Robinson R44

[BigMike]

R44 engine oil cooler question

Does anyone know of a kit, or has modded an R44 with a larger engine oil cooler?
Just had the question put to me by someone operating in a fairly hot climate.

Thanks BM

[FACT Pilot]

I just saw a guy fly a commercial 44 flight in 30kts gusting 55kts... A 25kt gust spread. We weren't even flying the LongRanger due to the winds...

Anyway, quick question. I'm picking up new 44 next week. Anything I should look out for before/during first ferry flight (about 7hr flight) other than oil consumption and basics?

[Rotorhead412]

Bring lots of water, and snacks!!

If its a brand new one from the factory, ask the engineers down there, i'm sure they know a little thing or two!!!! Hopefully!

[FACT Pilot]

Not too sure if I'm going anymore. But it would be from Laneria in Jo'burg - Bloemfontein (Re-Fuel) - Beaufort West (Re-Fuel) to Cape Town (Destination)

[birrddog]

FACT Pilot, I think you need to tell them it is more efficient to take the great circle route.... you know, Lanseria - > Durban -> Wild Coast -> PE -> Plett -> George -> Hermanus-> FACT

[Rotorhead412]

FACT, tell me this, how do you pull ferry flights? Ive done a few to date, but its just been from my current work, from your experience, is it just by 'luck', as in if you know someone kinda job...!?

[SADDLER]

R44 weight question

Can anyone tell me how much fuel I can carry in a R44 raven 2 clipper, when I carry 4 average weight blokes .

[topendtorque]

Can anyone tell me how much fuel I can carry in a R44 raven 2 clipper, when I carry 4 average weight blokes

Saddler,
I do believe that you have hit upon a question, the wrong answer for which could easily have been the cause of two fatals for all four on board each time, that I remember in recent times in OZ.

The fuel in the R44 is aft of the C of G and of course the pax are forward of C of G. So when calculationg your mission weight and balance be sure to calculate the Cof G within limits at flights end minus the reserve fuel in case you have to fly a little longer than you hoped for.
In fact claculate it for near on empty for good measure.

Don't take an estimated answer on here as gospel. I believe that as this aircraft can so easily fowl the careless approach on this issue, that you should always use scales, a good slide rule and the correct aircraft data.

Why?
If the engine stops and you suddenly need a big movement of aft cyclic, then the A/C must be within C of G limits to allow an auto-rotational attitutde to be set up.
I should also add that you may simply run out of aft cyclic while you are flying around burning off fuel weight and not be able to arrest a simple nose low attitude for any of the myriad reasons that they present themselves from time to time.
be careful.

be extra careful
tet.

[SADDLER]

Tet,thanks for that useful advice.

[safta]

R44 emergency flotation system info required

Does anyone operate a R44 with emergency flotation gear? I need to know if there is a minimum altitude required for deploying the floats and also how long the floats take to inflate?

[Practice Auto 3,2,1]

No idea about a minimum altitude to activate the floats, but they only take a few seconds to fully inflate.

Here is a video on YouTube of them being inflated during maintenance

[eivissa]

Since I was never forced to deploy them in my time over the mediterranean sea, I can only link two videos showing the deployment of 'em. It just takes about 2-3 seconds to fully deploy them...
YouTube - Danish Fly - R44 floats popped

YouTube - Float bang

cheers eivissa.

[Hangar3]

R44 Poh 9-10.4

Power Failure 8 feet & 500 feet AGL

Autorotation to water:

1 Lower collective immediately to maintain rotor RPM
2 Reduce airspeed to below 80 KIAS
3 If altitude permits, maneuver into wind
4 Inflate floats

NOTE - Float inflation may take up to three seconds. Squeeze lever early enough to allow full inflation before water contact

No minimum alt. to inflate, but work a timeline backwards from water contact and you'll get an estimated minimum alt. to do 1 to 4 sucessfully......

[safta]

Thanks Hangar 3! I don't think these emergency floats will help our operation as we will be IGE at all times over water and will immediately route over land as we transition OGE. I doubt our pilots will be able to deal with an engine failure and trigger the floats and have 3 seconds before water impact while IGE.

Life vests are probably a much better option. Additionally, the water over which we will fly will be pretty shallow.

Anyone disagree?

[topendtorque]

How shallow?
will the blades still be whizzing around just above water level when everyone pops out in their floaties.?

[Titus Frisbee]

Yes - how deep? topend is right, not nice to surface into moving blades - and don't for one minute tell me that your pax are going to wait 'til the blades stop before scrambling out. I did a Huet course and believe me the first reaction on hitting the water is to get the hell out as quickly as possible - even if you have been trained to wait! But topend assumes the machine comes to rest upright. And it might ---in very shallow and reasonably still water; but it may not. So with that in mind can anybody out there tell me what way does a R44 sink??? The conventional thinking is(and HUET Training tells us )that helicopters invert when sinking- due to the high position of the engine and gearbox etc. But I can see a R44 (with a heavy engine located relatively low) sinking tail first.
I have flown across the Irish sea a number of times (not the warmest or calmest stretch of water in the world) and I have often wondered has anybody ditched a 44?? And what way to they sink - 'cause they certainly don't float

[Twiddle]

I believe Q ditched one, probably written up somewhere?

Personally, based on the old tradition of the captain going down with the ship, I'd immediately promote the front seat passenger to captain, hand them the cyclic and then jump out, with the shift in weight it should end up nowhere near me!

Whoever said the age of gallantry is dead.......?

[topendtorque]

That could create a probelm or two Twiddle. The retreating blade then strikes the water a litle pat, and skip, skip, right around to cut orff your silly 'ead.
Not to mention when it digs in on the left hand side it will put the xmon into the rear pax area and you will have to waste some time crossing off the non surviving pax off of your manifest clipboard before swimming away.

Best to roll it stbd, assume that the xmon will go through the fuel tanks as it disappears rearward, leaving only the seat cushions as the last remaining floaties

[chopperpilot47]

R44

I instruct on Bell 47's, Schweizer 300's and now R44's as well. I have a question about the pendulum effect of the R44. It sways around a lot particularly in gusts and on landing. I suppose you get used to it. My question is: the yoke is fairly small so I can see the reason why there is a long mast and a lot of distance from the top of the mast to the bottom of the helicopter. Why not make the yoke bigger like the Bell 47 and shorten the mast? In that way the pendulum effect would be greatly reduced wouldn't it? The proximity of the tail boom to the rotor isn't the issue is it? I can't see why as other helicopters don't have that problem. If the yoke was larger wouldn't that reduce the mast bumping issues of the Robinson's as a desirable side effect?

[helimutt]

Oh no, the old R22/R44 issue rears it's ugly head again. Take a good look at the design of the head of the R44 and compare it to the B47.
If only it would be so easy to just 'change' things. yes the main blades can contact the tail if mishandled, and have done so on occasion.