EC130 Corner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Victoria
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Ec 130's are good for one thing and that is carrying passengers, and anyone who thinks you cant put full pax and a heap of fuel is full of S#$t.
An average 130 is about 1450kg (Air con, leather,etc) and all up weight is is 2427 kg so with 977 kg up you sleave you can take full fuel (437 kg) which still leaves you an average pax weight of 77 kg and keeping in mind that is with full fuel.
Myself i think 130's are a waste of money compared to a A119 for similar dollars but great passenger machine.
Not to mention all up external weight is 2800kg so at all up internal weight you are getting out of a confined area without to much trouble.
An average 130 is about 1450kg (Air con, leather,etc) and all up weight is is 2427 kg so with 977 kg up you sleave you can take full fuel (437 kg) which still leaves you an average pax weight of 77 kg and keeping in mind that is with full fuel.
Myself i think 130's are a waste of money compared to a A119 for similar dollars but great passenger machine.
Not to mention all up external weight is 2800kg so at all up internal weight you are getting out of a confined area without to much trouble.
We need Capt. Hollywood to comment on the flying of the 130, as he has just got his new painted machine. Even with his old machine, he must have flown around solo most of the time, so would know whether it is a Passenger machine ... or a Pilot machine??!! 
Flew one earlier this year for over 100 hours in the African bush up at 3000' (DA 5000'-6000'). Generally very reliable on maintenance although non-structural items such as baggage compartment walls, door struts etc were a bit flimsy with crappy fasteners. Due to the heat we had two cracks appear in the perspex front canopy, but not in the vision of the pilot. Stop-drilled and added clear tape patch that sorted it out. Had a starter/gen. that needed replacement. The 100 hour can actually be done very quick with great access, but I think the 300 hour is a lot more in-depth. Other issues were sand ingestion despite the filter (Mechanic recommended changing the fuel filter element at half of the scheduled time), and the air-con couldn't cope with prolonged use in the 40 degree OAT.
On the electronics side we had the torque pick-up/sensor that started to under-read due to it moving from its mounted position (giving 'fails' on the power-check).
The main thing seems to be the usual bad Eurocopter support in the way of timely spares. For example we were warned that a new flight control hydraulic servo would take many months to arrive if needed; unlike the Bell 206 where the units themselves could be stripped and stuff like 'O' rings and seals replaced individually - seems like Eurocopter want a complete exchange. Didn't come to that though. Overall the EC130 B4 was a good choice for our passenger flights even though nearly all our fuel was from drums and mechanics had to be flown in. It is a B3 under the skin (same assembly line) and pretty tough.
Love the wide-track skids which eliminate minor slopes compared to the BH206! power was good although watch the crazy (180 ltr/hr) fuel consumption and don't expect a huge leap in power when going through ETL (on the plus side IGE hover is a bit higher).
FLUG
On the electronics side we had the torque pick-up/sensor that started to under-read due to it moving from its mounted position (giving 'fails' on the power-check).
The main thing seems to be the usual bad Eurocopter support in the way of timely spares. For example we were warned that a new flight control hydraulic servo would take many months to arrive if needed; unlike the Bell 206 where the units themselves could be stripped and stuff like 'O' rings and seals replaced individually - seems like Eurocopter want a complete exchange. Didn't come to that though. Overall the EC130 B4 was a good choice for our passenger flights even though nearly all our fuel was from drums and mechanics had to be flown in. It is a B3 under the skin (same assembly line) and pretty tough.
Love the wide-track skids which eliminate minor slopes compared to the BH206! power was good although watch the crazy (180 ltr/hr) fuel consumption and don't expect a huge leap in power when going through ETL (on the plus side IGE hover is a bit higher).
FLUG
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Thanks Flug and to everyone else for thier replies Flug was your filter an IBF or standard partical sep and were you useing the 1 plt/7 pax seat configuration or the 1 plt/6 pax 
cheers for your help again
cheers for your help again
Join Date: Aug 2005
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10 cents worth
Guess most of my pax are full of sh-t because 90% weigh more than 77kg and I never take full fuel with 7 pob. The machine does fly at 2800kg but I wouldn't like to try and poke it into a confined area at that weight. Have flown a number of these machines over the past 5 years and all weigh in around the 1500kg mark empty, They are float equipped which adds around 60kg. Very reliable machine but needs to be as parts from manufacturer are hard to come by especially the engine. As previous posters have said the punters love them and the pilots don't. If you want a smooth ride look somewhere else, vibration level sucks and EC don't have a fix.
Corella Killer
Was using the standard dust-filter (particle sep.) for the engine intake. The filter came into action by a switch on the panel or in our case a button on the collective. The aircraft was in the pilot plus six pax configuration, that was about the optimum because 90% of the time we were taking pax luggage too. The dust and sand conditions were in the nature of very fine particles so that the standard filter didn't get all of it by a long way; not helped by the massive rotorwash recirculation compared to the JetRanger we were also using. Our main solution was to use pegged down shadecloth plus tyres to make a helipad for the most frequent use, to avoid the dust issue.
Have a look in the POH at the fuel filter emergency; it is quite severe and probably deserves a 'red' light rather than amber on the panel (can get Ng oscillations, limited power leading to flame-out). You could carry a spare and our mechanic showed me how to fit it in an emergency which was quite simple; at that time we were mainly worried about having to make a precautionary landing with the warning light on, and then being trapped in the middle of the bush with all the animals around, so it was an emergency get-you-home solution (rather than getting chowed!)
Our aircraft did really vibrate with just the pilot, but put 3-4 pax plus bags in there and it is 'tuned' for that typical loading, so you get a much smoother ride.
