Blade tape still not Rain-Proof?
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Blade tape still not Rain-Proof?
I recall the Wessex struggling in heavy rain as it tended to lift the blade-tape resulting in a curious whispering noise and a bit of vibration....
Saw a Merlin come over low this afternoon and assumed he was mucking around near the lake and then bu**ered off, when I took the dog for a walk later on I came across this in a field next to the Nene:
The crewman explained that it was a bad case of tape lift and was awaiting an engineer to arrive by road. It departed later, but the whisper could still be heard
It strikes me that there must be a better solution than tape, and surely in the 23 years since I was on Wessex a better solution must be available?
Also the fact that the engineer had to come by road, in my day another cab would have been despatched with said engineer, obviously things have changed somewhat!
I think the crew were regretting putting down on the busiest dog-walking path in Thrapston...!
Saw a Merlin come over low this afternoon and assumed he was mucking around near the lake and then bu**ered off, when I took the dog for a walk later on I came across this in a field next to the Nene:
The crewman explained that it was a bad case of tape lift and was awaiting an engineer to arrive by road. It departed later, but the whisper could still be heard
It strikes me that there must be a better solution than tape, and surely in the 23 years since I was on Wessex a better solution must be available?
Also the fact that the engineer had to come by road, in my day another cab would have been despatched with said engineer, obviously things have changed somewhat!
I think the crew were regretting putting down on the busiest dog-walking path in Thrapston...!
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The tape is probably a Westland product. Quite possibly their best-selling line...................
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The best use I found for blade tape was protecting the paint on the sills of my new car, from heels scuff marks. 
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Do be serious Wessex Boy, they still are having to seal the nose panel on the
Puma with bodge tape and they still haven't solved that little puppy.
Puma with bodge tape and they still haven't solved that little puppy.
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Nutloose,
Give 'em time, the Puma HC1's only been in service for 41 years!
["They'll never last, made of plastic, not up to the job, haruumph.. etc"....as opposed to other aircraft like the mighty Spitfire, which was in service for less than 20 years despite being upgraded many, many times].
Give 'em time, the Puma HC1's only been in service for 41 years!
["They'll never last, made of plastic, not up to the job, haruumph.. etc"....as opposed to other aircraft like the mighty Spitfire, which was in service for less than 20 years despite being upgraded many, many times].
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'Sacrificial' is the key word. Titanium wears through in short order so prolonging the life of the blade with the tape is still the only way. When you add up all the CTF's for T&V you would have to do per blade change it is the best current solution even if it's not the quietest.
Admittedly an additional removable titanium strip if only down the worst of the wearing portion would be a better fit in all senses but i don't see that happening anytime soon.
Admittedly an additional removable titanium strip if only down the worst of the wearing portion would be a better fit in all senses but i don't see that happening anytime soon.
A `sharpened` Teflon/Bakelite knife to cut the tape,a roll of `speedtape` to cover the end,and a long piece of parachute cord for Seaking crews whose windscreen wipers don`t work( attach to wipers ,run it around thru` cockpit ,NF pilot waggles it )..Is there no ingenuity out there these days...?
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I bet you can't free off a starter solenoid with a hearty slap with the side of the fire axe, nor clean the crackers with a fire extinguisher fired into the intake whilst the engine is spun up with the cocks off anymore either.....
I bet you can't free off a starter solenoid with a hearty slap with the side of the fire axe
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I bet you can't free off a starter solenoid with a hearty slap with the side of the fire axe, nor clean the crackers with a fire extinguisher fired into the intake whilst the engine is spun up with the cocks off anymore either.....
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Quote:
I bet you can't free off a starter solenoid with a hearty slap with the side of the fire axe, nor clean the crackers with a fire extinguisher fired into the intake whilst the engine is spun up with the cocks off anymore either.....
Probably don't need to.....
I bet you can't free off a starter solenoid with a hearty slap with the side of the fire axe, nor clean the crackers with a fire extinguisher fired into the intake whilst the engine is spun up with the cocks off anymore either.....
Probably don't need to.....
I thought a chock was a better choice for the solenoid
Civvie blade tape on my 206's would last forever, biggest problem was getting the old stuff off and cleaning the leading edge to take new tape. Makes great protection for the perspex screens where the wiper blades sit, stops the blades chafing the plastic in flight.
Civvie blade tape on my 206's would last forever, biggest problem was getting the old stuff off and cleaning the leading edge to take new tape. Makes great protection for the perspex screens where the wiper blades sit, stops the blades chafing the plastic in flight.
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Yesterday
Like an initial poster on this thread, I was in the vicinity photographing our avian friends when the Merlin approached Stanwick yesterday. Now I only fly gliders, but to even my untrained ear it sounded mighty rough, with a low frequency thumping noise overlaid on the usual racket - I think I'd be contemplating a change of underwear in similar circumstances. Funnily enough, I ended up landing in a field half a mile away a couple of years ago. Link to my pics from yesterday HERE - I knew that new 500mm lense would be useful for something.....
Cheers all
Peg
Stanwick Helicopter Landing - a set on Flickr
Cheers all
Peg
Stanwick Helicopter Landing - a set on Flickr
nor clean the crackers with a fire extinguisher fired into the intake whilst the engine is spun up with the cocks off anymore either
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Yup.. remember the old Wessex with fondness, I often wondered who came up with some of the quick fixes, I mean can you imagine the scenario,
"bugger, the engine won't start"
" I know boss, you crank it and I'll fire the extinguisher up the engine, that's bound to fix it"
I wonder why they moved the Merlin? After all they had made the decision to land on as a precautionary, it wasn't of going to have got any better if it hadn't been looked at, unless they were repositioning closer to a pub, now that would make sense.
2 inches of right pedal.
"bugger, the engine won't start"
" I know boss, you crank it and I'll fire the extinguisher up the engine, that's bound to fix it"
I wonder why they moved the Merlin? After all they had made the decision to land on as a precautionary, it wasn't of going to have got any better if it hadn't been looked at, unless they were repositioning closer to a pub, now that would make sense.
2 inches of right pedal.
Last edited by NutLoose; 7th Jun 2012 at 22:14.
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They made the local news...but obviously didn't admit to the Islip Visit!
My guess is the re-positioning was to put them near the Courtyard Hotel...
BBC News - RAF helicopter makes a 'precautionary' landing in Stanwick
I wander what the banging and clanging noise was?
My guess is the re-positioning was to put them near the Courtyard Hotel...
BBC News - RAF helicopter makes a 'precautionary' landing in Stanwick
I wander what the banging and clanging noise was?