Helicopters without correlators?
 

Hi

Are/were there any helicopters built without a power correlator? What were they like to fly?

The Enstrom 280C for one. Flies beautifully.:ok:

As far as I know Bell 47,so I've been told ,never had the pleasure of flying one but is on my list.
R

@ Chopjock,

Are you talking about corellator or governor? I fly the Enstrom 280FX and it certainly has a correlator. No governor, though...

Yes, the Bell 47 did not have a governor to correlate the pitch-setting with the required engine power-setting.
I took my first helicopter hours at the controls of this historical machine decades ago.

I'm pretty sure the Bell 47 has a correlator. Have a look at the pilot's side of the aircraft, you will see a thin box with a rod going forward to the cabin.

My memory is shot but I am sure this is a correlator box.

Both the Enstrom 28A and the 280 and 280C did not have any throttle correlation. The 28F and the 280FX both have a mechanical throttle correlator.

The Bell 47 does indeed have a correlator, but the Hiller 12E doesn't

phil

Thanks for answers! Will have to try it out someday :)

Next Tuesday it will be exactly 39 years since I first flew a Hiller 12E and, even without a correlator, it was a great machine - 50 hours later I 'progressed' to the Whirlwind 7, which did have a correlator, but wasn't half as much fun.

Are there any machines, other than Lynx, that have correlators from pedals to throttle/collective (governed or otherwise)?

I design, build and fly UAVs. The tail rotor is correlated to the throttle. More left pedal, more throttle, less left pedal less throttle. We also correlate pitch and tail rotor, particularly useful when climbing and descending vertically.

Probably all with FADEC!

To be technically correct every Enstrom prior to the F28F/280F does not have a correlator. It is also the only piston helicopter currently in production that does not have an automatic mixture control, so you can lean the mixture during flight.

Of the 4 hiller 12E's i've flown, all had correlators......none had governors....other than the soloy turbine conversions but thats a different story. As mentioned there is a box linked in to the collective and throttle cable. Locations vary by model but it is generally the size of a paperback book. The two both work towards the same goal but function differently and i think that may confuse some that are not familiar.

Governor senses RPM and adjusts automatically. Usually no manual throttle adjustment necessary.

correlator adjusts throttle based on the position of the collective. It gets the rpm in the ball park but manual throttle "fine tuning" is more or less required.

Interesting activity, Chopjock. I'd like to learn more about this. I'm guessing this is electronic if you account for the TR power-airspeed curve? Which chip/software do you use BTW?

Agreed, RVDT. Talking to some of my colleagues with helicopter control system experience, it gets to the point that mechanical systems get so complicated that you start to wonder whether the FMEAs can account for all the linkages! Of course we all know that software never goes wrong. ;)

Real men do not need correlator's !!!!

Graviman
Yes electronic fly by wire servo system. Adjustment and set up by mark one eyeball.:)

All of the Bell 47's & the one Hiller 12E I've flown had one. Some much better than others...

I learned to fly in an Enstrom F28A. No correlator. It was easy to learn, and I figure if I can learn it anybody can. It became very natural to twist the grip as I pulled or dropped collective, also had to pull in a little more for a left pedal turn and roll a bit out for a right. I do agree there was no automatic mixture control though we always left it rich and stayed low. I have a little time in a Schweizer 300CBi, and that sure looked like a manual mixture control to me. I'll check with one of my buddies and report back if I'm wrong.

-- IFMU