Hope this helps
Flug
Was using the standard dust-filter (particle sep.) for the engine intake. The filter came into action by a switch on the panel or in our case a button on the collective. The aircraft was in the pilot plus six pax configuration, that was about the optimum because 90% of the time we were taking pax luggage too. The dust and sand conditions were in the nature of very fine particles so that the standard filter didn't get all of it by a long way; not helped by the massive rotorwash recirculation compared to the JetRanger we were also using. Our main solution was to use pegged down shadecloth plus tyres to make a helipad for the most frequent use, to avoid the dust issue.
Have a look in the POH at the fuel filter emergency; it is quite severe and probably deserves a 'red' light rather than amber on the panel (can get Ng oscillations, limited power leading to flame-out). You could carry a spare and our mechanic showed me how to fit it in an emergency which was quite simple; at that time we were mainly worried about having to make a precautionary landing with the warning light on, and then being trapped in the middle of the bush with all the animals around, so it was an emergency get-you-home solution (rather than getting chowed!)
Our aircraft did really vibrate with just the pilot, but put 3-4 pax plus bags in there and it is 'tuned' for that typical loading, so you get a much smoother ride.
Hope this helps
Flug
Join Date: Feb 2005
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corella killer
Yes, a sport that I also used to indulge in, but not now with R22 blades. I suggest that you check the integrity and make up the blades re your enquiry - or - fly a bit higher when you get into one.
The best way was to - sneak up - flat out and super low from downwind in a 47, usually on a flock of a couple of hundred of them that were feeding on a stack of sorghum that was loose on the ground.
They would take off and - in panic as you rolled slightly to give the old blade whack, whack trick - anything up to a dozen would roll right on their backs and pulling full power go straight down - from two to four feet.
yeah, I can be perverse too.
tet
Yes, a sport that I also used to indulge in, but not now with R22 blades. I suggest that you check the integrity and make up the blades re your enquiry - or - fly a bit higher when you get into one.
The best way was to - sneak up - flat out and super low from downwind in a 47, usually on a flock of a couple of hundred of them that were feeding on a stack of sorghum that was loose on the ground.
They would take off and - in panic as you rolled slightly to give the old blade whack, whack trick - anything up to a dozen would roll right on their backs and pulling full power go straight down - from two to four feet.
yeah, I can be perverse too.
tet
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Ec130 B4
Requesting info from any B4 pilots,
1) is this type good for sling work 2) what speed and f/f do you normal see near gross wt
3) how comfy are the seats after a couple of hours
4) does it handle similar to a AS350 b2
5) any rumors of external gross wt increase
Thanks mel
1) is this type good for sling work 2) what speed and f/f do you normal see near gross wt
3) how comfy are the seats after a couple of hours
4) does it handle similar to a AS350 b2
5) any rumors of external gross wt increase
Thanks mel
Gatvol
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Never did sling work with one. I think I would prefer the B3. Depending on your age any seat sucks after a few hours. Nice set up from the left side though.
I did find that a B2 will fly past a B4 on a hot day loaded.
I did find that a B2 will fly past a B4 on a hot day loaded.
Join Date: Jan 2006
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My opinion based on my limited experience:
1) is this type good for sling work
There are a lot better. But if you want a people mover that can lift, rather than a lifter that needs to move people, it's worth consideration.
2) what speed and f/f do you normal see near gross wt
Depends what you are lifting but 80 knots is ball park figure. There's a lot of aerodynamic drag in the wide cabin to add to the load drag, increasingly so as the nose goes down. AS350 probably better.
3) how comfy are the seats after a couple of hours
Better than any Bell seat I've sat in.
4) does it handle similar to a AS350 b2
No experience on B2 but probably not
5) any rumors of external gross wt increase
I don't see this as a practical necessity. Gross MAUW external is 2800 kg, hook rated @ 1160kg. All the figures come together at low fuel. You can lift the max but you don't have a lot of power reserve to play with.
If you remove seats to add performance then c of g will be on aft limit, unless you're a big 'un. You will run out of forward cyclic. Ballast in nose helps but I felt that the machine seemed to be unstable fore and aft compared to lateral.
LH seating is okay but nose of the skid always seemed to be in the way of the sight picture.
It's a long scan from the load to the VEMD when things are getting tricky.
1) is this type good for sling work
There are a lot better. But if you want a people mover that can lift, rather than a lifter that needs to move people, it's worth consideration.
2) what speed and f/f do you normal see near gross wt
Depends what you are lifting but 80 knots is ball park figure. There's a lot of aerodynamic drag in the wide cabin to add to the load drag, increasingly so as the nose goes down. AS350 probably better.
3) how comfy are the seats after a couple of hours
Better than any Bell seat I've sat in.
4) does it handle similar to a AS350 b2
No experience on B2 but probably not
5) any rumors of external gross wt increase
I don't see this as a practical necessity. Gross MAUW external is 2800 kg, hook rated @ 1160kg. All the figures come together at low fuel. You can lift the max but you don't have a lot of power reserve to play with.
If you remove seats to add performance then c of g will be on aft limit, unless you're a big 'un. You will run out of forward cyclic. Ballast in nose helps but I felt that the machine seemed to be unstable fore and aft compared to lateral.
LH seating is okay but nose of the skid always seemed to be in the way of the sight picture.
It's a long scan from the load to the VEMD when things are getting tricky.
Join Date: Oct 2002
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I'm sure I've seen Phoenix Heliflight doing external load ops with an EC130 (possibly in one of Ned Dawson's or Mike Reno's photoshoots?), and their website says that they also fly B2 Squirrels, so they might be an outfit to talk to.
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