Dunkeswell 80
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,047
Received 2,920 Likes
on
1,249 Posts
Ahh.. the mighty Whirlwind.. 
Thread Starter
IIRC from Mk2 days, you have to have 24v on the third pin of the DC external power connector in order to get the socket to accept external power. It works the other way round too, so where you could run a drum fuel pump just by plugging it into a Wx, because the external pins are always live, you needed a battery to energise the third pin to get the SK to provide the power.
N
N
The only way was to disconnect the aircraft battery and hot wire the aircraft connecter to a separate battery to get the engine turning over fast enough - it worked but I don't think it's in the Topic 5 anywhere.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,047
Received 2,920 Likes
on
1,249 Posts
Is there a Solenoid to the external power socket that is sticking closed? just a thought as that may also when closed light the external power caption.
Thread Starter
How big of a bribe will be required to attempt to drive a cab? I grew up in Sea Kings, but never got to fly one, but with around 7000 hours I am more than capable... Would be fun to hav a go once! My dad did 4975 hours in the cabin as a winch op/Sytems operator in the RNoAF.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 423 Likes
on
223 Posts
Looking back to my early learning days at RAF Shawbury, when the Whirly was the basic training aircraft and the Wessex was the advanced trainer, they were really quite big for that role, weren’t they? But really quite forgiving, I suppose.
(After just two short trips in a Robbo 22, some ten years later, I really wasn’t happy flying such a small, flimsy thing and never have done since).
(After just two short trips in a Robbo 22, some ten years later, I really wasn’t happy flying such a small, flimsy thing and never have done since).
The following users liked this post:
Plenty of Wessex on display in museums around the world, but seeing these lovely pix made me wonder if this might be the only remaining flying example? Checking Wessex entry on Wikipedia, it seems that might well be the case as it is the only one that is listed as airworthy: "XT761 – HU.5 airworthy with Historic Helicopters in Chard, Somerset."
Thread Starter
Yes it is the only one flying - people rightly ooohh and aaahh at the Spitfire but, wonderful and iconic as it is, there are quite a few out there flying.
The following users liked this post:
Thread Starter
Shy, don't forget they were there for crewman training as well so you needed a decent sized helicopter for that
With you 100% on the Robbie though.
With you 100% on the Robbie though.
Crab,
Reaching into the dark recesses of my mind, sounds like an issue with J540 plug, down by the co-pilots left boot if I remember. It was prone to water ingress or a clumsy boot and was the relay which allowed the power set to connect I think. It's been a while so I could be completely wrong.
Reaching into the dark recesses of my mind, sounds like an issue with J540 plug, down by the co-pilots left boot if I remember. It was prone to water ingress or a clumsy boot and was the relay which allowed the power set to connect I think. It's been a while so I could be completely wrong.
Thread Starter
Myra, I know what you mean but if the J540 plug is knackered you get a whole lot more faults than just the EXT PWR issue - I think the boys will just swap diodes around until it goes away
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: West Sussex
Age: 84
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seeing those float bags on the wheels takes me back to an incident in Port Harcourt Nigeria, in the seventies. The bags were off for inspection and repacking, when one of our engineers was checking the electric's, he connected a test lamp to the left hand connection after removing the plug, he then armed the float switch, forgetting that the Two sides are cross connected, so that one switch will fire both floats.
I was sitting at my desk, when there was an almighty bang, and a portable compressor came flying through the office window, it landed on my Nigerian clerks desk, luckily he was out having a smoke.
One of our other engineers was walking across the hangar with the right hand float bag in his hands, about to fit it, luckily he had not got too far, or he would have got a bag straight on his chest.
There was a lot of luck that day, and it goes to show the force of these things.
I was sitting at my desk, when there was an almighty bang, and a portable compressor came flying through the office window, it landed on my Nigerian clerks desk, luckily he was out having a smoke.
One of our other engineers was walking across the hangar with the right hand float bag in his hands, about to fit it, luckily he had not got too far, or he would have got a bag straight on his chest.
There was a lot of luck that day, and it goes to show the force of these things.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,047
Received 2,920 Likes
on
1,249 Posts
Talking about Gnomes reminds me of an incident at Odiham's engine bay, they used to replace lots of spools as with errosion as the blades used to get really thin, so on a rebuild they would change the spool. The chief used to tap over really thin damaged blades on spools being sent off, one of the guys had a complete new spool come in and not having seen one before as most were rebuilt, went to show his chief who on hearing "look at this" turned round and gave it a wack... needless to say it had to quietly be returned as damaged..
I can also remember the shaft on one Wessex from the combining box up to the main rotor box having to be changed, when removed, a bag containing new nuts, bolts and paperwork that had obviously been shipped with the shaft fell out of the end, It had obviously not been noticed on assembly tucked inside and new nuts / bolts had been used to fit it.
I can also remember the shaft on one Wessex from the combining box up to the main rotor box having to be changed, when removed, a bag containing new nuts, bolts and paperwork that had obviously been shipped with the shaft fell out of the end, It had obviously not been noticed on assembly tucked inside and new nuts / bolts had been used to fit it.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 423 Likes
on
223 Posts
Originally Posted by [email protected]
Shy, don't forget they were there for crewman training as well so you needed a decent sized helicopter for that
With you 100% on the Robbie though.
With you 100% on the Robbie though.
Thread Starter
During the time I went through the RW course we flew with staff crewmen only.
I went through 2 Sqn in 1983 and our course was half pilots and half loadies - it has stayed that way ever since. You probably would have seen that when you did your QHI course.
The other advantage of using a Wessex was that several front-line Sqns had them so a long OCU post wings wasn't required.
