R44 can lift what?

[Lynx206]

I saw an episode of 'The Biggest Fat B@st@rd' tonight which had the wickedest yellow R44 spiriting three people off to their prize. The people are contestants in a weight loss contest. Unfortunately, they had not lost a lot of weight. (Well, they certainly were outside the standard pax weight parameters by about 5 standard deviations.) I estimated that the two men and a woman must have weighed in at 300 kg or more.

Is the R44 capable of carrying that weight with the pilot? Is the R44 CofG an issue with heavy pax?

I note that the cameras did not show the aircraft being loaded - juts disappearing into the sky with a vertical take-off. Did the aircraft take the pax?

[TiPwEiGhT]

I very much doubt a R44 could do a vertical take-off with that kind of weight. Seat limit is 300lbs (21stn), filling the cabin up to max weight would most likey cause CofG problems. Even with extra fuel added to overcome any CofG problems you would probably end up with an over weight aircraft.

TiP

[Hilico]

Folding money says the aircraft contained only the pilot when it lifted.

I do occasional work for a UK news/documentary prog (no names no pack drill - the host is a distinguished-looking grey-haired black gentleman and knight of the realm but hey what does that tell you?) and what they film and the order they film it in bears absolutely no relation to what is eventually broadcast. Safe to say, the laws of physics have not been violated.

[rotornut]

And how many 206s do you see flown from the left seat sounding like a 47 on TV and in the movies?

[Gas Producer]

Or for that matter, the amount of Squirrels, both single & twin, on screen while the sound is that classic 206 2-BLADED thump.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

GP

[cyclicpushover]

I did note that the wind was blowing a fair bit, maybe 15k? that would help.


Not that I normally watch the show!!

[Air-Five-oh]

R-44 Heavy ready for take off

Most R-44 weight about 1400 lbs empty. max weight is 2400 lbs so you have about 1000 lbs for pilot, passengers and fuel. 250 lbs per seat max and 50 lbs allowed under seat for baggage.
Max allowable weight in the front and no fuel , you will stay in the envelope but land very nose heavy.

[gadgetguru]

fat bastards/bastettes

most of them would have struggled getting into the aircraft
it did look light on takeoff, 5 will get you 10 it was the driver solo doing the vertical.

not what the viewing public believes a helicopter does; " why don't you take off straight up?"

ratings might have dropped were they to show the little 44 attempting a limited power takeoff through the sand trying desperately to gain etl (i think i can - i thini i can i think i...)

i thought they would have got 'elvis the skycrane' down for a day..

[Gas Producer]

A few years back I was scheduled to do a charter for a couple of folks in a 44 Raven. One of them was physically large and simply could not fit in the rear seat (where I would have preferred him). The other passenger was normally proportioned. So, into the front it was with the big guy. My checks meant we were within overall weight limits and CofG with about half fuel, which was more than enough for the relatively short hop we were doing.

As I pulled pitch I was really surprised at how much the aircraft pitched nose down, and how much aft cyclic was required to maintain a hover. The flight was uneventful, but the foward moment on the CofG was major.

GP

[topendtorque]

sound effects

who can forget the magic sounds of the DC6B as the flying high film reels spooled on.

Cof G in the lighties is a big prob, heard of a bloke (somewhere in Northern OZ ) a while ago. forgot everything told him and loaded an R22 after an in town service with his own swag and gear and a couple of things for the stock camp he was going to. Things like a bag of spuds, cartons of dry tucker prob lots else and --- hero got in and did the old jerk him up trick---- flat on to its nose, whack, whack then silence! Moral is, yet again, always feel them into the air!!

got caught many moons ago having to carry a large pax in a 47G5, a well known thorn bird authoress, jeessuuss!!! that was the first time that I thought I would have to say NO. As it turned out the lateral cyclip stop was nudged a couple of times but there were no right hand turns,-- no sir.

How to say NO that day? I'd worked out if it was too bad i'd attempt a lift off on one mag and then feign dirty plugs until she left. I already had fuel pump and spare oil etc on my side litter, any more AUW would have had me permanantly glued to the firma terra.

[Cross-eyed]

Originally Posted by cyclicpushover

I did note that the wind was blowing a fair bit, maybe 15k? that would help.
Not that I normally watch the show!!

I wouldn't watch the show regardless of the wind speed!

[Lynx206]

Originally Posted by gadgetguru

i thought they would have got 'elvis the skycrane' down for a day..

A Black Hawk would have had trouble with a verticle on an ISA-15 day with that weight.

Hats off to anyone who has the guts to put themselves in front of a television audience and subject themselves to...well, lots of things. They are probably mentally tougher than those who knock them.

For all those who deny watching...we really know you do it in the closet.

[vorticey]

alyoop!

um............. just 2 of those pax would have put it over the weight limit (average 300lbs which is the seat limit) with minimum fuel and a light pilot, if you put one of them in the front the c of g will be just out and you might be bumping the cylic stop when coming in to land. even a big running take off wouldnt lift all of them i dont think (more than 320lbs / 145kgs over max gross weight)

p.s. did that one sound like a jetranger? thay usualy do on tv.

mick