Landing platform/dolly
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Lancashire
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When I owned my 280 I had a Clarke hoist from Machine Mart fitted to the back of the hangar, extended the hand control unit and with a rope that went round the skids.
Stand at the tail, pull down onto its own wheels and operate the winch with other hand and in she goes. A pulley fitted to the outer edge of the pad allows a similar method to pull out of the hangar. The whole system cost less than £ 200.00
Stand at the tail, pull down onto its own wheels and operate the winch with other hand and in she goes. A pulley fitted to the outer edge of the pad allows a similar method to pull out of the hangar. The whole system cost less than £ 200.00
John's dolly...
Well constructed, and plenty of room...
"A surprising number of helicopters destroyed and/or pilots killed attempting to land on a dolly. Why take the risk?"
A fairly basic skill for a commercial utility pilot... You would have no hope landing on an exploration pad if you couldn't land on this dolly.
However, good airmanship from those who feel they are not up to it, and choose to move the aircraft by other means.
"A surprising number of helicopters destroyed and/or pilots killed attempting to land on a dolly. Why take the risk?"
A fairly basic skill for a commercial utility pilot... You would have no hope landing on an exploration pad if you couldn't land on this dolly.
However, good airmanship from those who feel they are not up to it, and choose to move the aircraft by other means.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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There is also remote control dolly called heliwagon , so you don't have to even get out to drive tractor ...
Open hangar door by remote control and drive dolly straight in ...
Ha ha ...
I think from memory its heliwagon.com or net... Google it maybe ...
I know they not cheap though ....
Open hangar door by remote control and drive dolly straight in ...
Ha ha ...
I think from memory its heliwagon.com or net... Google it maybe ...
I know they not cheap though ....
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Landing a twin Squirrel by night, on a dark blue steel mesh trolley on an unlit helipad was always something I hated doing. Especially as the damned thing was over two feet off the ground. It was too small for the pilot to see any visual cues once over it.
Thankfully, it's hydraulic drive engine failed terminally after a couple of years, with the aircraft on it, parked by myself, halfway on its way into the hangar for the night. So the owners, the police, had to guard their base all night because the whole place was now insecure and the aircraft was now offline until an engineer could free off the hydraulics the following morning. They finally took my longstanding advice and bought an electric Heli-lift with a remote control.
Thankfully, it's hydraulic drive engine failed terminally after a couple of years, with the aircraft on it, parked by myself, halfway on its way into the hangar for the night. So the owners, the police, had to guard their base all night because the whole place was now insecure and the aircraft was now offline until an engineer could free off the hydraulics the following morning. They finally took my longstanding advice and bought an electric Heli-lift with a remote control.
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There is also remote control dolly called heliwagon ,
Last edited by EN48; 29th Jun 2016 at 16:40.
Join Date: May 2001
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Join Date: Jun 2004
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Built 2 of these at home
2x4 softwood sleepers, 50mm angle iron rails, wielded together to length, v up, drilled and screwed to sleepers
Steel v wheels, from ebay, to suit rails
I have design for platform, mine clad with 6x 8x4 sheets of shuttering ply 18mm, planted with non slip paint (sand text)
1x toolstation winch, modified with extra long drum and extended control cable
Pulley beyond end of rails, pulls out and back
Bump stop at end of travel, winch hard against to secure platform
Very important to have rails dead flat at landing position to ensure all wheels in solid contact. No ground resonance
Overall cost ?, sub £1000 ?
Can send drawings and images
I land 1650 kg turbine, every few days for 8+ yrs
[email protected]
Ian
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Kochi
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Dear Sir,
I would like to fabricate a moveable Helicopter dolly for a Bell 407. Am based in India, Would you by any chance have a fabrication drawing and the material specs to be used. Would really appreciate if you can help. Thank you.- John
I would like to fabricate a moveable Helicopter dolly for a Bell 407. Am based in India, Would you by any chance have a fabrication drawing and the material specs to be used. Would really appreciate if you can help. Thank you.- John
One Dolly I used to land a BO-105 upon had a fiberglass rod whip sticking up in front of the Pilot's side Windscreen for use in line up and fore/aft placement.
We moved the aircraft forward until the Whip touched the Windscreen frame and checked for proper lateral alignment before setting down.
It took a few times to sort it all out but upon doing do landing back after dark with only the aircraft lights and the odd Flood Light near the Hangar was easy enough.
Throw in gusty winds, rain, and snow at 0300 after a long day......and it was a bit sporty but worked.
That Dolly also ran on rails and had a remote controlled winch with auto stops at each end.....with the remote being stowed in the cockpit till needed.
It was nice not having to go out into the weather to a cold soaked aircraft or clean snow/ice off it before flight.
The key to the Dolly thing is to make them plenty big.....as big as you can and still maneuver it in and around as need be.
We moved the aircraft forward until the Whip touched the Windscreen frame and checked for proper lateral alignment before setting down.
It took a few times to sort it all out but upon doing do landing back after dark with only the aircraft lights and the odd Flood Light near the Hangar was easy enough.
Throw in gusty winds, rain, and snow at 0300 after a long day......and it was a bit sporty but worked.
That Dolly also ran on rails and had a remote controlled winch with auto stops at each end.....with the remote being stowed in the cockpit till needed.
It was nice not having to go out into the weather to a cold soaked aircraft or clean snow/ice off it before flight.
The key to the Dolly thing is to make them plenty big.....as big as you can and still maneuver it in and around as need be.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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"He showed me one of those autorotations". Um, ok...
"And we landed on that little platform with wheels". Yeah, that's called a dolly. Wait. Hang on a sec. Did the pilot use the engine to land on the dolly?
"No, he just did the autorotation thing onto the dolly". Ah, hmm, ok ( now not feeling quite so good about my autorotation skills )
I never met the ENG pilot in person, so never got to ask him if that was true, but he did have something like 12 engine failures over the years without putting a scratch on a machine, so maybe! In any case a fun story.
