Helicopter altitude records
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: USA
French!
Altitude without payload : 12 442 m
Date of flight: 21/06/1972
Pilot: Jean BOULET (France)
Course/place: Aérodrome d'Istres (France)
Rotorcraft:
SA 315 Lama (1 Turboméca Artouste III B, 735 kW)
http://records.fai.org/rotorcraft/cu...12&id2=1&id3=2
Altitude without payload : 12 442 m
Date of flight: 21/06/1972
Pilot: Jean BOULET (France)
Course/place: Aérodrome d'Istres (France)
Rotorcraft:
SA 315 Lama (1 Turboméca Artouste III B, 735 kW)
http://records.fai.org/rotorcraft/cu...12&id2=1&id3=2
Joined: Aug 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
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From: UK
The story goes that it was stripped so light and low as possible on fuel that it got airborne as soon as the collective came off the bottom stop; then the engine flamed out due to lack of fuel on the descent.
Hence the reference to 'Altitude without Payload'!
Hence the reference to 'Altitude without Payload'!
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Harwich
Pilot magazine commented on it years ago (but still years after the event) - the canopy iced up entirely, so when the world's highest altitude (without payload) became the world's highest autorotation, Boulet was reduced to using the position of the dimly-seen sun through the layer of ice as a horizon reference. He thought things could only improve after it got in line with the floor. Luckily they did.
And edited to say one of the things they stripped out for lightness was the electrical system, which made a restart impossible regardless of the fuel state.
And edited to say one of the things they stripped out for lightness was the electrical system, which made a restart impossible regardless of the fuel state.
Last edited by Hilico; 25th November 2004 at 18:16.
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: UK
The battery and starter were removed post start. The centre fairings, horizontal stabilizer, second seat, tail skid, all instruments considered non essential and finally : the oil cooling system
Magnesium doors were fitted each weighing 300gm.
At 12100 metres and -62 degrees centigrade, the engine flamed out! At 7000m the a/c regained VMC with Istres runway dead ahead and within auto range
Truly cutting edge aviation.
I noticed fron NL's link, that the record for a helo to climb was in a CH54. Climbing to 10,000' in 82 seconds
30 years ago!
Thats roughly 85 mph vertically??????????
Magnesium doors were fitted each weighing 300gm.
At 12100 metres and -62 degrees centigrade, the engine flamed out! At 7000m the a/c regained VMC with Istres runway dead ahead and within auto range
Truly cutting edge aviation.
I noticed fron NL's link, that the record for a helo to climb was in a CH54. Climbing to 10,000' in 82 seconds
30 years ago!Thats roughly 85 mph vertically??????????
Last edited by Thomas coupling; 25th November 2004 at 21:05.
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was the flameout due to fuel starvation, ie autorotation was part of the plan? if not then theoretically he could have flown higher, but commenced descend in order not to run out of fuel before reaching ground?
if the reached alt was max for the weight, what would have been the flying characteristics at that point? wobbling around, buffetting, 0 vs despite climb power & config?
obviously, cabin was not pressurized, so it was -62 and corresponding pressure inside? what was he wearing, a pressure suit?
if the reached alt was max for the weight, what would have been the flying characteristics at that point? wobbling around, buffetting, 0 vs despite climb power & config?
obviously, cabin was not pressurized, so it was -62 and corresponding pressure inside? what was he wearing, a pressure suit?
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,670
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From: UK
The crew were dressed in thick weatherproof coats and leggins with oxygen masks and headsets!
The attempt was curtailed at this height due to the helo becoming virtually uncontrollabe. Then just as he began the descent, it flamed out due to running out of fuel (no gas stations there).
So far we've got:
Fastest ever helicopter (level flt): Lynx 1982 250mph.
Highest ever: Lama 1972 40,820 feet.
Fastest vertical rate of climb: CH54 1971 78 mph. [6900 f/m].
What about:
fastest sideways: ? (mph)
fastest rearwards: ? (mph)
Heaviest helo ever: ? (Kg or tons)
Lightest ever: ? (the lama above weighed 930kg with two pax on board!)
The attempt was curtailed at this height due to the helo becoming virtually uncontrollabe. Then just as he began the descent, it flamed out due to running out of fuel (no gas stations there).
So far we've got:
Fastest ever helicopter (level flt): Lynx 1982 250mph.
Highest ever: Lama 1972 40,820 feet.
Fastest vertical rate of climb: CH54 1971 78 mph. [6900 f/m].
What about:
fastest sideways: ? (mph)
fastest rearwards: ? (mph)
Heaviest helo ever: ? (Kg or tons)
Lightest ever: ? (the lama above weighed 930kg with two pax on board!)
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: south of France
Thomas
I think the heaviest is the Mil mi-12 "Homer"
http://www.military.cz/russia/air/he...mi_12/mi12.htm
The lightest could be a recent one , but a RC helico : about 20 grams, made by Seiko as a technological demo (no link, to be confirmed)
Cheers
I think the heaviest is the Mil mi-12 "Homer"
http://www.military.cz/russia/air/he...mi_12/mi12.htm
The lightest could be a recent one , but a RC helico : about 20 grams, made by Seiko as a technological demo (no link, to be confirmed)
Cheers
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: OZZ
Well actually-The AS350 B2 has the world altitude record if I remember corectly.
