FAA mandates replacement of R22 & R44 main rotorblades
In a country where they are not grounded . If someone was to do an inspection as per Robinsons alert and you fly ... And the blade fails . Would you feel there should be a manslaughter case ??? Just a question and God forbid ..
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The safety alert says "careful visual inspection of this area during preflight will provide early detection and prevent a catastrophic failure".
Wow. "Will" prevent. Not "should", but definitely "will", in other words "we have perfect confidence in our products".
So if the inspection is anything less than perfect, a failure may happen but it will be because of the pilot's careless inspection, not because of the blade manufacturing.
Am I being paranoid?
Wow. "Will" prevent. Not "should", but definitely "will", in other words "we have perfect confidence in our products".
So if the inspection is anything less than perfect, a failure may happen but it will be because of the pilot's careless inspection, not because of the blade manufacturing.
Am I being paranoid?
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Looks like the AD has been rescinded. It seems like the skins may fail if you run them into a solid object.
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-st...4-helicopters/
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-st...4-helicopters/
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We wait with baited breath then .
Hughes500 although I agree with you about Robinson products I think people in glass houses etc HTC blades on the 500 are ****e unless you send them for a chord balence and hope they weren't mad on a Friday afternoon
CBS
Hughes500 although I agree with you about Robinson products I think people in glass houses etc HTC blades on the 500 are ****e unless you send them for a chord balence and hope they weren't mad on a Friday afternoon
CBS
Crazy
Yup HTC blades are ****e, had to send mine back due to a bonding failure. I think they are just ahead of Robinson in quality !! I suppose to be fair they were repaired free of charge and shipped back to me free and they were way out of warranty HTC also put out a notice saying they wold inspect and repair any blade !
Still would prefer the OEM blades but they haven't been made for years .
Must have some faith though as did 10 hours of long lining with them over the weekend !
Yup HTC blades are ****e, had to send mine back due to a bonding failure. I think they are just ahead of Robinson in quality !! I suppose to be fair they were repaired free of charge and shipped back to me free and they were way out of warranty HTC also put out a notice saying they wold inspect and repair any blade !
Still would prefer the OEM blades but they haven't been made for years .
Must have some faith though as did 10 hours of long lining with them over the weekend !
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repair blades?
Just some clarification 500H:
Do you include disbonds as being repaired? If so, please tell me it is by rebuilding, not just sqeezing fresh adhesive into the gap!
Regards
Blakmax
HTC also put out a notice saying they wold inspect and repair any blade
Regards
Blakmax
Wouldn't all of this 'hassle' with replacing R22 and R44 rotor blades, go away overnight if they were exchanged for rotating clothes lines and they could be parked in local communities and allow families to share with the drying of clothes - hence reducing the green global footprint and as a bonus - ground all Robinson's too 
Bell 206L blade failures
As pointed out by user Freewheel in Vertical Forums it
And that despite those blue dye inspections being complied with,
The problem related to Long Ranger MR blades. The accident report gives details about the bonding problems encountered here.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada - Aviation Investigation Report A11O0205.
Originally Posted by Freewheel
(w)asn't that long ago that 206 owners were told to comply with an AD which called for a preflight inspection of main rotor blades (using blue dye).
Originally Posted by Freewheel
(u)ltimately a pair of those blades failed killing all on board.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada - Aviation Investigation Report A11O0205.
I DO feel there is a difference between new blades and repaired blades, I know of an issue with a crack in a 205 blade as well, but it had I believe, had maintenance that may not have been carried out correctly.
So now as a pilot I get a letter to say that I can see if the blades are cracked prior to flight, then I sign my name on the MR to that effect. So if something goes wrong with them in flight is that the pilots fault, or Robinson. If after 2 yrs and I am still alive I have to get it renewed, isn't the fact that I am still alive proof that I can check the blade
-7 Blades
B.max,
as always, enjoyable following your input. Concur with your S-S couple disruption by the use of fasteners through a bonded surface.
The -7 blade matter speaks potentially of a different issue of causation than the past events, given the CAANZ interest in the inner region proximate to the TE expansion of chord of the -7, and RHC's bulletin on inspections. As you are aware, when we independently strain gauged the root of the blades, the trailing edge showed relatively high variations in peak to peak strains which is expected given the structure of the blades, relative to the leading edge. The highest strains were recorded in the touchdown, as expected, and in the entry into autorotation, which was a surprise, but obvious after the fact with the reorientation of the flow through the disc. Cyclic strain amplitudes pretty much were consistent with research done by NASA in our area of interest, and that points to the subject here; an abrupt step in the chord will result in localised strain from the high amplitude unsteady angle of attack outcome, which we were able to mitigate without the usual massive drag rise. I would think that the design could do with a bit more finesse in this area, to avoid stress concentrations, and mitigation of the SR from unsteady aerodynamics.
Hope that bond hydration is a past tense matter, however the design of the lap joint on these blades is tough on the bond, and so it will be an area of concern as long as a metal blade is fabricated with a bond line in an area subject to torsion/bending conditions.
I happen to love the RHC aircraft. We record and measure it in depth, and I still like the aircraft to fly. It is elegantly spartan, but the other side of that is that it is sensitive to damage, and care is needed in its operation. The marginal time constant of the -22 is always mind concentrating, but the pure joy of flying such a responsive device makes up for that concern in part. The -44 really is an amazing design. I am not a fan of the RHC's product component removal from service without effective compensation, and that corporate stance may need to change when a fun, capable, and relatively cost effective alternative machine turns up from anywhere, EASA, PRC, or RUS, then RHC may have some issues with marketing.
