As I understand it the system records (and retains) events of greater than 66% and then greater than 78%. It retains the % figure and duration for the life of the aircraft, both by flight number and total time in the >66% and >78% areas.

As I interpret the book the 50-66% area is purely a caution area and no maintenance action is required.

You are right, i didn't bother to look at the numbers on vemd... Caution area has no time limit (50-66% MM).

Thank you.

EC 135 - stupid question
 

Given "up to 59.5 kg" unusable if the forward transfer pump fails...

How about "no fail indication" (i.e. caution) of a forward transfer pump? No light? What's the possibility of this occurring?

Our EC 135 'seems' to transfer fuel normally until about 27 gallons. At that point, the supply tanks start depleting. I am told that other tail numbers have this same functionality? However, other ships reportedly use all their MAIN fuel to ZERO. The later seems normal. Correct?

Does your main fuel always go to ZERO - BEFORE the supply tanks begin to be depleted.

However, if during this anomaly (i.e., with supply tanks depleting as the MAIN fuel goes below 27 gallons), the forward, then aft transfer caution lights illuminate, would this not suggest that the forward and aft transfer pumps are functioning properly - but the MAIN FUEL indication is OUT OF CALIBRATION?

Thanks for your expertise.

On ours the forward fuel pump caption comes on anywhere between 100kg - 150kg if we are steady in the hover.

As for the supply tanks running down this can happen when the main tank is showing 20-40kg.

The way I understand it the forward fuel pump feeds No1 Supply and the Rearward feeds No.2 Supply. Which would make sense with what you have been noticing.

Clear as mud?

Brilliant Stuff, I believe that both transfer pumps feed both supply tanks!

IIRC,

Both transfer pumps are connected to a common transfer pipe that transfers fuel from the main tank to both supply tanks equally. If one pump should fail, or is switched off when for example the caption comes on, the remaining transfer pump will still supply fuel to the transfer pipe and in turn to both supply tanks.

One transfer pump can supply fuel at a rate that means that the supply tanks will not run dry before the main.

Or something like that !

HS & SS,

Thanks for the refresher, I had a look now and it confirms what you said.

No worries B.Stuff,

I wouldn't get too hung up about the quantities when the cautions come on, we landed yesterday with 15 kg in the main with no cautions throughout. Normally at those levels I'd expect the fwd to come on when on approach/taxi. I guess the combination of wind, ac attitude and CoG position meant both pumps still pumping throughout. Both supply tanks still full.

Isn't it funny that when that balance ball spirit level thingy and nice little amber triangle on the PFD point to the right, the right hand supply tank reads a bit low, regardless of main contents ;)

Which it always will because it's a smaller tank?

I think (acc. to my experience) SS is trying to say it indicates less than full although it is full (main tank not empty).

I think SS was trying to highlight, yet failing dramatically, that he might not always be flying in perfect balance :rolleyes:

SS
your quite right the cautions come on at random since the pumps IIRC need two minutes of running dry before they cautions come on usually by then we changed attitude again and the pumps got a suck of fuel again restarting the clock again if you know what I mean.

Cracking helicopter though.

Shocking !
 

Heard about it, talked about the rumour, but never experienced it, until that is this morning.
Trying to balance the blaring radios, one by one as the calls came in, and my metal watch strap must have rested on the end of the collective...ZZapp!! :eek:

A cracking shock that certainly alerts the senses during the umpteenth orbit round a dimly lit church in the middle of nowhere in the dark.

Anyone else admitting having had the collective shock, or will you just snigger at the thought of me bolting upright going..."What the flip!" :\

Hi Pilot 10000

We regularly land with 80-90kg of fuel remaining and often see the following sequence:

In the cruise, fuel decreases till the aft pump is uncovered, followed by aft fuel pump light a little later. Reach up, switch off aft fuel pump.

Approaching final, gentle decelerative attitude to reduce speed. Front pump becomes uncovered. No warning light because of the inbuilt delay but fuel now not being transferred.

Supply tank contents drop, followed by FUEL caution and then finally the fwd pump caution illuminates.

That may offer an explanation for what you see.

Cheers

TeeS

Does not the fuel xfer pump switch itself off after running dry for three minutes? Or am I misremembering...maybe the Caution light means it already has been dry for three minutes? Can't look it up here.

No, the Caution just indicates, that the pump is running dry for a certain time and has to be switched off.
In the early times of the 135 there was no such time delay. the Caution came up as soon as the pump went dry. Very disturbing when doing checkrides or other flight with many attitudechanges and the fuel comes well below 100kg.....

skadi

Sid,

Go ask you engineer how the TXPDR goes into STBY or other bits and bobs that require Squat or WOW switching.

