It's all most as if manufacturers don't want customers, some of the prices are just robbery
And quality is not that special either

500, it's helicopters... If I find something that's under $5k I think it's like Christmas morning lol.

yep supposedly new in box although the box is opened. Problem is the illustrated parts document has a rough drawing of the auxiliary oil cooler system and no clear pictures of where it mounts or exactly what the hoses look like. Enstrom engineer told me on Facebook that some of this model didn't run cooler than 230 and 240 was a good warning point. Seems really high to me.

Has anyone heard of a storage box mounted on the skids or underneath? I have seen them for R44's & rotorways but not come across one for a 28F

One more thing. My pilot door blew open on a flight and I lost my fuel dipstick. Can one of you measure your marks and let me know so I can make one. It's still a mystery why my 1977 280C doesn't have sight glass in the tanks.

New EN480B-G
 

This looks very nice


First Enstrom 480B-G goes to New Hampshire pilot | Vertical Magazine - The Pulse of the Helicopter Industry :cool:

Check flight North of England.
 

I need a new LPC. Is there anyone in the north west of England can do one? Just type ENF28.

Thanks.

Ray Jones is your best bet, actually he might be the only bet! There is a lack of current Enstrom examiners in the North UK at the moment since Bill Bailey retired and Norman Bailey has stopped as well. If you need Ray's details send me a PM.

One of the few schools still doing type ratings in the UK is Shoreham Helicopters Ltd we can complete type conversions and Skills tests, plus Proficiency checks.
Regards
Tim:D

Bill and Norm had a third pilot working with them (Collier?) - was he an examiner on the ENF or instructor only?

Looking like the end of an era for Enstrom in the UK. Such a fun aircraft to fly.

Howard Collier was an instructor for the Manchester Helicopter Centre not an examiner, not sure he is still instructing since Bill & Norman closed. Very sad for Enstrom

LPC ENSTROM 280
 

HI Gaseous.
LPC ( now Proficiency Check) no problem, have sent you PM, I come up north fairly often, or happy to meet you somewhere.
Have sent you PM with my contact details , or contact me at Gloucester EGBJ
As Tim has said only a few schools in UK now Providing TYPE Conversions on ENSTROM 280 SERIES.( OR ENSTROM 480 SERIES)
As far as I am aware
ENSTROM 280 series, its only TWO, Shoreham Helicopters and Staffordfordshire Helis at Burton on Trent.
ENSTROM 480 series, its only TWO, Shoreham Helicopters and Heliflight Gloucester.

I provide AB INITIO TRAINING at Gloucester, Swansea and Pembrey but happy to accommodate PC or Skills Tests at most locations.

As far as Enstrom 280 Examiners, I only know of, myself, Tim Price, Al Gwilt and Leon Smith, - but there could be others

regards Ray

ray

Tim Price
 

Tim did mine on G-SHRK at Shoreham. Great guy!

Enstrom
 

My apologies for IVFLYER for not being able to respond sooner ...I've been away working ... actually flying an Enstrom 480B at the South African, AAD air show at AF base Waterkloof, then on a USA holiday. The massively de-rated C20W engine easily coped with the 5000 feet airfield elevation plus a 90 degree daytime temperature. Three displays a day for the period of the show and as good a week's flying as I've ever enjoyed. If interested there's a couple of cockpit mounted videos and a 'ground to air' of the Enstrom and the MD530F display sequences posted on You Tube and possibly FB.

I also flew the Safomar Enstrom FX crop sprayer and it was good to see the old girl neatly decked out in working clothes. Unhappily we experienced an incorrect mixture engine failure 800 feet over Pretoria, but as we all know ... something of a non-event in the type.

Many of the 28C/280C versions I've flown seem to suffer high engine oil temperatures after a prolonged period of high power and low air flow as in a climb or hover. Like the Schweizer 300, the factory have available a second cooler which is fitted in series as per the service instruction. It is normally mounted right side in a 5 o clock position to the air filter. Fitment drops the temperature by around 20-30 degrees and I've always taken the view that two coolers are essential for training or when the ambient is circa 80 degrees plus. But in constant hover mode, it is important that the number one unit is routinely checked for matrix blocking. Some airframes had coolers fitted with manually removable 'butterfly' flaps for hand removal of debris. (eg grass) It's a simple retro fit.

