Best cockpit access?
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Best cockpit access?
Which, in your opinion is the most friendly helicopter cockpit to access and why?
I'm 1.91cm and pretty agile but to date I have not come across a cockpit with either easy entry or exit.
The Bell 206 series, the door is too narrow, as is the A119/A109 which follows the same design, the AS350/355 requires probably the least of a struggle with the instrument panel support frame a handy grab on entry. MD500/600 series are OK for mountain climbers, easier to get in than out. MD900 are difficult due to the acute slope of the forward door frame and shoulder injury is likely.
Hughes requires several attempts to find the best way in or out but once mastered it's not too bad. Enstrom is workable and R22/44 are not too good, but is helped greatly by the 'T' bar cyclic.
SA341/2 are generally fine as is the Alouette. Bell 222 series is OK. EC135 very similar to the MD900 with a restricted door size and shape. Bell 47 requires a flexible neck and a special long leg.
I'm 1.91cm and pretty agile but to date I have not come across a cockpit with either easy entry or exit.
The Bell 206 series, the door is too narrow, as is the A119/A109 which follows the same design, the AS350/355 requires probably the least of a struggle with the instrument panel support frame a handy grab on entry. MD500/600 series are OK for mountain climbers, easier to get in than out. MD900 are difficult due to the acute slope of the forward door frame and shoulder injury is likely.
Hughes requires several attempts to find the best way in or out but once mastered it's not too bad. Enstrom is workable and R22/44 are not too good, but is helped greatly by the 'T' bar cyclic.
SA341/2 are generally fine as is the Alouette. Bell 222 series is OK. EC135 very similar to the MD900 with a restricted door size and shape. Bell 47 requires a flexible neck and a special long leg.
Not enough $$$ ...
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Less than 2cm....the view looking down from a hi-skid anything must be terrifying!
There's the potential here for a thread entitled "Worst cockpit access/egress?"
Can I suggest Lynx AH-anymark, kevlar seats, life-jacket, and dinghy pack under your backside, ferrying a cab back to the UK from Germany.
Can I suggest Lynx AH-anymark, kevlar seats, life-jacket, and dinghy pack under your backside, ferrying a cab back to the UK from Germany.
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It's alright for you guys who know where the cockpit is situated.
How about going out to fly a Bristol Freighter/Frightener for the first time. Two TPs armed with a set of pilot's notes failed in their search for an entry to the flight deck. Had to ask an airman who was there to pull the chocks. Strange that he declined an offer to come with us.
How about going out to fly a Bristol Freighter/Frightener for the first time. Two TPs armed with a set of pilot's notes failed in their search for an entry to the flight deck. Had to ask an airman who was there to pull the chocks. Strange that he declined an offer to come with us.
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I intended to have a positive approach to my topic by reference to the best rather than the worst. On the whole all are really bad due in the main to the aerodynamics involved. However some are better than others and I just wanted to ask and highlight which are 'better because of' v 'compared to' with your reasons.
I am not involved in any design project, I just have had minor injuries when accessing and egressing certain cockpits and have seen that others have similar gripes.
On a tangent perhaps the design team at Bell have addressed this topic in the 429 design.
I am not involved in any design project, I just have had minor injuries when accessing and egressing certain cockpits and have seen that others have similar gripes.
On a tangent perhaps the design team at Bell have addressed this topic in the 429 design.
I recall the 212 used to be a gentlemanly machine to access, apart from the tedious climb (or fall, if you missed the step on the way out 
). The S76 is certainly an armchair ingress, but the cockpit always lacked a decent amount of nooks and crannies to stow gear once esconced in the chauffeurs' compartment 
The Skycrane has a certain ease of entry, a bit better than the S61/Sea King, but my back ache is much better for not flying Mr Sikorsky's finest, thank you.
Interestingly, the BK117 is a delight to put on despite the relatively narrow doors, yet its successor the EC145 has the driver's seat too far forward to make for comfortable entry. Both machines are nowhere near as good if the seat doesn't have the vertical adjustment option, though.
On the negative side, how Mr Robinson's offerings ever got into production....one doesn't get into an R22, one puts it on
). The S76 is certainly an armchair ingress, but the cockpit always lacked a decent amount of nooks and crannies to stow gear once esconced in the chauffeurs' compartment The Skycrane has a certain ease of entry, a bit better than the S61/Sea King, but my back ache is much better for not flying Mr Sikorsky's finest, thank you.
Interestingly, the BK117 is a delight to put on despite the relatively narrow doors, yet its successor the EC145 has the driver's seat too far forward to make for comfortable entry. Both machines are nowhere near as good if the seat doesn't have the vertical adjustment option, though.
On the negative side, how Mr Robinson's offerings ever got into production....one doesn't get into an R22, one puts it on
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The nicest helicopter I've ever had the pleasure to sit in and fly was the new AB139. Low floor, copilots side had a huge door and no gymnastics to get past the collective.
And hectares of glass in front as well.
The R-44 comes close as well. The cyclic arrangement is quite conducive to getting in and out easily . Witness the two chaps who ditched on in the South Atlantic several years ago - imagine doing that in a survival suit in any other helicopter....
And hectares of glass in front as well.
The R-44 comes close as well. The cyclic arrangement is quite conducive to getting in and out easily . Witness the two chaps who ditched on in the South Atlantic several years ago - imagine doing that in a survival suit in any other helicopter....
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If the cabin is big enough, then excellent cockpit access would be possible with sliding seats. Barring that, ease of entry/egress and good field of view seem to conflict. Make the doors bigger, hinges further forward and you tend to obstruct view. Make the posts smaller and structure is comprimised, perhaps not so much for safety, but vibes, noise, durability might be comprimised.
Big helicopters where you enter the cockpit from the cabin tend to get large center consoles in the way of easy access. The fixed wing DHC-6, Buffalo had a sliding center console that was completely out of the way for entry/egress. A fixed but narrow center console that allows you to walk up to the seat is the next best thing.
Entering the Bell 412 on the right is quite easy, although there is a bit of a climb up to the seat. The biggest reason it shines is because you're seated upright like a truck rather than reclined like a sports car. Reclined is all right, but the cyclic can get in the way. Space above the cyclic to lift your legs over is probably the best way, but that comprimises switches and dials and it forces the instrument panel up higher, possibly comprimising the field of view.
For small helicopters, the Gazelle is quite easy, although not on the first few attempts. I think it is easy because the seat bottom is so low that as you step in your feet go to the proper sides of the cyclic, i.e. you don't have to climb over the cyclic. On the left side of the gazelle it's almost the same since the collective lies so low and the collective head is so small that it isn't a concern.
Just my thoughts,
Big helicopters where you enter the cockpit from the cabin tend to get large center consoles in the way of easy access. The fixed wing DHC-6, Buffalo had a sliding center console that was completely out of the way for entry/egress. A fixed but narrow center console that allows you to walk up to the seat is the next best thing.
Entering the Bell 412 on the right is quite easy, although there is a bit of a climb up to the seat. The biggest reason it shines is because you're seated upright like a truck rather than reclined like a sports car. Reclined is all right, but the cyclic can get in the way. Space above the cyclic to lift your legs over is probably the best way, but that comprimises switches and dials and it forces the instrument panel up higher, possibly comprimising the field of view.
For small helicopters, the Gazelle is quite easy, although not on the first few attempts. I think it is easy because the seat bottom is so low that as you step in your feet go to the proper sides of the cyclic, i.e. you don't have to climb over the cyclic. On the left side of the gazelle it's almost the same since the collective lies so low and the collective head is so small that it isn't a concern.
Just my thoughts,
