Helicopter FlightSims

[HOSS 1]

A real good turbine start, which just happens to be an allison, is from Mark Nye's turbine boat.

It's at http://www.gas-turbines.com/images/a...20low_idle.wav

Makes a good windows start-up wav file choice!

HOSS 1

[ptwaugh]

Yeah, holleywood sound effects leave a bit to be desired at times.

Since I'm trying to impress real pilots, and Bell Helicopter, I'm having to be a bit more exacting.

Thanks for the help.

[ptwaugh]

B206 Start Question.

Ok,

You're in a B206B3, and you are doing pre-flight. You throw the BAT ON, and hear:

a) The LOW ROTOR audio warning
b) The ENG OUT audio warning
c) Both of the above
d) None of the above, you are now deaf.

If you hear only one of the above tones, what must you do to get the other?

Thanks.

[chuteless]

As far a I can remember you should hear eng-out audio
to hear low RRPM you need to raise the collective
if I'm wrong someone will be quick to correct
iof coursef you hear neither then put off your medical for as long as possible or check the CB in the overhead panel

Stay happy
Chuteless

[sprocket]

Be aware also, there was a Tech bulletin out long ago that allowed the engine out audio to be disabled thus only retaining the light. It was an option only, but there may be some operating without the audio.

[ptwaugh]

Yeah, I suppose silence is a kind of obvious audio indicator that your engine is out.

[PPRUNE FAN#1]

PT Waugh:

Yeah, I suppose silence is a kind of obvious audio indicator that your engine is out.

Not necessarily. Turbines are different than recips. In a 206, that god-awful transmission whine dominates, and if the engine doesn't blow-up outright, it can spool down quite discretely, believe it or not. Hence, the beep-beep-beep horn to let you know that the N1 is below the normal idle rpm range.

Quick story: Back when I first started flying turbines and was young, dumb and full of...self-confidence, I wondered just what the indications of a "soft" engine failure would be if I were not paying particularly close attention at the time (like that *never* happens to any of us, eh?). Just for, um, grins, I was in cruise flight one day (no pax) when I decided to experiment. Playing the role of "typical dumb pilot" (a role I've unintentionally played many times since) I looked out the right window, I rolled the throttle to idle and waited. From my perspective, nothing happened. ...Until the low-rotor horn started blaring. Then, when I turned around and looked at the tach...well, you don't want to know where the needle was, but let's just say my heart took up temporary residence in my throat. Cruise flight with low-rotor is *not* a good place to be in a helo with a teetering, underslung rotor. I did not completely grasp the significance of that then. I do now.

So I'm glad that all the subsequent 206's I've flown had the engine-out horn connected and working. I'll take every bit of help I can get, thankavrymch.

[Ascend Charlie]

You will probably hear neither, because most operators pull the Caution Lites circuit breaker on shutdown.

To hear them all:
Battery on
Caution C/B in (bipbipbipbip and engine out light and RPM light)
Raise collective (beeeeeeeeeeeeeep)
Lower lever, pull C/B to conserve sanity. Turn off battery to conserve battery.

Make sure you always have the anti-collision light turned on, so that if you accidentally leave the battery on, the flashing light should be a reminder.

[belly tank]

In later model 206B3's you have an audio mute button on the dash above the ASI and attitude indicators

When i start my preflight i turn the master bat on, Caution CB in you should hear the eng out tone and then i hit the mute button, this will still illuminate the panel with the usual eng out, and pressure lights illuminated, by hitting the mute you can carry out checking the fuel and fuel filter bypass light illuminate without putting up with the tone.

Similarily on shut down. i do the procedure but leave the caution in and ,mute after ive carried out the shut down proc

[ptwaugh]

Interesting story. Makes sense since the XMSN is so much closer.

Reminds me of my brother practicing emergency eng out landings with some spare time/fuel after a cross-country.

He setup for a nice approach in a C172 into a man-made dry river, in Texas. At about 50 ft AGL, he suddenly became uncomfortable with his lack of view over the canopy and his nose-high attitude (probably in reverse command).

Sensibly he decided to terminate the approach, but in his "hurry", he neglected to add power first, and instead retracted the first notch of flaps, thus dumping his lift.

