Eurocopter EC-120B, AS350, 130???
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Indiana
Age: 67
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Guys, Thanks for all of the great experience and information. I do appreciate all of your thoughts. I am still confused <gr>, but I do still appreciate the help.
Thanks
Chuck
Thanks
Chuck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Belgium
Age: 60
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The weights are published so you can do your sums to see if this works for you. Oh, and at max weight downwind hover-taxi can be "interesting".
How long is a piece of string?
If you go down the 350 family route you have a lot of "options" from a reasonably priced machine to "sky is the limit"
120 - not so much.
If it is just a machine for A to B without hot and high - a tidy 350BA on short gear. Ground and rotor clearance is no different to a 120 or 130.
Lower weight, more speed, less vibration. With a "BA" and a "1B" engine you should get a reasonable speed with a low fuel burn.
MTOP and MCP are the same.
Fly it at an altitude where the bleed valve closes - happy days. You should true out at about 130 knots. 130's have lots of room but also
built in headwind. Plus they have a lot of vibration from rotor wake which is also built in.
The various "flavours" are listed here to give you a heads up.
As to the flight characteristics and it being "squirrely" near the ground and all the other crap you hear is just that - crap.
The 350 does not have an isolating mechanism for the elastic mounting of the transmission and all you will be doing is inducing PIO if you
are a stick stirrer. Like all the SA models before it, leave some cyclic friction on and learn to fly without stick stirring.
Pushing the pedals unnecessarily will do the same thing.
2p worth.
If you go down the 350 family route you have a lot of "options" from a reasonably priced machine to "sky is the limit"
120 - not so much.
If it is just a machine for A to B without hot and high - a tidy 350BA on short gear. Ground and rotor clearance is no different to a 120 or 130.
Lower weight, more speed, less vibration. With a "BA" and a "1B" engine you should get a reasonable speed with a low fuel burn.
MTOP and MCP are the same.
Fly it at an altitude where the bleed valve closes - happy days. You should true out at about 130 knots. 130's have lots of room but also
built in headwind. Plus they have a lot of vibration from rotor wake which is also built in.
The various "flavours" are listed here to give you a heads up.
As to the flight characteristics and it being "squirrely" near the ground and all the other crap you hear is just that - crap.
The 350 does not have an isolating mechanism for the elastic mounting of the transmission and all you will be doing is inducing PIO if you
are a stick stirrer. Like all the SA models before it, leave some cyclic friction on and learn to fly without stick stirring.
Pushing the pedals unnecessarily will do the same thing.
2p worth.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Western Canada
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't take this the wrong way....
If you are still concerned with the flight characteristics, you need more time flying, to make a decision. When you get your hands, it wont take long to sort out any intermediate.
The parts issue you hear of...is a commercial operators issue. Nothing you do in 100 hours per year of private flying, should impact a parts/service with bell or eurocopter.
Power = $$$$
If you have the ability to fly a 120, and make it work within its limits (safely)...that is the best bang for the buck. But it takes skill and time, to get the most out of the machine. Many commercial operators do wonders and very well with 120's
If you want to rush in...spend the money, buy a B2 and you will be safe, and have twice as much helicopter as you will ever need in the private sector. Not at all a bad decision!!!!!!
If you are still concerned with the flight characteristics, you need more time flying, to make a decision. When you get your hands, it wont take long to sort out any intermediate.
The parts issue you hear of...is a commercial operators issue. Nothing you do in 100 hours per year of private flying, should impact a parts/service with bell or eurocopter.
Power = $$$$
If you have the ability to fly a 120, and make it work within its limits (safely)...that is the best bang for the buck. But it takes skill and time, to get the most out of the machine. Many commercial operators do wonders and very well with 120's
If you want to rush in...spend the money, buy a B2 and you will be safe, and have twice as much helicopter as you will ever need in the private sector. Not at all a bad decision!!!!!!