Talking to the new Enstrom CEO at Waterkloof, it seems with the new Chonquing ownership, the Menominee factory are heading for greater manufacturing capability and sales. The forthcoming 180 trainer being the first new model to appear, so no need to start forecasting a factory demise. Rather the opposite I feel.

Just to confirm dear Ray Jones at Monmouth is always prepared to be the wandering minstrel for Enstrom type checks plus of course my good mate, Tim Price down south. You won't find two nicer or more type knowledgeable guys. Leon Smith at WAP is type approved too. I'm always happy to help or fly with existing or new Enstrom owners with some pre-LPC familiarisation flying or specialist auto handling. (to date I'm up to 5,500 'skids-on' practice autos - just two for real!) PM me or look me up on the internet.

So retirement or not, I still rate the Enstrom marques highly ... good looking, reasonably low operating costs, quiet, great handling, even greater autorotation capability, ultra safe, wide roomy cabin, dedicated 100lb capacity luggage locker, 85lbs fuel burn per hour giving 100 mph in the cruise and as we all know, the type can be trimmed to fly 'hands & feet off' ... I often wonder why people buy anything else !!! Hard hat firmly on.

Best wishes from an Enstrom COF. Dennis K.

Enstrom
 

Oh and I forgot .... the original two 40 USG capacity fuel tanks always had the transparent 'boiler' guage for external fuel contents readings. Usually marked 60, 120, 180 and 240 lbs. The problem was that in service the transparent strip became opaque over time so many simply got painted over. Contact the Steve Payne Roberts Enstrom support engineer. He'll send you a standard wood 'dip stick' on request. Or make one yourself using your own graduations! Safe flying. Dennis K.

For a video with internal and external shots of Dennis Kenyon flying the Enstrom 480B in his usual spectacular way, at AAD 2014 in South Africa, click on the following Youtube links

Well done Dennis, hope I can fly like that in my 80s

Short version, with music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Im_kN2r5-s

Long version, with just heli sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_grWBb20TNg

Nice display Dennis and the weather looked perfect.:ok:

AFB Waterkloof
 

Thanks Tim & Others. Yes the wx was superb for the AAD air show. Quite a few novelties though. The crowds were queuing at the gates for entry to the show at 06.30 hrs. My first display was for 08.45 hrs. And the air force ground crew were a tad wary of the opening 'Pirouette' manoeuvre thinking I might scrape a hole in their new tarmac, so the fire guys flooded the lift off position with foam!

And a big AND ... Waterkloof is a whisker under 5000 feet ... mid day temperatures circa 90 degrees, so shades of my Salt Lake City faux pas! Hopefully none of us make the same mistake twice but since the display machines were the MD530F, 630 SHP C30 to be followed by Enstrom's highly manoeuverable 480B, the resultant DA was well within the types handling.

Air Shows are big in South Africa. I'm told the daily attendance was circa 35,000 with a show total of 130,000! I'd have to say one of the ... if not THE most enjoyable flying week of my career. Best wishes to all pps. Dennis K.

Superb flying skills and knowledge.
 

Hello Dennis, I have been following this thread for some time,I think the guys who follow forum this are extremely lucky to have your knowledge at their finger tips. The point of writing is I can kick my rear that I.missed your demonstration flights at the air show , your flying ability is amazing that machines becomes part of you.

Dennis,
Can you elaborate on your engine failures in the piston Enstroms. I think from reading your posts here and elsewhere you've had two. You reference a mixture issue but what exactly did it turn out to be that time(and the other for that matter). Can you tell us also the resolution of the failure and where you put it down at?

I recently bought an Enstrom 280C and am going over it now bringing her up to excellent condition so am looking to learn all I can about them. I did own one nearly 30 years ago but didn't really get into the mechanical part of it so much back then. I do remember the oil temp running near redline and it being very hard to start when hot(had the impulse coupling mag). Also had a lot of issues with T&B but this time around I'm hoping to have a different outcome by knowing more!

Thanks!