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A few more photos from Iran, 1969 - 1971
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...ws55s31970.jpg Yours truly with Ws55s3 EP-HAF Lavan island, 1970 http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...agross1971.jpg AB206A EP-HAY Zagross, 1971 John Whale |
EP-HAM
I get palpitations every time I hear that registration.It was an Agusta 204B and did indeed have a Gnome engine , controlled? , by a computer a la WS55-3. Unfortunately the computer was located in the Hell Hole, and in this machine it was just that. There was no cooler for the TX oil system and TX cooling relied on the flow of air down past the TX and out of the bottom hole, and as a consequence hovering and ground running in the conditions out there required a careful watch on TX oil temps.,as some of you may remember. Just the place to fit a non too reliable computer! As a result the computer failed often , sometimes in the most awkward of situations, and the machine must have spent most of its operational life 'in manual'.
I first came across HAM in Galeh Morghi,it was being prepared to go out on operations and was being particularly contrary, the computer was running away on start up and then wouldn't shut down. On at least two occasions I saw the engine being stopped with CO2 down the intake. It was eventually discovered that the computer power supply had been routed throught the Fuel HP cock and so was not actually being supplied until the cock was switched on thereby not having time to sort itself out before light off. Forget might remember more details,I was just an interested bystander at that time, but I remember that even Bill Barnett was down from the office trying to sort out the beast. Thereafter it was a very fussy starter as I was to find out first hand when I was sent down to Bushehr to take over from Frank Brimelow. The starting issue was less of a problem at Bushehr since it was rarely shut down on the rig, when we moved to Shiraz however, supporting the Sofiran gas field it became one of many nightmares HAM threw at us. I eventually sorted out the starting problems by fitting an additional Ignitor box and plug, in the process of which I found that I needed to fit the maximum amount of spacers allowed to the ignitor plug on one side , and none on the other, the combustion chamber was distorted, probably due to the unusual shut downs in Galeh Morghi. The computer reliability I never conquered. I would be interested to hear from anyone with subsequent experience of HAM( I left Iran in 1975). |
I can only agree ref 'AM. It was a real piece of junk. Correct me if 'm wrong but didn't they fly it in manual with no twist-grip throttle, the fuel flow being on a quadrant on the console? I believe Frank is in Australia.
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Mmmm ....
I seem to recall being told (whilst well lubricated at the Bristow Zoo in Dubai1980) about a 204 with a Gnome engine being used in the Oman as a slinging machine .... was this the one ???? :confused: |
HAM
I remember HAM in Shiraz one particular occasion after an inspection [which involved cleaning the compressor blades with solvent] the jar used in this inspection was left in the intake and bang yes it was ingested into the engine much to Franks dismay. The only other gnome was on overhaul [at Leavesdon I believe] it took us a while to get the thing back in the air again.
It finally met its demise I think off Busher after an engine failure and a 'mysterious' float deflation [it was on pontoons at the time] resulting in its sinking! It think the 204 involved in the Oman operation was the other 204 Lycoming powered EP-HBF? both based at Shiraz whilst I was there along with an Allouette III [HBN] |
Great stuff guys....I only met a 204 once - my first overseas posting - leave relief to Ras Shukeir, Egypt, a long time ago. Avionics in those days consisted of a comm and ADF.
