A real life flying Sycamore at the Helicopter Museum
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: UK
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Sycamore latest
The Sycamore is flying with original wooden blades which have not been modified in any way.
They were sent to a German university to have their integrity checked and were found to be as good as when first manufactured apart from the trim tabs that had started to delaminate.
The Helicopter Museum at Weston super mare had all the original design specifications for the trim tabs and supplied Red Bull with the information and had new ones manufactured and fitted. They currently hold over 50 more main blades so it should be flying for a number of years to come.
KiwiNed: Yes there is an Austrian carpenter who is also available to carryout any repairs.
The current engineer has been working on the Sycamore since it was retired from German military service and he moved to Red Bull when all the airframes and spares were brought from the last Swiss owner.
It flew at the recent RAF Cosford show and then flew to the Helicopter Museum where it is in storage under cover and on public display until July when the aircrew return and it will fly again at the following shows along with the Bo105:
RNAS Yeovilton
Weston Air day
Royal International Air Tattoo
Farnborough Air Show
It may possibly go to Duxford for the flying legends event.
They were sent to a German university to have their integrity checked and were found to be as good as when first manufactured apart from the trim tabs that had started to delaminate.
The Helicopter Museum at Weston super mare had all the original design specifications for the trim tabs and supplied Red Bull with the information and had new ones manufactured and fitted. They currently hold over 50 more main blades so it should be flying for a number of years to come.
KiwiNed: Yes there is an Austrian carpenter who is also available to carryout any repairs.
The current engineer has been working on the Sycamore since it was retired from German military service and he moved to Red Bull when all the airframes and spares were brought from the last Swiss owner.
It flew at the recent RAF Cosford show and then flew to the Helicopter Museum where it is in storage under cover and on public display until July when the aircrew return and it will fly again at the following shows along with the Bo105:
RNAS Yeovilton
Weston Air day
Royal International Air Tattoo
Farnborough Air Show
It may possibly go to Duxford for the flying legends event.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Norfolk
Age: 84
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I think they came from the German Navy stores. At the end of its service in the RAF, I seem to remember that the problem was that they were running out of tail rotor blades.
The was a story on PPRuNe about an Australian Sycamore that had an engine failure and force landed in the Queensland bush. The blades were damaged trimming the immediate scenery so a set of blades came up from Adelaide. The roads and track were so rough that the blades were rendered unusable by the time they arrived. No more blades available so it was abandoned.
It is still there in an even bigger state of disrepair then it was then.
It is still there in an even bigger state of disrepair then it was then.
