think the Brantly is the least attractive helicopter of them all.

[outofwhack]

I have only seen photos of a Brantly and thats enough to make me know I would not want to even try one.
I believe that if something looks good - it probably is good.
If something looks bad.....
I think the Brantly suffers mostly from a lack of looks

[bugdevheli]

hHaving only hovered in the Brantly, i can only draw a comparison of the two machines in hover. My experience was that that in the Robinson i am always concious of that pendulum motion due to the long mast and teetering head, whereas the Brantly seemed far more stable. I assume the fixed head on the Brantly makes the difference. I would agree that they are ugly buggers though.

[heli1]

Ugly (or is it retro ?) the Brantly may be but....with such a low CG you will never tip it over,it is much smoother and more maneuverable than a Robbo ,much safer and doesn't cost much more to operate.New ones also cost about the same as an R22 but are built like a brick **** house and can take much more punishment.
Second hand ones are relatively cheap and unlike the Robbo have no finite life and 12,000 overhaul times.Certainly if you want a helicopter to fly ..say 100 hours a year ,the Brantly is an excellent cost effective option.
Ask anyone who flies it ..they all love 'em.

[fling-wing_1]

ManfromUncle is right, you have to specify in what category. Every machine has it's positive and negative qualities. Pay no Attention to the naysayers though mate. Everybody has a bird or two they'll pick on. We're all bullies to some degree :E

For a personal machine the B2B is not a bad choice. She's built hell for stout, safe, easy to fly, reasonably fast, comfortable and pretty darn easy to maintain.

There's a fair number of used parts available to keep costs down, the company's under new ownership and they're pumping quite a bit of capital into the place to get things back up to speed and there is a pretty enthusiastic group of owners out there to help with support.

Unlike what another poster said it does fly alot like another heli - the Hughes 300, maybe just a touch slower on the response. You'd be hard pressed to get into trouble with it. Just like the 300 it's very forgiving. It'll also handle a slope like you wouldn't believe. :D

One thing to keep in mind though is finding a qualified mechanic. It's not a hard machine to learn but has some quirks. Just make sure your mech doesn't have so much of an ego he's not willing to ask for help. I've seen some machines that flew like crap because that's the way all helicopters fly they told me...Pure BS!!! :ugh: A properly set up and tracked and balanced Brantly is the smoothest flying two place heli out there. There should be no stick shake, no real vibe at VNE and no real shudder going into and out of translational. It's a characteristic of the blade design. The aerodynamic forces are absorbed in the outboard blade sections and so aren't transmistted into the hub and down into the stick or fuselage.

When it's good it's a sweet ride. :ok:

The Robinson has some good qualities too but there's plenty of Robby fans out there so I'll let them speak up for it.
Cheers:}

[tacr2man]

Ive had a couple of hundred on both much preferred the Brantly
from the flying point of view also from the engineering side I would say the Brantly was built using best technology (eg its rotor design) rather than down to a price. Also you need to consider how long you intend to own and how many hours you want to fly. JMHO

[Brilliant Stuff]

I sat in the Brantly which is owned by that gentleman Elfan up Rees down in Weston Super Mare.

I say I only sat in it nothing else and back then all I knew was the R22 and the Jetranger. I loved the seating position it felt so relaxed as if I was at home in the garden in a Looms chair.

All helicopters have short comings. Sadly.

[Agaricus bisporus]

The gentleman of the Weston-super-Mare helicopter museum has forgotten more about helicopters than most of us will ever know. He owns a Brantly for a reason, and you'd better believe its a good one...

[scooter boy]

Nothing wrong with the old "ice-cream cornet" look Brantly IMHO.

The key issues relate to how lovingly cared for it is and the handful of B2Bs I have seen have been extremely well turned out.


SB

[Freewheel]

I have two real concerns with the Brantley, but they're moot for those looking at a privately owned and operated machine;

1. The blades appeared able to cut me in two just under my ribs. There is no rotor brake that I'm aware of, therefore......

2. At MGW, it was thoroughly gutless. Either it wasn't set up properly or all those hinges occupy enough power to make the book optimistic.

Very smooth though, autos are a dream as well.

FW

[fling-wing_1]

FW,

Yep those low blades do pose a risk. It does have a rotorbrake however as getting in and out should only be done with rotors stopped. They all came standard with them as well as electric trim, cabin heat, cabin fan, adjustable seats (B2B) and fly-away wheels. Things that even most modern ships offer only as options ($$$)

They are a bit limited on power. It takes 160HP to hover so that only leaves 20 extra HP - not a lot! They're good from SL up to about 4-5K otherwise you're really pushing it. The factory is exploring ways to increase that including new engines. The Robbo is limited on power too but being derated helps to address those higher altitude concerns. Either machine at MGW is going to have those blades operating at really high pitch settings. My personal option only, :8 at that combo I'd rather be in the Brantly. RPM bleed off at or near stall in the R22 leads to bad things happening really quickly :sad:

[Freewheel]

Fling-Wing 1, ta. I don't remember ever seeing the brake, rightio then!


I recall similar thoughts to an A model enstrom in many ways, now that I've thought about it, including the constant awareness of a shortage of power....

[flylow]

The rotor brake is on the floor, between the seats, just to the right of the center collective. Works like the parking brake of an old truck. Better have it engaged when you start them up so the blades don't take off and twist on you if the engine starts with too high an rpm.

Like others have said, when the blades are tracked & balanced properly, its quite a smooth ride, and the seats in the B2B are comfortable, even for longer flights.

I have several hundred hours in them and have some trips of 1200-1400 miles.

However, even though I have owned one for several years, I still think they are loud and ugly. But, its mine and I can fly and instruct whenever I want.

[r44raven]

ISTR that the late Keith Duckworth of Cosworth used to own a B2b (G-AVIP if memory serves) and he knew a bit about design and engineering:ok:

[swsw]

Rather be in a Brantly if the engine quits than a R22.

Actually, I'd rather be anywhere else, in anything else if the engine quits, than be in a R22.

Give me a heavier, less efficient rotor anyday.

sw

[Impress to inflate]

philistines. B2B every time

[Heli-kiwi]

I remember a B2B at my airfield which was painted black, As an engineer I was curious to have a look around it which I did. The main unusual things I noticed were the very high angle change in the tail rotor drive shaft prior to the TR gearbox entry, The fact that the blades bolted to the hub about 5-6 feet out from it, the flat floor, the exhaust - what exhaust? it is like a 500C in that you can literally hear it before you see it :} My concern would be in the event of a heavy landing the blades might swing down for a closer look at your forehead. It really does look like something that Mr Magoo would wheel out of his cartoon garage. Overall it looks to me like it is purely functional and I am sure that like the early Enstroms people didn't quite know how to take it.I understand they have a pretty good safety record so I am not going to bag it - I would love to see whats under all of those cowlings though.