Normal.

Thanks RVDT, fully aware of the technical side, which you may have been able to pick up in my post, ("my metal watch strap must have rested on the end of the collective...")
:rolleyes:

Fyi, our system is setup for a 5 second switchover from ALT-GND mode.


All I wondered was whether or not anyone else was prepared to admit to being zapped.
:eek:

Hi SS

I've never even heard of this before, let alone had it happen. I've discussed it with our engineering department and they suggested a smaller watch :)

Cheers

TeeS

Never been zapped but I have noticed the odd spark during the Check A. On Police machines, it is also the switch that allows the crew to eject a video tape from the Britannia Recorders when the aircraft is on the ground.

If you'd stop wearing all that polyester and nylon.........;)

I did use one of those military type wrist straps when I first heard about this, then I came round to the 'what's the chance of that happening' stage. :ouch:

Depending on fit/setup, next time you land, pause with the collective fully down and note transponder and/or TCAS indications. They probably still say ALT and Normal/UNR/ABV/LW depending on type. Without doing anything, those indications will remain. Now lock the collective and within around 5 secs the indications will change to GND, STBY and/or something else.

You can sit for hours without making the contact waiting for the status to change, just incase you think its some other system at play.

Watch straps, contacting the locking nipple at the top of the collective and earthing through the body, as I said, certainly wakes you up after the umpteenth orbit of a dimly lit church in the middle of nowhere at sparrows fart!

Just tried to video the spark (so much for the need for sparkproof torches etc) but it doesn't show up too well, despite being able to see it with the mark 1 quite nicely.

However I did discover something not normally noticed, in that when you connect/disconnect the nipple/locking device there is some 'wiggly amp clicky business' going on around the base of the collective area. (awaiting correct technical terminology) :8

SS
I have never suffered from the spark but ours is a T2 from 2001 isn't yours a P2+ or am I mistaken, I think over the life of the 135 production there are three systems employed to tell the boxes when the aircraft is on the ground.

Does that mean we should wear our watches on top of our gloves/flying suits?
We could pretend to be astronauts or deep sea divers ;)

If the pin is insulated, then there shouldn't be any other circuitry going on...should there?

And enough of the head-banging !

SS,

Why not combine your glove and watch...?

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...atch_glove.png

Simon

White gloves !!!!!

Glad to hear I am not the only one re: White Gloves.

SS + BS,

Apologies for the sartorial faux pas.

The suggestion was merely in response to the concern about having to adopt a watch-over-glove solution and not an endorsement of any particular colour!

Simon

Man, you weren't kiddin' about the zap. I normally fly in suit and gloves, so I had to experiment. Placing my watch on the lock pin, touching the ldg light switch caused some tingling on the skin... And after a second or so, the zap, which was strong enough to contract my hand .

That's it then, I've got to go have a play this evening :)

I struggle to see where the charge is coming from, is there a dirty great big capacitor in the line or something?

Cheers

TeeS

ECD delivered the S/N 1000!

Helicopter manufacturer, aircraft helicopter military, colibri helicopter - Eurocopter, an EADS company

http://www.eurocopter.com/publicatio...IMG_0169_2.jpg

skadi

Saw it being ground run the other day at EDPR while picking up one a few numbers prior to it.

Was also told that at that time up to #1038 has been signed up.

Good machine obviously!

EC-135 - New landing gear - Floats compatible?
 

The EC135 has now a third option for a landing gear with a height of 0,5m. Can you tell me if this landing gear is compatible with the emergency floats. Thanks

ec135 landing gear
 

EC-135 - New landing gear - Floats compatible?
The EC135 has now a third option for a landing gear with a height of 0,5m. Can you tell me if this landing gear is compatible with the emergency floats. Thanks

zami - The Apical floats are compatible. Fairly sure the same goes for the Aerazur system, but I'll confirm.

I/C

thank you!

EC135 YAW SAS?
 

Our mechanic is at wits end on an "intermittant" YAW SAS issue. With increasing frequency the system is kicking off while in cruise flight (more frequently in gusty winds) however it is kicking off in all phases of flight.

The aircraft will yaw 5-10 degrees and then the system will kick off line.

He has replaced all major components including the wire harness in the tailboom.

Any suggestions to trouble shooting?

ACFT S/N is 0015 and has 6800 hours total time on the airframe.

Going to need a bit more info than that.

Parts replaced? (Yaw SEMA, FOG's?)

Does it pass a BIT check on the ground, when it fails what are the indications?