He ended up upside down in the field, but thankfully without injury (if you don't count the C172).

He now flys Harriers (quiet carefullly) for the Marine Corps.

[the coyote]

If the engine out audio has been disabled, it will (or should!) have a placard on the panel saying so. Check the Caution CB is in. No placard and no audio, possible problemo.

[ptwaugh]

Which B206 warning sound is which?

Ok, despite how these are labeled, after reading some posts, I'm concerned that I might have them backwards.

Take a look at these:

http://webpages.charter.net/pwaugh/downloads/Warning.LowRotor.mpg
http://webpages.charter.net/pwaugh/downloads/Warning.Eng.Out.mpg

and tell me if they are correctly labeled.

Is one really both sounds? I had heard that the Engine Out sound is a long beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, so that video appears to be both at the same time.

If so, I need to find a recording of just the Engine Out noise.

Thanks.

[407 Driver]

Your quick-links don't work, so I cut and pasted the URL's and my opinion is:

Sound #1 is Engine out only
Sound #2 is both engine out and low rotor RPM

[ghost02]

I did some net cruising and found the explanation. That switch is the essential bus control switch, albeit poorly labeled. The TH-57 only has a generator and a battery, so electric power is minimal, and the battery will only last a short while after generator failure. The system dumps most loads automatically if the gen fails, including the fuel boost pumps and some lighting (I think). For safety, the pilot selects the "recover" position while flying in darkness to override the load sheding. See:

On the TH-57C, the normal/recover switch connects the essential bus(??) to the battery bus (in the recover position) in the event of a generator failure. The reason you want the switch in the recover postion at night is the searchlight is on the essential bus. If you lose the engine, both the main gen and standby gen will no longer produce power and you will want the battery to power the searchlight so you can (hopefully) see your landing sight.

The fuel boost pump on the Th-57 is not really needed. It prevents fuel from vaporizing in the fuel lines above ~6000'. The engine can be started with the fuel pump CB pulled (try it sometime).

My memory is a little hazy, so I might have the name of the busses wrong, but that is the general jist of it. Also the TH-57C has four sources power, the generator, standby generator, battery, and standby battery (powers pilot's AI when everything else is gone).

ghost

[ptwaugh]

Audio Warnings: Another Question

Ok,

Assuming a B206B3, with a functioning audio Eng Out warning, a functioning mute button, and a cold & dark cockpit.

You get in, and begin your pre-flight. Your collection has been returned to the full down position and you flip the battery switch.

I've been told you will hear both Eng Out and Low Rotor, and I've been told you will only hear Eng Out till you pull collective. (If so, does the anunciator stay light?).

I'm guessing that if the collective is down, you hear only Eng Out.

1) Which is it?
2) If the audio warning only comes on only when you pull collective, how much do you have to pull?

Thanks,

Patrick

[Hilico]

Can I just have a minor diversion here and ask why MS Flight Sim doesn't have realistic heli start-up sounds? What it does have is even more effeminate than that ladylike 'poot' Nick described in his round engine post.

[Simon853]

MS FlightSim helicopters and sounds

Hilico,
I downloaded an AS350 from avsim.com the other night and it's a much better looking and sounding model than the 206 that comes as standard. Has better avionics and start-up procedures modelled too, and includes the turbine start-up sound. (As just a humble wannabe at this stage, that sound gives me goose-bumps!)

Si

[MonarchA330]

Helicopter Sims for the PC

Hi all,

DISCLAIMER
Have searched all the other topics and none gave the answer I'm looking for so please don't shout at me!

Ok... my brother wants an accurate helicopter sim for his PC so he can fly VFR and generally get the idea of how the things fly/handle etc.

Other threads suggested MS flight sim for IFR flying.... is this still the best option for solely VFR flights?

Thanks very much

M330

[TiPwEiGhT]

I have flight sim and think it's ok, does the job i guess. Hear x-plane or something is good, never played it though. You can get some good downloads for flight sim.

TiP

[Aser]

"accurate" it isn't the best definition for ms flight sim but you can't beat the VFR scenerys and loads of freeware/payware (good ones) aircrafts and fun you can have with it.

just take a look in www.hovercontrol.com
www.flightsim.com
www.avsim.com
www.fsplanet.com
etc.

Regards
Aser