ZS-RHA flew to a altitude of 12 954 meters on 23 March 2002 with Mr Fred North piloting it
You can view a image of the helicopter here
ZS-RHA flew to a altitude of 12 954 meters on 23 March 2002 with Mr Fred North piloting it
You can view a image of the helicopter here
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: At home
Altitude records
Gotta get this one in.
Quote from "An eye to the sky, the first 50 years. 1911 to 1961" from the Cessna Aircraft Company.
" A member of the Army Aviation Board made history, in November 1958, by establishing three world's altitude records in a YH-41. He climbed to almost 30,000 feet over Witciha to see these records. "
Not bad for a piston engined helicopter back in 1958. For those who don't know the Cessna helicopters, the YH-41 was the Army's version of the civil CH-1B, a 4 place helicopter powered by a 270 hp supercharged Continental engine.
Quote from "An eye to the sky, the first 50 years. 1911 to 1961" from the Cessna Aircraft Company.
" A member of the Army Aviation Board made history, in November 1958, by establishing three world's altitude records in a YH-41. He climbed to almost 30,000 feet over Witciha to see these records. "
Not bad for a piston engined helicopter back in 1958. For those who don't know the Cessna helicopters, the YH-41 was the Army's version of the civil CH-1B, a 4 place helicopter powered by a 270 hp supercharged Continental engine.
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: USA
The original 12,000 meter record setting ran out of fuel on purpose, as the highest altitude would be achieved at the lowest weight, and you can't get much lower in weight!
TangoMikeYankee,
The effort that you mention, whhich is clearly marked on that photo is not listed by the FAI. The word "record" is normally applied to those that are homologated by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale by use of their experts and instruments. Otherwise, the records could become food fights among parties with few standards. I wonder why that climb is not mentioned. Could be that the flight was not sanctioned by the FAI.
For some of those other records requested by Thomas Coupling, we will have to wing it because the FAI doesn't recognize the classifications. For unofficial sideward and rearward, let me toss my hat in the ring, the S-76B Fantail demonstrator went 85 knots backwards and 89 knots sidewards during our trials.
The heaviest helicopter ever was the Mi-12 or V-12, which carried a payload of 40,000 Kg, and must have weigheed about 80,000 kg MGW for that record. The Mi-26 is 56,000 kg, and the CH-53E is about 33,500 Kg.
I ran the Sikorsky S-76 record trials back in 1982, and got to watch the process in action, it is interesting!
TangoMikeYankee,
The effort that you mention, whhich is clearly marked on that photo is not listed by the FAI. The word "record" is normally applied to those that are homologated by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale by use of their experts and instruments. Otherwise, the records could become food fights among parties with few standards. I wonder why that climb is not mentioned. Could be that the flight was not sanctioned by the FAI.
For some of those other records requested by Thomas Coupling, we will have to wing it because the FAI doesn't recognize the classifications. For unofficial sideward and rearward, let me toss my hat in the ring, the S-76B Fantail demonstrator went 85 knots backwards and 89 knots sidewards during our trials.
The heaviest helicopter ever was the Mi-12 or V-12, which carried a payload of 40,000 Kg, and must have weigheed about 80,000 kg MGW for that record. The Mi-26 is 56,000 kg, and the CH-53E is about 33,500 Kg.
I ran the Sikorsky S-76 record trials back in 1982, and got to watch the process in action, it is interesting!
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,012
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From: USA
Here is the site where Fred North talks about his high altitude flight.
http://www.fred-north.com/pages-frame/Biography-fr.html
Unfortunately for Fred, he fails to tell us how, with all his elaborate planning, he could forget to inform the FAI of his attempt, and how he could forget to bring along a sealed barograph. He also forgot to tell us how he knows he was at that high altitude. He told us in breathless prose everything else that he did that day, so I am left with the unfortunate belief that this was a publicity stunt, and not a legitimate altitude record.
If he is available, perhaps he could help us understand the omissions.
http://www.fred-north.com/pages-frame/Biography-fr.html
Unfortunately for Fred, he fails to tell us how, with all his elaborate planning, he could forget to inform the FAI of his attempt, and how he could forget to bring along a sealed barograph. He also forgot to tell us how he knows he was at that high altitude. He told us in breathless prose everything else that he did that day, so I am left with the unfortunate belief that this was a publicity stunt, and not a legitimate altitude record.
If he is available, perhaps he could help us understand the omissions.
Better red than ...
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Aviation Qualifications: CPL
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From: Appleby-in-Westmorland Cumbria England
It makes ones personal record of 17800ft over Warwickshire in a 206B quite, well, insignificant.
Boy we saved some fuel on the autorotation back...
... but the barotrauma, it made me deaf you know.
Boy we saved some fuel on the autorotation back...
... but the barotrauma, it made me deaf you know.