Composite rotor blades do not come without issues, have a look at any out there and view the erosion of the resin in the area behind the embedded erosion protection. (EC, Carson CMRB etc... even the GE90 fan blade), or look at the NH90s pressure face erosion in service... interesting matters for CAME.
cheers.
as always, enjoyable following your input. Concur with your S-S couple disruption by the use of fasteners through a bonded surface.
The -7 blade matter speaks potentially of a different issue of causation than the past events, given the CAANZ interest in the inner region proximate to the TE expansion of chord of the -7, and RHC's bulletin on inspections. As you are aware, when we independently strain gauged the root of the blades, the trailing edge showed relatively high variations in peak to peak strains which is expected given the structure of the blades, relative to the leading edge. The highest strains were recorded in the touchdown, as expected, and in the entry into autorotation, which was a surprise, but obvious after the fact with the reorientation of the flow through the disc. Cyclic strain amplitudes pretty much were consistent with research done by NASA in our area of interest, and that points to the subject here; an abrupt step in the chord will result in localised strain from the high amplitude unsteady angle of attack outcome, which we were able to mitigate without the usual massive drag rise. I would think that the design could do with a bit more finesse in this area, to avoid stress concentrations, and mitigation of the SR from unsteady aerodynamics.
Hope that bond hydration is a past tense matter, however the design of the lap joint on these blades is tough on the bond, and so it will be an area of concern as long as a metal blade is fabricated with a bond line in an area subject to torsion/bending conditions.
I happen to love the RHC aircraft. We record and measure it in depth, and I still like the aircraft to fly. It is elegantly spartan, but the other side of that is that it is sensitive to damage, and care is needed in its operation. The marginal time constant of the -22 is always mind concentrating, but the pure joy of flying such a responsive device makes up for that concern in part. The -44 really is an amazing design. I am not a fan of the RHC's product component removal from service without effective compensation, and that corporate stance may need to change when a fun, capable, and relatively cost effective alternative machine turns up from anywhere, EASA, PRC, or RUS, then RHC may have some issues with marketing.
Composite rotor blades do not come without issues, have a look at any out there and view the erosion of the resin in the area behind the embedded erosion protection. (EC, Carson CMRB etc... even the GE90 fan blade), or look at the NH90s pressure face erosion in service... interesting matters for CAME.
cheers.
elegantly spartan
Looking at the photos of the cracked blade it doesn't even follow sheet metal basics. 0.25" Radius anyone?
The poor finished trailing edge looks like stress raiser heaven!
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elegantly spartan
I think Rivet has a point, perhaps Robinson could practice more salesmanship and describe the reason why of their products designs a bit better?
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Well everyone has to inspect their blades before flight, unless an engineer is on site to certify, or the pilot may be taught by the engineer as a face to face - how to - under an instrument which will then be issued.
Robinson say just check it and sign off daily, CASA say "each flight" being when the A/C lands each time. Maybe CASA have backed themselves into a corner?
A blade from either the accident or the incident, I know not which, is on its way to USA by row boat.
NZ CAA have said the accident blade broke as a result of the accident so no use sending that one.
I guess we wait and see, meanwhile all useful utility work is finished here at least.
Robinson say just check it and sign off daily, CASA say "each flight" being when the A/C lands each time. Maybe CASA have backed themselves into a corner?
A blade from either the accident or the incident, I know not which, is on its way to USA by row boat.
NZ CAA have said the accident blade broke as a result of the accident so no use sending that one.
I guess we wait and see, meanwhile all useful utility work is finished here at least.
Are you asking "per hour flown" (accident rate) or "number of incidents accidents" irrespective of rate?
I am curious....would anyone know what country (or counties), happen to have the highest incidents and accidents with this problem....anyone?
A bit like "crime" levels. All depends on what and how it is recorded and if at all.
As far as catastrophic blade failure goes that is definitely one with a very small group of survivors.
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Yeah...my question was a bit generalized. Should have been more along the lines of country and location, amount of Robbie's registered, hours flown, type of work carried out, commercial or private, etc.
Curious too think about how aircraft are treated. Are they abused with overloading and high G turns, constant over torques, over speeds and abrupt control inputs?
A company I was with many years ago, started putting data recorders in their aircraft....the results were absolutely shocking and caused the company to let go many flight crew, and rethink their hiring practices.
A culture that can develope within the industry, can that be that pushing a machine beyond its limits to get the job done is acceptable, or the hero mentality of, I can do it better than the next bloke, or other job and financial pressures.
Digressing a bit here....perhaps looking also into operational arenas are also required when parts are failing?
Curious too think about how aircraft are treated. Are they abused with overloading and high G turns, constant over torques, over speeds and abrupt control inputs?
A company I was with many years ago, started putting data recorders in their aircraft....the results were absolutely shocking and caused the company to let go many flight crew, and rethink their hiring practices.
A culture that can develope within the industry, can that be that pushing a machine beyond its limits to get the job done is acceptable, or the hero mentality of, I can do it better than the next bloke, or other job and financial pressures.
Digressing a bit here....perhaps looking also into operational arenas are also required when parts are failing?