Composite Helicopters KC518 Adventourer

[John Eacott]

Originally Posted by tartare

This TV3 story has video of the autorotation.
Lot of smoke from the turbine - FOD, chip, oil...?

I think that you may be confusing the feathery downwash: no smoke that I can see.

[Arrrj]

I agree with comments, a well handled engine failure, and probably good advertising for the machine. Everyone got out and it handled the auto into the water pretty well.

Good on them. For those interested, the specs are pretty impressive. Similar to a 66 and way better than a 206.

Glad they are OK. The world needs motivated people like these guys.

Arrrj

PS - it was a photo flight, not testing, they have already flown over 200 hours in the type.

[krypton_john]

I think as he was autoing into the water he was heard to cry out

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrj !!!!"

Is he a friend of yours? :-D

But seriously, how many hours flying to does one do to get such a machine to market? How many hours did Robinson put on their R66 prototypes before the first production machine was built?

I would have hoped it was thousands?

[Arrrj]

Krypton,

Funny !

I have no idea of hours of testing...I just know that they stated this in the news report. "not testing...photo flight" (or something like that).

I understand the 66 was extensively tested due to the changed rules in the USA. I do know that they got two of the highest hours pilots from other countries, to test fly the machine. The one from Aus, who I know, has 12,000 hours, and told me it was fantastic.

Yep, I am fan of the 66...but probably would be of the composite machine too !

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrj !

[Savoia]

KC518 Down: New Zealand

BBC News - New Zealand helicopter ditches in Auckland harbour

Don't worry, I'd never heard of a KC518 before either!

[Never in Balance]

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/462...ventourer.html

Check here.

[Gemini Twin]

Just a comment, but considering how import this truly promising helicopter is to the company and NZ aviation, it seems a pity that they were forced to rely on a old "Zero hr TSO T63".

[krypton_john]

Well, that's one of the engine options, it is usually a reliable option, and it seems a good idea to test it out under the most difficult conditions possible.

But yeah, they're clearly not funded by someone's defense budget.

[krypton_john]

Helicopter recovered from sea bed this morning - picture here:
Helicopter salvaged after Auckland harbour crash - National News | TVNZ

Looks in decent shape apart from the rotors.

[tartare]

John - on second viewing, you appear to be right, my mistake.
Still - shows what happens when you have to rely on British engines
Shame they couldn't manufacture a domestic gas turbine as well!
Best of luck to the Composite Helicopter guys - agree with previous poster who said we need more people with that kind of vision and drive.
For a tiny nation, NZ punches well above it's mechanical engineering weight.
John Britten, Pacific Aerospace, Glen Martin...

[cattletruck]

Gear box, engine and even the rotors did not separate from the aircraft, I guess you cannot call it flimsy.

Even though the accident was a bit of bad luck, I'm sure they now have extra data to make the type even better than it already is.

[tartare]

Good point - given deliberate rollovers when auto-rotating an aluminium machine into water often end up with a spectacular departure of the main gear box and rotorhead - sometimes through the cabin
Does anyone know where they manufacture the carbon fibre components - I assume that Hi-Modulus (now bought out by Swiss company Gurit?) on the North Shore have helped them?

[John Eacott]

Originally Posted by tartare

Still - shows what happens when you have to rely on British engines

I see the evil grin, but I thought the engine was the current derivative of the Allison C20?

I'd agree that the design team are due a lot of kudos and I'm looking forward to seeing it in production: especially at the current advertised price

[RVDT]

Rolls Royce by name GM Allison by nature!

First ran in 1959 and qualified in 1962.

Good info here. 50 years young! Check out some of the derivatives especially the twin pack!

It seems that the good ideas have all been cherry picked which is OK until you try to do it commercially.

Remember it took 15 years for the G2 to get a Type Certificate!

This aircraft is a prototype amateur built aircraft. A long way from a commercial version but a good place to start? Who knows and the best of luck to them.

[as350nut]

RVDT

Thanks for that link, on the Allison 250 series, really interesting. I hope these guys keep going with the composite concept, I think they will benefit from this experience(given some time) They have; shown it autos beautifully; it doesn't kill you in a water landing (try that with a robi ) ; it stayed pretty much in tact, so great strength in the airframe. Its a shame they can't put together blades, mrgb,trgb, all from other known main stream manufacturers so as to cut down the certification times. Seems counterproductive for any new type to have to prove every bit of there new aircraft. My wish would be for say MD500 4 blade hub, new burp blades for the 500 series, trgb of anything that's big enough and been around for awhile. Put in the new RR300 engine and lets go flying. Of course, that's a daydream

[topendtorque]

Can your 500 xmon be rated up to 450hp? check again the mt wt on this gadget, you will see where its real strength is. leaves the others for dead.

[Scissorlink]

Those blades have some inertia !

[hillberg]

Looking at the video , Might of had a reduction in power as the rotor wash was down wind during the landing, Not a complete loss of power but a power failure none the less.

[Peter3127]

Word from the company itself is that the machine is completely intact despite a tail boom strike when hitting the water. A pretty impressive performance and provides a wealth of data from an (albeit inadvertent) test that most manufacturers would not line up for.

[John Eacott]