Sikorsky S-76 [Archive Copy]
Join Date: Jan 1999
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Nude lady with your S76 Sir?
Am doing a little, er, research and wondered if anyone remembers the early Sikorsky PR picture of the 76 with the reclining lady super-imposed across the fuselage. Might be considered a little un-PC today, as I seem to remember she wasn't wearing too many clothes. Don't know if it helped Sikorsky sell any more aircraft, but it surely had a certain impact. Maybe Capt. Lappos got to choose which model was used, and I don't mean A or B??!!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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I heard it was Capt. Lappos himself - mind you, he did shave his legs and his moustache first.... 
strange marks on S76 blades
Hello and season greetings to you all !
A strange thing happened on some of our S76 blades....Very small, few, pin hole like marks,showing a burning aspect, making think of lightning strikes or sparks (they are also sometime present on horizontal stabiliser and T/R blades) They are deep enough to go trough the protective coating.
Of course, affected helicopters are grounded for deeper investigation.
It seems strange that ligthning strike (a rather rare phenomenom on helicopters here) affect more than one helicopter at once in such a short period of time.
What else could it be ? Did some of you ever seen something similar....could it be related to static electricity or maybe some flaming oil dropllets caught in oil rigs flares smoke ?
A strange thing happened on some of our S76 blades....Very small, few, pin hole like marks,showing a burning aspect, making think of lightning strikes or sparks (they are also sometime present on horizontal stabiliser and T/R blades) They are deep enough to go trough the protective coating.
Of course, affected helicopters are grounded for deeper investigation.
It seems strange that ligthning strike (a rather rare phenomenom on helicopters here) affect more than one helicopter at once in such a short period of time.
What else could it be ? Did some of you ever seen something similar....could it be related to static electricity or maybe some flaming oil dropllets caught in oil rigs flares smoke ?
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Huntsville AL
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It's hard to say without being able to see the marks but just a suggestion that it may be something from the engines coming out and impacting the blades. Has there been any engine issues lately? Maybe some carbon bits breaking loose or something of that nature. They may be hot enough to make a burn type mark. Just a thought.
Happy Xmas and Merry New Year!!
Max
Happy Xmas and Merry New Year!!
Max
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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My company's S-76 used to suffer pinhole marking on the rear edge of the stabiliser, which sounds like a similar problem to yours. It also used to suffer radio distortion in the cruise in certain wet weather conditions, which we put down to static build up.
It was allegedly lightning strike damage, although none of the pilots had reported this (I'm sure they would).
It has now been modded with static wicks on the rear of the stab. and the problem hasn't recurred since.
It was allegedly lightning strike damage, although none of the pilots had reported this (I'm sure they would).
It has now been modded with static wicks on the rear of the stab. and the problem hasn't recurred since.
Join Date: Apr 2003
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cpt,
You don't mention where on the blade the marks are, and if they have any appreciable depth to them. What size are they? Have you looked at them with a 5 or 10X maginfier? I don't know what protective coating you refer to, is it the black paint?
The black marks on the trailing edge of the stabilizer could be simple static discharge spark trails, which have fairly high voltage. They can be prevented by adding back the static wicks, I think. I seriously doubt that a crew could not recognize a lightning strike.
thanks,
Nick
You don't mention where on the blade the marks are, and if they have any appreciable depth to them. What size are they? Have you looked at them with a 5 or 10X maginfier? I don't know what protective coating you refer to, is it the black paint?
The black marks on the trailing edge of the stabilizer could be simple static discharge spark trails, which have fairly high voltage. They can be prevented by adding back the static wicks, I think. I seriously doubt that a crew could not recognize a lightning strike.
thanks,
Nick
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Heli Jet Airways, Vancouver BC Canada. Had a lightning strike about 10 years ago. The aircraft was in the shop for almost a year. Reportedly all the gears in the transmission had arc damage ect.
Usually with lightning strikes there is an exit hole where the high energy electrons leave the aircraft.
Usually with lightning strikes there is an exit hole where the high energy electrons leave the aircraft.
