Red Bull B0-105
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Confined areas?
All kidding aside, and the film was good, how does checking out the maneuverability of the machine by doing loops and rolls give insight to confined area characteristics?
Join Date: Jan 1999
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Awesome display of control.
Anybody know why all the rolling manoeuvres appear to be done to the left? Would it be aircraft control authority issues, or perhaps just pilot preference?
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There's some terrific footage in those videos but particularly in the clip from "On The Top Bunk". At the end of it - enormous moustache, enormous watch, great helicopter - what's not to like?
I had the joy of flying the Lynx - and it is fun directing a helicopter with its nose to the earth, when you know, what to do next ;-)
As well as zoom climbing, not only a few feet but transitioning 150 kts in altitude while pulling power at the same time ;-)
It is fun to do over the shoulder takeoffs, Fast stops downwind into wind, spiraling around a target in front of you playing with gravity and centrifugal forces - as long as you know, what you are doing and what to do, if things go wrong (and as long as you stay within limits from the bird and the regs)...
Would really like to have a ride in one of the RedBull Bo105s....
I'm just another guy on the internet so I guess you will have to take my word for it. Only difference is a drastically changed m/x regime, talking about things like the big lump of titanium up top being limited to 100h or so of aerobatics.
Think about it, the BO was designed for extreme maneuvers. No mods necessary. They only spread that myth to prevent imitators from trying the same. Typically it's being told as a heavily modified fuel system plus some other top secret mods. It's sticking surprisingly well.
Think about it, the BO was designed for extreme maneuvers. No mods necessary. They only spread that myth to prevent imitators from trying the same. Typically it's being told as a heavily modified fuel system plus some other top secret mods. It's sticking surprisingly well.
Red Bull BO-105
Beyond the Thrill
Beyond the Thrill
Aaron guards the secrets to his modifications closely, not to hide it, but to prevent people from trying it themselves. Said Aaron, “It’s not that I don’t want to share it. I want to share it, but I’m afraid. My attorneys have told me, ‘You tell anyone what you’ve done and how you did it, there will be people that do it, and they go out, and their wives will sue your asses off.’ “
From what he could tell “Vertical” the first step was selecting the Bo.105 because of its titanium gearbox and tail rotor shaft. Then, he used modified, composite main rotor blades, making them very stiff with a very high rotor speed. Next, he completely gutted the aircraft, removing the tail stinger and needless wiring, thereby reducing weight and shifting the center of gravity (CG) to the nose of the aircraft. Finally, he engineered a pressurized fuel system for safety reasons. Said Aaron, “That way we don’t ever get it upside down and flame it out.” The CG change was probably the most important, though, as it means he can put the helicopter into just about any attitude, center the controls, and the nose will just fall through.
These modifications weren’t easy. During one stage, Aaron changed the location of the battery to the nose of the aircraft. He took off on a practice run with the new configuration, rolled the ship, and, as he came out of the roll, unintentionally began an inverted loop, pulling negative g-forces and getting pushed out of his seat toward the windscreen. Aaron said it scared him to death, and, once again, he almost quit flying. But, being the tactician he is, he figured out what went wrong. By lifting the nose and reducing collective just before the roll, he could slam the cyclic to the left, hitting the stops, and wham, rolled it to perfection without getting into an inverted loop.
From what he could tell “Vertical” the first step was selecting the Bo.105 because of its titanium gearbox and tail rotor shaft. Then, he used modified, composite main rotor blades, making them very stiff with a very high rotor speed. Next, he completely gutted the aircraft, removing the tail stinger and needless wiring, thereby reducing weight and shifting the center of gravity (CG) to the nose of the aircraft. Finally, he engineered a pressurized fuel system for safety reasons. Said Aaron, “That way we don’t ever get it upside down and flame it out.” The CG change was probably the most important, though, as it means he can put the helicopter into just about any attitude, center the controls, and the nose will just fall through.
These modifications weren’t easy. During one stage, Aaron changed the location of the battery to the nose of the aircraft. He took off on a practice run with the new configuration, rolled the ship, and, as he came out of the roll, unintentionally began an inverted loop, pulling negative g-forces and getting pushed out of his seat toward the windscreen. Aaron said it scared him to death, and, once again, he almost quit flying. But, being the tactician he is, he figured out what went wrong. By lifting the nose and reducing collective just before the roll, he could slam the cyclic to the left, hitting the stops, and wham, rolled it to perfection without getting into an inverted loop.
Well I can only go by what the releasing staff from Salzburg told me first hand. And that seems a lot more plausible to me than what the guy with the big mustache told the press. Looking at pictures now it does appear like the US machine did really have the stinger removed. I seriously doubt it goes much further than that though. And he probably only did that because it looks cool. Moving the CG forward for aerobatics?
The first part about attorneys and asses potentially being sued off is already giving it away really. Interestingly, there is no mention of Mr. Chuck Aaron and his helicopter on the Flying Bulls homepage.
The fact is that the BO was designed to take a hell of a beating and to have all liquids where they need to be at all times.
"Then, he used modified, composite main rotor blades, making them very stiff with a very high rotor speed."
But maybe we should get back to topic, and I don't mean the R22 but the actual topic of this thread.
The first part about attorneys and asses potentially being sued off is already giving it away really. Interestingly, there is no mention of Mr. Chuck Aaron and his helicopter on the Flying Bulls homepage.
The fact is that the BO was designed to take a hell of a beating and to have all liquids where they need to be at all times.
"Then, he used modified, composite main rotor blades, making them very stiff with a very high rotor speed."
But maybe we should get back to topic, and I don't mean the R22 but the actual topic of this thread.
I chatted once with Rainer Wilke (the one who trained Chuck Aaron and Aaron Fitzgerald) and he said too, that the Flying Bulls BO105 are pretty much standard and the only civil helicopters certified in the aerobatic category and not experimental. That's why they are still on the German register.
I just wonder when some i... tries to roll and loop the G2.
I just wonder when some i... tries to roll and loop the G2.
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There are two Bo105 certified for aerobatics by the authorities (LBA) which are on the German register. Another two are used as Experimental in the US but they are also okayed for aerobatics by Airbus as the two German ones.
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Think Rainer would tend to disagree on this statement.
Just got off the phone with someone directly involved with the Red Bull 105s and can confirm there there are no "special" mods made to the 105. The only thing done was the battery moved forward to move it more towards forward c of g and that there is actually an STC for this. Other than that there is nothing special done.