CROP DUSTING BY HELICOPTERS
 

Hey Guys,

Need guidance on how much do booms extend out from helicopters & what is the width covered in each run by most helicopters.

Thanks

Ciao Whirlybirdguy!

The boom width varies from one aircraft type to the next and from one spray-gear manufacturer to another.

On the Bell 206 using the standard Simplex booms, the boom span is 36ft with a rotor diameter of 33ft.

The 'width' of the chemical (or fluid) being applied is referred to as the swath and again .. this varies according to boom width, height and speed flown, the density of the fluid/chemical, wind conditions, pilot technique, nozzle aperture and fluid dispersal rate.

What I suggest is that you try and obtain as much information as you can about your requirement, the area to be sprayed, what it is that you are spraying, the type of terrain involved, the elevation and temperature etc. and then contact one of the many spray companies (you can find a partial list of some of these companies on the previous page in post #95) and seek their advice.

WBG in India
 

Hi WBG

Have flown ag work spraying in India - but not crop dusting.

There's a lot more to spraying than knowing about boom width - especially with the density altitude in some areas.

Suggest that you PM me if you need more help.

Tc

The standard use to be that boom size was 80% of rotor diameter to reduce vortices.

Although now days with new nozzle technology a lot of booms are 100%.

might be showing your youth there ems R22.

the standard used to be, make the booms as long as the helicopter could handle. poke the spray right out into the vortices to get as much spread as possible.

then people started to get worried about spray drift, lifestylers moved in, sensitive neighbours came, etc. everyone had to go down to 80% of rotor diameter.

now i guess that some people are looking at extending booms back out again.

it depends on lots of factors, but if you want to spread the stuff as far and wide as possible, then poke the spray right out past the rotors, if it needs to be more controlled, then 80% of rotor width.

About the oddest thing I've seen spread from a helicopter was pelleted sphagnum moss, in 2010:

http://bleaklow.com/images/2010/sphag_heli.jpeg

More at A busy day on the moors - Alan's Ramblings and Sphagnum Project | Moors for the Future

The same folks also built a device for spreading heather brash (chopped heather) by helicopter which wasn't entirely successful when asked to deal with blocks of wet, frozen heather :}

http://bleaklow.com/images/2006/black_hill_heli_7.jpeg

Airborne muckspreader - Alan's Ramblings

All this work has been done as part of the Moors For the Future project in the UK, which is doing moorland restoration work in the South Pennines between Manchester and Sheffield - you've probably been over it if you've ever flown into Manchester. Because the area is a peat bog, everything has to be flow in by helicopter and to minimise wildlife disturbance it all has to be done in the depth of winter:

http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/...ift%202004.jpg

There's a Bell 205 (think that's what it is) here at the moment. The statistics are quite impressive, all of this was transported by helicopter, and this is just for one of the areas they are working on:

• 10,000 - 15,000 bags of heather brash spread
• 10km geo-textiles laid
• Hundreds of tons of lime, seed, fertiliser applied
• Gully blocking 1,000 heather bale dams and 1700 stone dams (over one year)

This project has now been running to 10 years and I'm guessing it is probably the biggest and longest-running project making use of helicopters that the UK has ever seen.

Search | Moors for the Future

Dear Rotorheads,
I need your help to answer a customer request for a spray job against mosquitos. I have never been engaged in ag ops befor and have to make an offer to spray against mosquitos.
The customer is askaing for a pesticide which in not harmfull to fish and bees. Does this exist ?
I want to use a 350b2. Which spray gear can you recommend ? Does anyone have a used one with EASA certification for sale ?
What is an average area you can spray per hour if fuel and spray liquids are available on a truck on the job site.

I am thankfull for all kinds of information.

Crop spraying & Spreading
 

Mainly for 2054 way back in 2012 .... My apologies if the Dennis was the one for me as I haven't looked into this thread for a while. Even if not, the following may help.

Oddly enough, I've just returned from the SA Air Force Base at Waterkloof where I was tasked to display MD's 530F alongside the Enstrom 480B. Had a fab week flying three or four times a day for the period of the show for over 100,000 spectators I'm told. The local MD/ENSTROM distributor, Safomar PTY has also purchased an FX crop spraying version for local Ag work.

Some of the 'oldies' here will know that my firm of Spoonair Ag services operated three Enstrom Turbo models in the role giving us a chemical lift of 650lbs or whatever the EU guys call it these days. We used the Agrinautics wet and dry gear which gave a 30 foot swath width or 36 feet with the approved boom extensions. The dry gear dispersal was via a rotary impeller from a Vicon hopper. Using mostly New Zealand pilots and an Aussie, we averaged 120 acres an hour per aircraft, which at £4 an acre was decent money in those days. (1980s)

I have an old 30 minute film of our equipment calibration work and subsequent spraying and spreading which is now on DVD and I'll be happy to produce the odd DVD copy for potential users. I've asked this before, but if Dave Cook is still on the site, please make contact as my SA customer has a pilot/instructor requirement for the Pretoria area.

And for any interested in seeing the MD 530F display, a couple of the Waterkloof videos are now on You Tube along with my Enstrom 480B gentle ladylike display. Or just dial up my name to view the list.

Take care all and just to say this particular COF is still a flyin.' Dennis K.

Spraying
 

Just a quick PS ... Can anyone tell me what happened to the ULV and CDA work that was becoming available when I quit the spraying scene. An average dose would be around one pint per acre I believe. (ideal for the very light helicopters) Thanks in anticipation. Dennis Kenyon.

ULV spraying
 

Dennis,
ULV is used in Oz for cotton generally at night in fixed wing.
bit of video

Fison Airwork Accidents
 

The top left image is G-APSL with John Odlin in the picture the helicopter caught fire in flight when the gas tank blew up and jammed the controls, and it happened April 19th 1960 in the Dominican Republic out of Waltario I was the pilot and the year before in Panama G-APNI tail rotor failure out of Puerto Armuelles, and I was flying it too. Not injured in either.

.
Fire fighting

Interesting post from Wildpilot above. If there is anyone who could assist in the UK's midlands with the current Saddleworth Moor fires, then I reckon they will be treated like heroe by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Who has aerial crop dusting gear which cold be brought into service?

Helicopters with Bambi Buckets have already been used on that fire. There are a number of operators in the UK with fire-bucket capability who would be able to assist the Fire Service / Land Owner with this fire if someone is prepared to pay for it. And therein lies the sticking point I imagine.