These marks are located on upper surface of blades, and behind the leading edge protection....I didn't have the occasion to look at them with a magnifier myself.When I talk about protrective coating is actually the paint layers.
I don't think it's coming from a particular engine exhaust since it affects several helicopters. Although we have experienced stormy weather recently I don't have the feeling it comes from direct lightning hit, and beside this as Nick states a lightning strike wouldn't have stayed unoticed to crews....
Sorry, my position here doesn't allow me to send pictures and it could be misinterpreted by managment.
I don't think it's coming from a particular engine exhaust since it affects several helicopters. Although we have experienced stormy weather recently I don't have the feeling it comes from direct lightning hit, and beside this as Nick states a lightning strike wouldn't have stayed unoticed to crews....
Sorry, my position here doesn't allow me to send pictures and it could be misinterpreted by managment.
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Pin holes
A mate of mine was unfortunate enough to have his brand new aircraft parked alongside a hangar construction.
The paint was found to peppered as you describe. THe cause was an angle grinder being used. Despite being some distance away the particles were hot enough to burn deeply into the paint.
I'd look seriously at that possibility if I were you.
Hairy
The paint was found to peppered as you describe. THe cause was an angle grinder being used. Despite being some distance away the particles were hot enough to burn deeply into the paint.
I'd look seriously at that possibility if I were you.
Hairy
Thank you for this information Hairyplane, there has indeed been some work performed on hangars and parkings recently, but I think that the marks are more recent, maybe have they stayed unoticed untill now ? it deserves to be investigated.
Also damage caused by angle grinder spray are most likely to occur and be found on glass and windshields.
go and check them and if you got damage there you pobably found the cause of the blade damage
go and check them and if you got damage there you pobably found the cause of the blade damage
Somehow the thought of an Angle Grinder and helicopters seem to be a troubling image! I know Igor builds them tough....but really?
What might one need an Angle Grinder for around helicopters to the extent it would damage multiple aircraft?
Someone care to describe that situation for us?
What might one need an Angle Grinder for around helicopters to the extent it would damage multiple aircraft?
Someone care to describe that situation for us?
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Angle Grinders
A simple scenario -
Ugly blokes in rigger boots, resplendent in tattoos and earrings but not many GCE's - and definately no hard hats, goggles, ear defenders - on price-work to erect a steel hangar frame.
They dont give a stuff where the red hot particles they have ground off go. 'Its bound to make a bit of dust guv'.
Take my advice. If any construction of this nature is planned at your airfield, ask the operator what measures are in place to protect aircraft from damage, specifically from welding/ angle grinding fallout. Most important - people need to be protected too. A Health and Safety Statement is mandatory these days. Ask to see it. You have a right to see it if there is even the remotest chance that you might be at risk of injury.
As previously stated, these particles will still cause significant damage a long way from source.
In the case I mentioned it was because of the distance that the cuprits struggled to accept the damage was down to them.
I have personal and painful knowledge of the damage angle grinders can cause too.
On my own site here, a mate of mine was grinding off some bolts ( he had all the kit on!) and I walked into the end of the building he was in just as he switched on.
I suffered eye discomfort for 6 months thereafter - tried everything to get rid of that 'bit of grit' in my eye - and in desperation went to the vet.
He found 2 deeply embedded steel particles - embedded because they had burnt their way into my eye. He told me that I was lucky to have avoided an infection - something that would have cost me my eye without a doubt.
I had not connected the 2.
Take it from me, having your head clamped in a vice like contraption, your eye clamped open, an anaesthetic needle stuck in it and then - horror of horrors, seeing a scalpel blade 'up close and personal' and feeling it digging into your eyeball.
The pain was excrutiating for 24 hours afterwards. Ugh!
Sorry if i've put you off your mince pies.....
Hairy.
Ugly blokes in rigger boots, resplendent in tattoos and earrings but not many GCE's - and definately no hard hats, goggles, ear defenders - on price-work to erect a steel hangar frame.
They dont give a stuff where the red hot particles they have ground off go. 'Its bound to make a bit of dust guv'.
