Army Squirrel Training
 

New training routine Down Under perhaps?

http://www.internetage.com/rotorcraf...f/inverted.jpg

Aerobatics
 

Hey Hellman, I didn't think civilian helicopters can do the aerobatics - only the military and of course BO105!

http://www.jonesbeachairshow.com/ima...uck-aaron2.gif

More Upside Down Talk!
 

Hello again Swedish PRuNe!

Technically the AS350 in the photo I posted is a military helicopter, but I suppose you were referring to combat helicopters.

Actually there are a number of civil types that have gone inverted including the Hughes 500, Enstrom and ... so I'm told, someone in the Army here barrel rolled at CH53 Super Stalltion!

The image you posted is none other than the American legend Chuck Aaron, a 60 year old helo jock with around 20,000 hrs under his belt and runs the display circuit here in the US.

Here is the USMC CH53 Roll and loop..

Probably Chimbu at YSCB getting all the warning lights to come on at once?

Nah, dropped his pencil on the floor and was trying to retrieve it.

is it really in a roll or loop that astar?

other picture or video it will be welcome (also other helicopter)
:}

Agree with AOTW. Pretty sure it's Keith Champion at the ADFHS practicing for a display. Barrel roll was part of the routine.

Any one done this before...?
 

Yes - next question....:ok:

in a squirrel...?

EC does it regularly at airshows and demos with the EC130. Dailymotion.com and search ec 130 1.

No, in an EC155. 'An' as in one specific one, not used for commercial air transport! :ok:

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it meant something like

Any chance of reposting the original video. I was having coffee with Keith champion (the original pilot) and he was looking for a video of him doing that!

Can anyone remember what the video was - it's been almost 14 years!

While there is no link or image that appears on the OP, in post #3 Hell Man (who last posted in 2013) explains it was a photo not a video, so probably the same image as shared in post #9. The hill line in the background seems similar to what is behind Canberra airport in Australia, so consistent with another post suggesting it was probably at YSCB which is where the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School (ADFHS) had been based at one time.

The photo was also posted on Reddit years ago and attracted some comment including one that thought the image was flipped. But the shadows on the Squirrel and hill line suggest it is original and the photo predates AI generated images.

I am now also curious to hear more about the details. ADF Squirrel helicopters have done impressive displays at airshows as seen on YouTube but nothing I have seen was near inverted.

Addition: A22-005 later became VH-BUK but was apparently damaged in 2006 so no longer flying.

You need a g-meter fitted if you are going to start doing upside down stuff in a helicopter (properly), plus a series of accelerometers to measure the stress on various parts of the airframe (usually the TR empennage since it is furthest away from the C of G)

Getting it upside down is the easy bit - recovering to normal flight without overstressing is more tricky.

First ever loop, some cojones I'm guessing with the low height.

As a wise man told me.

Any aircraft has no idea where the planet is.
It only knows where and how much “ G “ there is.
Exceeding the defined limits puts you in “ I wunder what the result of this move is gonna be? “

You may be able to do a loop or roll without exceeding the limits. The problem is what happens when you do something wrong and exceed the limits
Not to mention other limits such as torque or Rotor RPM.

Mr. Thompson really had balls of steel!

At least it had metal rotor blades - the S-52 was the first helicopter without wooden blades.