Merlin HC3 - rotorhead
 

Looking for some help here, could anyone tell me if the rotors on said RAF Merlins can be folded for transportation or do they have to be removed? I would be very grateful if anyone has any pic's or links to pic's with the aircraft in this config, showing the layout of the blades and how they are supported, if they could post them here or send me a private msg - Many, many thanks in advance!

Can she be transported in any of our aircraft - C-130/C-17?

I have seen them being thrown about and they seem very agile and reasonably easy to handle is this just deceiving? How do the crews rate them when compared to the Puma or Chinook.

I am not just another sad spotter, but work for BA as a licensed eng, but partake of some modelling in my spare time and am currently building a Merlin and was just after some info.

Thank you anyone who takes 5 mins to reply - much appreciated!!

I don't believe the rotors can be folded on the RAF variant.

The RN variant has blade and tail fold 'built in', but this was not put onto the RAF variant. This was probably to save both money and weight, and give less to go wrong.

Dredging through my murky memory, the hubs/blades are the same (blades were all the same colour when I left, looked wrong if it didn't match the a/c colour), but the RAF variant just has the motors and wiring etc not fitted.

As far as I can remember (I haven't seen one for about 3 years) the idea was to take the blades off if you wanted to transport them by air. If memory serves me, the civil variant was delivered on a roll-on-roll-off ship and had the blades re-attached at the other end. After a track and balance ground run it was good to go for the hop to an airfield. The aircraft used for the cold trials must have got to canada somehow, but I can't remember how, it was either air or sea (ferry).

Of course you could always fly them to their destination. if you fancied a days worth of trip and a couple of stop offs. (one was flown to Canada, PP9 I think it was)

This might have changed since I left, if so I welcome any corrections.

Well, the Puma fits...

Puma into C17

There looks to be a bit of room left - but I very much doubt it is big enough for the mighty Merlin!

Thanks for info guy's -

Straight up - yeh, Looking at pic's of the rotor head a fold mechanism was going to be a mighty task, and a ferry flt could be a long trip if heading for the likes of Canada!!

AlanM - thanks for the pic, not much room left!

Cheers guy's

I’m pretty sure that the Merlin can fit inside the C17. They’ve just got an EH101 at Hendon museum that was used by the RAF and USAF to see if the Merlin would fit in the C17. I believe that they are trying to sell Merlin to the Americans… Anyone care to correct me on the above?

The Mk3 head is very similar but not the same as the Mk1, It can be modified (as well as the MGB) to accept the fold system. PP8 which is now in Hendon was used to demonstrate the loading capability of the EH101 in the C17, With a litttle work any EH101 will fit, either by folding the MRH or removing the MRB, the head stays put. From a modellers point of view the folding system is easy to model with the Mk1 parts as all the bits are within the head itself, no hydraulic lines etc