The Scariest Helicopter Ever
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Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Australia
The Scariest Helicopter Ever
I used to fly around in a Bell 47J with a carburettor and a float valve which in turbulence used to cause the engine to splutter and fart worse than the old crone down the road coming home from the pub... and to make that even worse we did it at night over the ocean landing on ships and oil platforms and I need several scotches just thinking about it which considering I don't drink is saying something... anyway, so my scariest helicopter ever is the Bell 47J... so what's yours... anyway this is all on my blog about helicopters in Kiwi Land and can be found on the following link;
Top Birds & Everyfing
Good luck!
Chris
Top Birds & Everyfing
Good luck!
Chris
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 33
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From: Australia (mostly)
I'll take the bait
Hughes 300 A model fuel injected STC'd for Mogas (Super) early 80's
Without blaspheming?? all I can say is that after two silent arrivals and fact that the ink wasn't dry on my licence so I was current the economic disavantages of Avgas in the hotter months were definitely preferable
You all take care now
205Jack
Hughes 300 A model fuel injected STC'd for Mogas (Super) early 80's
Without blaspheming?? all I can say is that after two silent arrivals and fact that the ink wasn't dry on my licence so I was current the economic disavantages of Avgas in the hotter months were definitely preferable
You all take care now
205Jack
Last edited by 205jack; 8th December 2012 at 09:02.
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: fort sheridan, il
helicopter with ejection seat
I would have to think that the scariest helicopter would be the russian one with an upward firing ejection seat. Granted the rotor blades were supposed to disengage/release, come off just prior to the ejection, but....
yup...copter, ejection se4at...u do the math
yup...copter, ejection se4at...u do the math
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
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From: UK
With syncronisation it is straightforward enough even with the blades attached.
A medium power ejection seat will cause the pilot leave the end of the gun at 60 ft/sec. The pilot and seat is about six feet tall so top to toe will take 1 tenth/sec to pass a certain point.
A 3 bladed main rotor turning at 240 Rrpm is turning at 9 blades/sec so if the seat is sequenced to fire as one blade is approaching the overhead the seat will be clear when the next blade comes around.
Should you have more or a faster rotor then part of the sequence would be to slow the rotors by whatever means to bring back the same time frame.
The advantage of ejector seats is that you can get rid of whining co-pilots.
A medium power ejection seat will cause the pilot leave the end of the gun at 60 ft/sec. The pilot and seat is about six feet tall so top to toe will take 1 tenth/sec to pass a certain point.
A 3 bladed main rotor turning at 240 Rrpm is turning at 9 blades/sec so if the seat is sequenced to fire as one blade is approaching the overhead the seat will be clear when the next blade comes around.
Should you have more or a faster rotor then part of the sequence would be to slow the rotors by whatever means to bring back the same time frame.
The advantage of ejector seats is that you can get rid of whining co-pilots.
Joined: May 2008
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From: St Johns, Newfoundland,Canada
The Scariest Helicopter Ever
Oh give me give me, can I have bang seats in the back as we'll please......wouldn't need GPS, I could just follow the trail of whiney drillers. Scariest for me, the three the donk went quite on.....
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Downeast
Mine was a Chinook that had one Engine runaway up....that would not respond to the published procedure....and a cloud deck at only 5,000 feet above me. Upon loading the rotor system with Collective....I then had two engines at Max or More than Max power. The only difference was the Ng speeds which had one at Topping....and one well beyond Topping! Talk about being on a Runaway Express Elevator! Smack dab in the middle of that small deviation from normal....we had to add IIMC....me with two students who between them had three hours of Chinook experience.
My Beer tasted very good that evening....despite being very foamy from all the shaking my hand was doing!
My Beer tasted very good that evening....despite being very foamy from all the shaking my hand was doing!
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Rock #3
Math
A 3 bladed main rotor turning at 240 Rrpm is turning at 9 blades/sec so if the seat is sequenced to fire as one blade is approaching the overhead the seat will be clear when the next blade comes around.
So with a time window of .1 second, something will have to give.
Joined: Sep 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
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From: Great South East, tired and retired
I agree, the Enstrom was the worst thing I have been associated with, it needed 30+ inches of boost just to be airborne, so if the turbo went on holidays, you went onto the ground.
Rattled, shook, refused to start for the second time on a hot day, the clutch was ridiculous, and the dashboard looked like a Leyland P-76, which was the crappiest car ever to be built in Oz.
Enstrom gives me shivers just reminding myself that I flew one.
Rattled, shook, refused to start for the second time on a hot day, the clutch was ridiculous, and the dashboard looked like a Leyland P-76, which was the crappiest car ever to be built in Oz.
Enstrom gives me shivers just reminding myself that I flew one.
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Montélimar
In 1978 aeronautical engineering students (maybe with Iranian Aircraft Industries) were assembling 6 Rotorway Scorpion kits at Ghale Morghi airport in Tehran. The Scorpion had a tail rotor driven by multiple V-belts.
The Scorpion was one of the first kit helicopter which really flew, but I don't know if these were ever finished and if they were if anybody was brave enough to fly them
The Scorpion was one of the first kit helicopter which really flew, but I don't know if these were ever finished and if they were if anybody was brave enough to fly them
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,529
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From: yorkshire uk
I do not understand how the Enstrom gets a mention with so many scary helicopters around .....you should get out more , the Enstrom is in fact the gentlest and least scary of ANY helicopter . Granted it may lack power but its never going to hurt you and has safest record in the world i am guessing . . For me it has to be the R22 . The first flight in around 1981 getting a student to enter auto after cutting the throttle in the cruise was enough for me . Never ever want to be in one again .
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: UK
Seconded.
These opinions seldom come from anyone with any meaningful Enstrom time.
While I loved the B47 the model I flew (3GB1 iirc) had the hydraulic pump on the engine not the gearbox so if the donk quit you had a hydraulics off EOL to perform which is rather unkind.
These opinions seldom come from anyone with any meaningful Enstrom time.
While I loved the B47 the model I flew (3GB1 iirc) had the hydraulic pump on the engine not the gearbox so if the donk quit you had a hydraulics off EOL to perform which is rather unkind.
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: ˙ǝqɐq ǝɯ ʇ,uıɐ ʇɐɥʇ 'sɔıʇɐqoɹǝɐ ɹoɟ uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɯɐu ɹıǝɥʇ ʇnd ǝɯos
If the engine stops in a B47 I guarantee you won't notice the lack of hydraulics - adrenalin will give you strength - just make sure you run on.
OOW
OOW
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From: UK