http://www.carsonhelicopters.com/composite_blades.htm

both i guess


they quote 10K hrs life on the tin blades , is that on the cuffs only . If you replace cuffs with zero TSN cuffs do you have 10k more hrs ?

Nick, this is something i am keen to understand in more detail. I am about to embark on another large project and want to make the absolute most out of FEA and strain guaging. I have read several articles on fatigue life estimation through flight testing. I imagine aluminum would prove harder to get right, since there is no fatigue limit stress like steel.

Could you point me in a direction to learn more about heli industry practices?

Mart

Graviman,
The concepts between the two metals (Al and steel) is quite similar. The value we use for the max stress to allow infinite life is called the "endurance" level, and is determined for each type of material by coupon tests, then adjusted for shapes and stress risers for any given design (K factors and knock downs). For critical parts, real data is taken by breaking parts, but airframes are not generally of that class, since they are designed with redundant load paths and a great deal of inspectability. Airframe stress gages compare flight loads to predicted loads to assure design adequacy, and beefups are applied if necessary during flight test.

There is a FAA AC on fatigue testing, and I believe some great AHS papers over the years. If you are building something commercial, I can recommend some expert friends!

Nick

MHS S-61's
 

I believe that a few Malaysian Helicopter Service machines have more than 50000 hours on them. Like the Eveready Bunny, they keep on going.:O

What ever happened to the original Chevron/ Bristow/ UNST S61's?

G-BAKC G-BFRI G-BFMY?????? the original team??????????

Russ S /Clive V / Pete C/ Michel Z/ Jaque Gassolene! and so many great guys' that linked the Ninian with Unst 79-93- they all deserve MBE's

Can anybody post some pictures please?

G-BAKC Transferred to France in 1987

G-BFRI Now with BIH Penzance

http://www.caa.co.uk/applicationmodu...01&imgtype=jpg

G-BFMY Transferred to Brazil in 2000

Bacon Slicer,

The Ninians are again (temporarily) being serviced by S61, flying out of Scatsta, while 332s are in short supply following last month's rollover.

Of the pilots ypu name, most are now in well earned retirement, though I believe that Pete C is still flying in some distant land.

OA

Bacon Slicer.
Those were the days, work hard play hard!!
Sad to tell you though, Russ passed away several years ago.

Nick, this is genuinely appreciated. The project is another off-highway mining truck, with frame design life 60'000 hours. The idea is to learn from another industry in a the transport sector, but not a competing arena.

Related technical papers:
AHS technical papers
Airframe Fatigue

If you wanted to PM me the expert friend contact details, i guarantee that i would treat the exercise with the level of commercial sensitivity befitting a professional engineer.

Warmest regards,

Mart

I am currently swinging spanners on a 44000 PLUS time 61 and she is in good shape. I see no reason why they can't go on indefinitely as long as Sikorsky keeps supplying parts or if they sell the type certification on when they deem it no longer viable a-la Skycrane/Ericson's.

Bacon

Pete C was flying with Bristow in Oz out of Essendon until a few months ago, I think he has just decided to retire for good now.

Michel was last known as a 332L2 simulator instructor at Helisim in Marignane.

Don't know anything of Jaques.

They were the days though, a Heavy Chevy out of Unst in BFRI, 3 trips, the first with the hayboxes to bring the food into the Unst terminal, drinks at the Baltasound hotel and 5 star accommodation in H block until it blew away!!

HH

NICK & MAKILA 1
----------------

Thanks.


EXCREWINGBOD
---------------

That pic of JL in Scatsta is seriously sad. Reminds me of my forebodings when our beancounters sold so many of our 61's in part-exchange (for early 332's I think) and they were stored in Bristow's Sumburgh hangar. They were acquired for pennies and put back into service by other, more savvy people elsewhere. I've got pics of some of them, must dig them out.

The picture of JL is Longside not Scatsta :ok: G-ATFM is currently working in Scatsta JL's mate.

Any idea who are flying FM out of Scatsta at the moment?? More ancients??

Unlimited life has it's limits. This is copied from the S-92A TCDS

NOTE 4 The term “Unlimited Life” is defined as 30,000 flight hours for the Model S-92A rotorcraft. Operation of individual aircraft beyond 30,000 flight hours is contingent upon a Life Extension Program approved by FAA Engineering

what are the major service intervals on the S92 ?.

Olde buses and like fossils...
 

Good morning all,
I had the whimisical pleasure recently of visiting with BIH at Penzance. BJ was indeed in the working mix, but I was told that it was headed for a quieter time and space in the near future. I believe they mentioned that it was well beyond the 40K mark for airframe time. The other ship working the Scillys at the time was EB, another long serving bus. EA is down with the Penguins and still going strong. As an aside, the BIH staff mentioned that they had picked up a pair (?) of ex-Bristow 61's to freshen the fleet mix. I recall that they were both manufactured in the late 70's, (among the last off the line?)
Ahhh the memories...

s-61's
 

The two machines that B.I.H bought from Bristows this year about July time. They where both in a poor state. The first one that B.I.H got was G-RI that last flew in the D.R.Congo on the U.N contract it has never flown since. the second was a machine that was getting prepared for another Rich American like G-LAWS that Bristow maintaned for an American Buisness men. From what I gather both machines Where in poor state similar to JL at Longside. They had been stripped down to keep the rest off the S-61 fleet witth spares. But heres hopping the B.I.H get them both airworth once again and maybe B.I.H might might get JL as well. Fantastic Helis the S-61.:)

Thanks for the info chaps, most useful.

S92mach,
That current S92 restriction is just until the FAA builds some experience in the model, based in successful inspections and field service. The S76 went through similar steps. I recall that there were main and tail rotor blade samples bolted to the roof of the Royal Flight Squadron in Amman Jordan, sunning themselves for years. Every several years, a Sikorsky engineer would take one back home and break it on the testing machines to show that the strength was retained, even after strong sunlight exposure for years.

The S92 has a 50 hour 1st service interval (pilot preflight daily of course) and a 500 hour rolling zone inspection, which can replace the annual if one signs up for that program.