Helicopter on Ebay.
Thread Starter
The Original Whirly
Joined: Feb 1999
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 2
From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK
Helicopter on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...e=STRK:MEWA:IT
Unusual greenhouse?
Garden ornament?
Dog kennel?
Strange way to commit suicide?
Or am I a cynic, and could one actually fly it?
Any comments?
Unusual greenhouse?
Garden ornament?
Dog kennel?
Strange way to commit suicide?
Or am I a cynic, and could one actually fly it?
Any comments?
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Ask the voices!
Whirly,
Used to know someone who had one, flew round his garden mostly (BIG garden!!!!)
Supposed to be tremendous fun.
Would putting it on the US register not be an option?? I think it looks like a hoot!
Used to know someone who had one, flew round his garden mostly (BIG garden!!!!)
Supposed to be tremendous fun.
Would putting it on the US register not be an option?? I think it looks like a hoot!
Red On, Green On
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,490
Likes: 2
From: Between the woods and the water
This link http://www.provide.net/~pratt1/ambuilt/helicopter.htm will put you off, I hope......
Thread Starter
The Original Whirly
Joined: Feb 1999
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 2
From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK
airborne_artist,
That link makes sobering reading.
For the record, I NEVER seriously planned to buy this helicopter with a view to flying it. I posted my first lighthearted post partly out of curiosity, partly as a subject for discussion...and also because I really would love to have one in my garden - I'd grow grapes in it or something, train them over the rotors perhaps. But the biddings gone too high for that to be realistic.
But I daresay others might be planning to fly it, so the warnings are definitely in order. 
That link makes sobering reading.
For the record, I NEVER seriously planned to buy this helicopter with a view to flying it. I posted my first lighthearted post partly out of curiosity, partly as a subject for discussion...and also because I really would love to have one in my garden - I'd grow grapes in it or something, train them over the rotors perhaps. But the biddings gone too high for that to be realistic.
But I daresay others might be planning to fly it, so the warnings are definitely in order.
Red On, Green On
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,490
Likes: 2
From: Between the woods and the water
This was the bit from the NTSB accident link I liked:
On November 6, 1998, at 0900 central standard time (cst), a Tomschin Mini 500, N316AZ,
piloted by a non-certificated individual, sustained substantial damage when while in cruise flight, the
helicopter struck a power line.......The non-pilot told the FAA inspector that he did not possess a pilot certificate or a current medical
certificate. The non- pilot said that he had taken several lessons in Alabama. A review of his pilot
logbook showed that the non-pilot had 23 total hours of flight time in helicopters.
And this:
"The accident Mini-500 used a Rotax 582 UL DCDI engine. In the beginning of the operator's
manual, it stated: "Danger! This engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage! Engine
stoppage can result in crash landings. Such crash landings can lead to serious bodily injury or death.
Never fly the aircraft equipped with this engine at locations, airspeeds, altitudes, or other
circumstances from which a successful no-power landing cannot be made, after sudden engine
stoppage."
'nuff said.
My money is that none of those ebay bidders will stump up the cash, and that if you pm'd the seller with an offer for what it's worth as a fancy greenhouse he'd be forced to take it!
On November 6, 1998, at 0900 central standard time (cst), a Tomschin Mini 500, N316AZ,
piloted by a non-certificated individual, sustained substantial damage when while in cruise flight, the
helicopter struck a power line.......The non-pilot told the FAA inspector that he did not possess a pilot certificate or a current medical
certificate. The non- pilot said that he had taken several lessons in Alabama. A review of his pilot
logbook showed that the non-pilot had 23 total hours of flight time in helicopters.
And this:
"The accident Mini-500 used a Rotax 582 UL DCDI engine. In the beginning of the operator's
manual, it stated: "Danger! This engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage! Engine
stoppage can result in crash landings. Such crash landings can lead to serious bodily injury or death.
Never fly the aircraft equipped with this engine at locations, airspeeds, altitudes, or other
circumstances from which a successful no-power landing cannot be made, after sudden engine
stoppage."
'nuff said.
My money is that none of those ebay bidders will stump up the cash, and that if you pm'd the seller with an offer for what it's worth as a fancy greenhouse he'd be forced to take it!
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 1,286
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From: I have no idea but the view's great.
I like my dog but not enough to spend £3,500 on a new kennel for him.
And as for flying it, well as it seems the best way to hold a reunion of Mini 500 pilots is via a medium, I don't think I'll bother.
And as for flying it, well as it seems the best way to hold a reunion of Mini 500 pilots is via a medium, I don't think I'll bother.
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,479
Likes: 178
From: UK
Grief, whilst I've flown a lot of FW aeroplanes with a 582 and know it fairly well, I'm not sure I'd want to fly a low-rotor-inertia helicopter with one, sounds like too many chains in the accident chain already forged.
G
G
