Weight of Wessex Helicopter Blade
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Weight of Wessex Helicopter Blade
Hi all,
I was just curious what one of the Wessex helicopter blades weighs. I helped unload 4 of these blades from storage in Melbourne, Australia, and they were a lot heavier than they looked. I don't know the year of manufacture of the helicopter in which the blades were originally taken from. But, I was curious to about how much one of those blades weighs, (and it's length, if anyone knows that too). I do know these Wessex blades had depleted uranium in the tips for weight balance.
Thanks,
Will69
I was just curious what one of the Wessex helicopter blades weighs. I helped unload 4 of these blades from storage in Melbourne, Australia, and they were a lot heavier than they looked. I don't know the year of manufacture of the helicopter in which the blades were originally taken from. But, I was curious to about how much one of those blades weighs, (and it's length, if anyone knows that too). I do know these Wessex blades had depleted uranium in the tips for weight balance.
Thanks,
Will69
Not sure about depleted uranium; always looked like lead wire in the tip and lead weight on the blade to me. Standard procedure back when was one bloke on either end to lift in/out of a box.
Don`t think Uranium was around when WX blades were made...should have weight painted on blade root end; it`s about 26 1/2 ft long,and I think about 140 lbs....would hurt if it hit you..
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I'm pretty sure the blades I unloaded had depleted uranium in them... The reason we unloaded them was for the army to come and take the uranium out of the blades!
Definitely depleted uranium in the blades. Wessex Squadron of ours touched blades during a formation flight (both landed OK) and hours upon hours were spent searching the bush for the scattered weights, was involved in the SAR scramble. Depleted uranium was often used as a balancing medium in aviation, 747 being one of many.
Definitely depleted uranium in the blades. Wessex Squadron of ours touched blades during a formation flight (both landed OK) and hours upon hours were spent searching the bush for the scattered weights, was involved in the SAR scramble. Depleted uranium was often used as a balancing medium in aviation, 747 being one of many.
Did you make it easier by using a Geiger counter?
Don't recall the crews involved John..
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A bit of thread creep, but many years ago in Port Harcourt Nigeria, Barny Swinton Bland flying a Whirlwind series 111 on floats, went down with vibration from a lifting blade pocket. He was floating around in the swamps until we got a crew out to him and changed the blade.
The old blade was dumped, and everyone got back safely. A few days later, while flying over the same area, it was observed that the local village had retrieved the blade, and it was mounted on trestles and being used as a fish gutting table. Its probably still there.
The old blade was dumped, and everyone got back safely. A few days later, while flying over the same area, it was observed that the local village had retrieved the blade, and it was mounted on trestles and being used as a fish gutting table. Its probably still there.