Take my advice. If any construction of this nature is planned at your airfield, ask the operator what measures are in place to protect aircraft from damage, specifically from welding/ angle grinding fallout. Most important - people need to be protected too. A Health and Safety Statement is mandatory these days. Ask to see it. You have a right to see it if there is even the remotest chance that you might be at risk of injury.
As previously stated, these particles will still cause significant damage a long way from source.
In the case I mentioned it was because of the distance that the cuprits struggled to accept the damage was down to them.
I have personal and painful knowledge of the damage angle grinders can cause too.
On my own site here, a mate of mine was grinding off some bolts ( he had all the kit on!) and I walked into the end of the building he was in just as he switched on.
I suffered eye discomfort for 6 months thereafter - tried everything to get rid of that 'bit of grit' in my eye - and in desperation went to the vet.
He found 2 deeply embedded steel particles - embedded because they had burnt their way into my eye. He told me that I was lucky to have avoided an infection - something that would have cost me my eye without a doubt.
I had not connected the 2.
Take it from me, having your head clamped in a vice like contraption, your eye clamped open, an anaesthetic needle stuck in it and then - horror of horrors, seeing a scalpel blade 'up close and personal' and feeling it digging into your eyeball.
The pain was excrutiating for 24 hours afterwards. Ugh!
Sorry if i've put you off your mince pies.....
Hairy.
Join Date: Apr 2003
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cpt,
This is an entirely unofficial response, and not to be confused with any official response from any authority:
I have seen these kind of small pits on the blade surface, usually in the filler material that is a kind of putty/body filler, almost like a spackle. The areas where the airfoil contour are smoothed in seem to have this imperfect system of popped bubbles, most quite small, none into any actual structural material.
I believe they are quite normal, and probably cause by a mild ablation of the outer layer of the filler (rain? light dust/sand?) that exposes the pits caused when the slightly bubbled material is worn down a bit and the bubbles are opened at the surface. I have seen this especially near the tip caps, where this filler might be used more.
Certainly, this is not a sign of lightning or static electricity, which would show on the sharp ends of the blade airfoil where the charge leaps off the blade. It is also not a sign of exhaust heat, which would cause a fairly large bubble/void to form directly over the exhaust, with a diameter of perhaps 5 or 6 inches (I was the first on the planet to burn a blade, thank you very much!) And I seriously doubt that it is the product of someone's grinder, which should be nowhere near a fueled aircraft, else the specks will be your least worry, and a big fireball/barbecue pit where your helo used to be should be your biggest worry.
This is an entirely unofficial response, and not to be confused with any official response from any authority:
I have seen these kind of small pits on the blade surface, usually in the filler material that is a kind of putty/body filler, almost like a spackle. The areas where the airfoil contour are smoothed in seem to have this imperfect system of popped bubbles, most quite small, none into any actual structural material.
I believe they are quite normal, and probably cause by a mild ablation of the outer layer of the filler (rain? light dust/sand?) that exposes the pits caused when the slightly bubbled material is worn down a bit and the bubbles are opened at the surface. I have seen this especially near the tip caps, where this filler might be used more.
Certainly, this is not a sign of lightning or static electricity, which would show on the sharp ends of the blade airfoil where the charge leaps off the blade. It is also not a sign of exhaust heat, which would cause a fairly large bubble/void to form directly over the exhaust, with a diameter of perhaps 5 or 6 inches (I was the first on the planet to burn a blade, thank you very much!) And I seriously doubt that it is the product of someone's grinder, which should be nowhere near a fueled aircraft, else the specks will be your least worry, and a big fireball/barbecue pit where your helo used to be should be your biggest worry.
Thanks Nick,
We are now of course, waiting a Sikorsky official answer and plan of action before winding our rotors up again.
Having look closer one of the marks with a magnifier,it doesn't seem to be too deep and very tiny blisters around the hole can be seen (not on all of them), but there is also what looks like a superficial burning trail oriented in what could be near the relative wind direction (about 45° from chord towards the blade tip.)
Really curious to know the answer ...hope it will come quick...Fed up walking on parkings,still addicted probably.
We are now of course, waiting a Sikorsky official answer and plan of action before winding our rotors up again.