Now I work on 4-axis, twin GPS, Satcom, twin Navs, 5 multi-agency comms, NVG, FLIR, Nightsun.................and an ADF! At least we don't have to spend hundreds of man hours a month trying to keep HF comms useable anymore. Some more pics from the web site.... The S76 collection..... A variety of places, logos and colour schemes and at least one airframe no longer with us. Note: the notes that are integral to the pictures may no longer be relative. They were just added to pics with the info I had to hand ten years ago. Spent part of my apprenticeship on one of these aircraft and it wasn't the 76! http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...arnborough.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...rindisis76.jpg The Bristow Clubhouse in Dungun Malaysia early nineties including a bar, library, playgroup playground....... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ion/club76.jpg Somewhere in Nigeria........... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/cmagip76.jpg Den Helder http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...denhelder2.jpg A busy Great Yarmouth http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...leetlineup.jpg The ill fated VX. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...wliverys76.jpg ........and a busy Redhill............. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...redhillmh3.jpg Freezing Romania... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a..._constanta.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...on/s76bhbf.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...6newlivery.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tillbisz86.jpg |
Hi mtoroshango
No "AM" had a throttle and when the computer didnt work (more often than not) it was just a twist grip. I remember taking "AY" up to 17500' when I was on my own, between Isfahan and Zagross because the Flight Manual said the max alt for a Jet ranger was 20,000'. Running out of puff (the aircraft, not me because we had oxygen) at 17500', I chickened out when I saw a DC6 on the airways beneath me. Anyone at Zagross remember the ski lift that we built for recreation on the slope near the base. The pulley wheel was underslung by the 204 at the top of the slope and Schlumberger loaned us a wire line engine which was converted into a ski tow. John Whale |
Hi Spinwing
No that was a Lycoming powered machine with a -13 engine in it, I know I used to hang out of it at that time! Stacey |
Mmm ..
Hi Stace .... yeah your prob right .... rem being told about the Gnome machine tho .... you know what its like ..getting 'Old' an' all ..... Ha ha :\ |
That photo of 'JT must have been Mike Taylor and me doing it's C of A. I then took it on a fun 10 day trip to Nigeria as 5N-BCT. 10 days to allow for delays that might upset arriving in PH on a set date and time - I can't imagine why! The balance was spent in Accra waiting for said date. As I recall, the weather wasn't quite so cheerful the day I left!
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Hi John, yes I remember the skilift, I was in Zagross '72 to 74 then again 75 with and after Derek Cook. Great operation.
Hi Stace, haven't seen you recently. |
Oman 204
"No that was a Lycoming powered machine with a -13 engine in it, I know I used to hang out of it at that time!
Stacey" Stace - It was a -11B actually with only single-stage gas & power turbines and 'T'-canes instead of fuel nozzles. The -13B had dual turbines and far more grunt. We could have lifted anything with a 13B fitted! (That I remember this is particularly sad I know) The aircraft itself was an ex-Trinidad machine (9Y-TEA) and was eventually sold to AirFast, Indonesia. Loads of pics on this thread around pages 25 - 27. |
The matt black 'SZ' was used in the movie version of Freddy Forsyths' 'The Fourth Protocol'. Mike Murphy got to fly under the Humber Bridge (legally)
There is an apocryphal story relating to the water-soluble paint they used for the temporary colour scheme. It was supposedly washable-offable with a small power hose and a toothbrush but allegedly it was left out on the Bristow hanger ramp over one of the hottest weekends of the year and required a full strip and respray (or maybe just a respray;)) Maybe someone can can confirm or deny? TOD |
The Fourth Protocol
Originally Posted by Thridle Op Des
under the Humber Bridge (legally)
I also heard the same story about the permanent water soluble paint - hopefully someone can confirm this story. |
*Pedantic mode engage*
I looked up the details of the film on imdb.com, and it shows Martin Forde as the helicopter pilot. That's not to say Mr Murphy didn't do some of the flying. *Pedantic mode disengage*:8 |
And if you had kept the Pedantic mode engaged you should have said it was actually 2 x S76s which were used, thus Martin in one & Mike in the other.
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Well, like the man in the orthopaedic shoes, I stand corrected.:)
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And thanks to YouTube here is the proof. Watch this clip from 5:06 onwards -
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Nic Nicholls videos.
In the early days of putting together the skyweaver website Nic sent me a couple of small video clips which I never really managed to integrate into the website - I basically, didn't really have a clue what I was doing most of the time, having never been naturally IT literate! I lost Nics e-mail address after a computer crash but if he is still out there - we should track him down and get the rest of his cine-films digitised. I have just uploaded the very short original clips onto U-tube and will now try and link to them. Another first! I have added the notes that Nic sent, in the info box on the U-tube pages. |
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