Bell 206L4 TR-Blade options

[Vertical Freedom]

Good morning

Requesting please for different options presently available for the Tail-Rotor Blades set-up on the B206L4?

I have heard there is both a High-Altitude TR Blades option & also an option for the 407 TR Blade set up for the 206L also?

Also requesting please the approximate costings & performance improvements?


Many thanks

[GoodGrief]

Morning.

More lift-more drag. You'll have more tail rotor authority but it'll take a bit more engine power to drive it.
Not so good in your neck of the woods, I guess.

[Vertical Freedom]

Hey GG

Thanks for Your reply

More lift - more drag?????? That doesn't make sense..... (but then again I did do Aerodynamics over a quarter of a century ago )

Hmmmmmmm then why do they call them the High-Altitude Tail-Rotor Blades?

Happy Happy

[Captino]

Hey VC may be because less air density less drag

Hope you find something suitable!

Cheers

[mre2heli]

Van Horn

Bell are stopping production of the -135 T/R Blades, which are being replaced by the Van Horn Composite blades. These are more efficient so they actually require less engine power.

They are being sold by Aeronautical Accessories for around $10K.

[Gordy]

The 206L4 with TRACs is a great aircraft. Here is the cheat sheet I use, I set the chart in this case for a 200 lb pilot, 400 lbs of fuel which will give you about and hour and half. VF--I can e-mail you the excel file if that helps:

[Gomer Pylot]

The Van Horn blades are the way to go. They're much more efficient, and actually cheaper in the long run, considering maintenance and replacement costs.

[Sir HC]

The HATR system is basically an unboosted 407 tail rotor. Lots of authority but in reality, it should be boosted.

I have flown 47's, 206B's and UH-1's with Van Horn blades, they are all an improvement on the original Bell blades so I would assume the 206L would be no different.

I'd be interested to hear what you decide to go with and how you like it.

[canterbury crusader]

I have spoken to guys who have flown with the van horn blades and they say they are a noticeable improvement. To be fair that would not be hard to achieve. Poor old longy is a bit short in that department above 10000 and by 12000 I would say it is your limit.

If you can afford it got the 407 blades. I believe they are unboosted on the Longranger but they have amazing authority on the 407 so would be even better with less gross weight. I cannot imagine the 407 blades running out of puff.

The 407 book, from memory says the 407 can handle a 35kt wind from any direction in the hover at 14000 feet. Can't imagine the van horn even getting close to that. Not sure what is involved with the 407 upgrade. May need new gearbox, driveshaft, boom etc.

[Vertical Freedom]

Details & Coffee

Good morning Captino
Me too
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Hey mre2heli
Yaar we run VanHorn's on the JetBox & they are awesome compared to the Bell TR Blades
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Namaste Gordy
Awesome, thank You for the graph with which TR Blades does that reflect? Yes please send me that spreadsheet what is TRAC's?
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G'day Gomer Pylot
Yep we are already using them o the Jettie, they are very good!
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Hey Sir HC
Thanks Brother
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Hi canterbury crusader
I think the powers to be are gonna go with the LongBox4 with the HATR (me hopes)
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Does anyone know the approx. cost for the HATR & what is involved in the installation, please?

Happy Landings always

[Gordy]

TRACS is Tail Rotor Authority Control System---basically it pre-pitches the TR for you so that @ 7,000 feet, the pedals are neutral.

Tail Rotor System Desription

[SuperF]

VF, do you go as low as 7,000'?

[Vertical Freedom]

Awesome....many thanks Gordy....good info now I have a small idea
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SuperF I usauly start getting the bends at such excruciating high pressures (below 7,000') so prefer to stay closer to 20,000+' the air is a lot cleaner & the Stars visible day&night

[fadecdegraded]

The 407 TR on a L4 (B206L4T) would be just the ticket for where you are VF.
NUH in Indonesia had or have one and it was better at altitude, hot and high etc than the 407.
Never flown one but spoke briefly with a pilot that had and he was all praises for it.

[tejas_kass]

I would like to share our tail rotor issues at high altitude. The tail rotor is 4 bladed bearingless designed at ISA, SL. But when helicopter is doing spot on turn to right(of course our main rotor rotates in clockwise when seen from top) at approximately 20,000ft we ran out of pedal requirement i.e there was not enough thrust to maintain that spot on turn right(60deg/sec). During rigging pedal travel was -10 to 24 deg. While performing above flight condition tail rotor thrust was almost constant beyond 22 deg to 24 deg. We thought that tail rotor is stalling beyond 22 deg and there wasn't enough thrust to maintain that flight condition.
How we can check theoretically/empirically that tail rotor is stalling at high altitudes so that we can put flight limitations in flight manual.

[nuthin]

We operate a 206L with the TRACS system. The aircraft is a great replacement to a 206 even with the C20R. We had issues with the computer controlling the actuator. Replacing that was very expensive.
The system works well and I have never had a lack of TR control up to 16,000.
You cannot cheat the wind like an AS350 though as the rest of the Bell airframe does not like being out of wind.

There is alot of room in the back for big internal loads and that is why we use it here in the St Elias range to support mountaineering and scientific camps.

I think for simplicity go with Van Horns on a regular L4 and for absolute best performance go with the TRACS equipped AC.

Just as a side note we had tail boom issues this summer with a cracked intercostal fitting. Easily repaired but normally its the rivets attaching that fitting to the boom itself that slowly start to work loose. This was more of a failure which makes me wonder if that increase in TR authority takes us to the next weak link.

We do fly in some horrendous winds sometimes though so maybe it is a fatigue related issue also.

I think you want to buy a machine with TRACS already installed. It is a $175,000 option. There has been some L4s that have had the TRACS removed also.

[rotor1rotor]

IPB

407 Blades will not fit on a 206L4 they are completely different so that makes no sense. everyone is though going to the van Horn Blades.

[nuthin]

Hey VF. If FTA are serious about buying an L4 let me know.