Having look closer one of the marks with a magnifier,it doesn't seem to be too deep and very tiny blisters around the hole can be seen (not on all of them), but there is also what looks like a superficial burning trail oriented in what could be near the relative wind direction (about 45° from chord towards the blade tip.)
Really curious to know the answer ...hope it will come quick...Fed up walking on parkings,still addicted probably.
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Sikorsky S-76C+ (and C plus plus !!)
It was down to the wire, for sure, but behold, the latest S-76 iteration.
STRATFORD, Connecticut
Sikorsky S-76C++ Receives FAA Certification
Sikorsky Aircraft announced today that it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for its S-76C++ helicopter. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
Since being certified, two C++ aircraft have already been delivered. The inaugural C++ aircraft went to Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) and will be used for offshore oil support and employee transfer missions. In total there are over 60 S-76C++ helicopters on order.
First announced at the Heli-Expo trade show in February 2005 as a series of engine, air vehicle, interior and avionics upgrades the new S-76C++ helicopter will make way for a set of additional product improvements that will lead to the launch of the new S-76D model in 2008.
“The S-76 helicopter's success has been built by meeting the needs of the customer. We continue that tradition today by securing certification for the new S-76C++. Able to provide more power, range, operating efficiencies, reliability and comfort, the S-76C++ truly is a continuation of the venerable S-76 line,” said Jeff Pino, Sikorsky's senior vice president for corporate strategy and commercial programs.
Product improvements available immediately on the S-76C++ include the new more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 Engine, an inlet barrier filter to protect the engine against erosion and environmental contaminants, a new VIP interior, new HUMS (Health and Usage Monitoring System), and a quiet main gearbox utilizing Quiet Zone Technology that will significantly reduce interior noise levels without any weight, maintenance or TBO penalties. The more powerful engine in the S-76C++ provides approximately 350 lbs of additional payload capacity as compared to an S-76C+ on hot days and high altitude conditions.
These extensive product upgrades ensure that the S-76C++ and the future S-76D will remain best-in-class in the corporate VIP, offshore oil, airline, EMS , search-and-rescue and law enforcement segments.
*******************************************************
Buy me a beer and I tell you about the looks of amazement as over half a bag of home depot potting soil was tossed into the engine inlet during testing.
HO5S
STRATFORD, Connecticut
Sikorsky S-76C++ Receives FAA Certification
Sikorsky Aircraft announced today that it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for its S-76C++ helicopter. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
Since being certified, two C++ aircraft have already been delivered. The inaugural C++ aircraft went to Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) and will be used for offshore oil support and employee transfer missions. In total there are over 60 S-76C++ helicopters on order.
First announced at the Heli-Expo trade show in February 2005 as a series of engine, air vehicle, interior and avionics upgrades the new S-76C++ helicopter will make way for a set of additional product improvements that will lead to the launch of the new S-76D model in 2008.
“The S-76 helicopter's success has been built by meeting the needs of the customer. We continue that tradition today by securing certification for the new S-76C++. Able to provide more power, range, operating efficiencies, reliability and comfort, the S-76C++ truly is a continuation of the venerable S-76 line,” said Jeff Pino, Sikorsky's senior vice president for corporate strategy and commercial programs.
Product improvements available immediately on the S-76C++ include the new more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 Engine, an inlet barrier filter to protect the engine against erosion and environmental contaminants, a new VIP interior, new HUMS (Health and Usage Monitoring System), and a quiet main gearbox utilizing Quiet Zone Technology that will significantly reduce interior noise levels without any weight, maintenance or TBO penalties. The more powerful engine in the S-76C++ provides approximately 350 lbs of additional payload capacity as compared to an S-76C+ on hot days and high altitude conditions.
These extensive product upgrades ensure that the S-76C++ and the future S-76D will remain best-in-class in the corporate VIP, offshore oil, airline, EMS , search-and-rescue and law enforcement segments.
*******************************************************
Buy me a beer and I tell you about the looks of amazement as over half a bag of home depot potting soil was tossed into the engine inlet during testing.
HO5S
Re: Sikorsky C Plus Plus !!
Where did that come from...Nick's old office?
