Backpack helicopter

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

Some incredibly clever mathematics involved in machines like this with the contra rotating main rotor. So clever it doesn't need any other rotors.
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

Hard Landing = Free Haircut

Nope... Won't ever get in another helicopter again... Not me...
 
Re: solving peak hour

You can not make a statement like that and not expand further Randy.. What happened?
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

One aspect of the mathematics of a helicopter stated that it should really screw itself into the ground rather than take off. It was flying in a USN Seasprite
(UH2 ?) was the cause of me ending up in a cornfield in Sicily. Just came off maintenance as well. I recall it was a gearbox chip detector followed by some horrible noises.
Fixed wing is the only way to fly.
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

You can not make a statement like that and not expand further Randy.. What happened?

Shot up chopper with a resultant tail rotor failure..

That's when I found out that when it's hurt bad enough - it's got the glide-ratio of a crowbar...

I'm still here though..
 
Re: solving peak hour

Jack......
Maybe you should'nt buzz the mother-in-law's house so much. eh?
I would have ceased operations after the second ditching.
 

Dave Bilyk

Dave Bilyk
Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

Clever guy, and brave.
I wouldn't risk that no matter how neat the mathematics:)
As a passenger I flew lots of helicopter trips when working in the North Sea. Each one a lesson in structural vibration and noise exposure. Once when returning onshore as the only passenger on a freight chopper, we had been about 2 minutes overland, when the thing dropped like a stone for a couple of seconds then abruptly recovered. The pilot had told me to keep the headphones on in case he needed to speak to me, he said 'I don't know what that was either, I'm going to land at the nearest airfield'. Engineers checked it over, then we were on our way again, I was keen to get a taxi from there but would miss my onward flight, so I thought I wouldn't let him die alone:worried:
That was the worst experience I had, but outlived my friend who sadly went down in a Viscount accident at Sumburgh.

On another note, my company, the Weir Pumps, developed Autogyros and Helicopters from the 30s through to 1950 when an accident killed the prototype 'Air Horse' project and the crew of two test pilots +1.

Dave
 
Re: solving peak hour

They have a treacherous reputation, but for me, hearing those UH-1's meant that help was on the way. It also was the best and safest exit from the operations theater...probably just a case of the best of bad situations. I never went down in one even after taking fire. Best damn helicopter ever made since she would fly if there was no damage to crital parts, even though we took a lot of rounds several times.
Garry
 

Pete McCluskey.

Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

The counter rotating props make for a very stable platform, but you are right if something goes wrong they don't glide to well.
Molleur, Big foot, I agree the Huey was one tough aircraft, my utmost respect for the blokes who flew them.
 

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Re: solving peak hour

The 'Gen-4'.... has four 2cyl 2stroke motors each driving the 'trans' via a centrifugal clutch & can remain airborne with one out of action.
Transmission has 20+ odd gears in it & 'Yaw' is controlled by an electric motor which controls the 'differential' within the trans that controls the RPM difference between the two contra-rotating shafts....

Never been in a chopper & having lost a very good friend when a main rotor blade departed company on an Ag Huey have no desire whatever to get in one..... one of those cases where the more you know the less you wish you did.....
 
Re: solving peak hour

Gary,
Mine were either insertions (1) or extractions(2)..No real injuries as each happened
not more than 20-30 feet off the ground. Still have some scars on my back from burning plastic as a reminder....
 

Brian Hamilton

I'm on the verge of touching myself inappropriatel
Re: solving peak hour

I wanted to get my, and still want to get my rotary wing license. There's LOTS of money flying helicopters in the private sector. Training will set you back $45,000 - $60,000 though. Think I'll have to wait a bit for that...
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

Brian,
I too had a similar wish and on leaving the R.A.F. I joined BA Helicopters on the North Sea. On the very very occasional VMC day where I could see blue sky I could see the jets passing overhead leaving contrails on their way to beautiful places with loads of beautiful people while my option was to be en route to the Ninian field with a load of 18 oilies in the back and instead of caviar, Smoked salmon and rare beef for lunch, I had a sandwich box with a spam sandwich (with pickle !). And the dosh was about one third of that of a jet jockey based in Heathrow, there were no lucrative allowances based in Aberdeen except extra central heating allowance in the winter, and every morning was a five o'clock report.

I saw the light very quickly.
 

Dave Bilyk

Dave Bilyk
Supporter
Re: solving peak hour

Wow Dave, I could have been one of the oilies:) on one of your flights, (although I mainly did Brent Field in the early, or should I say oily days). I can assure you that I was just as enamoured with it as you were. The lowest point was sometimes getting on an HS748 at 6am in -10deg frost, my knees up to my chest and waiting 20mins for the pilot.
Have to admit that one chopper flight I perversely enjoyed was once coming back for xmas, picking up passengers off a barge in what seemed like a 20 ft swell, a gale and a blizzard, the pilot watching the rise and fall of the barge, and decking it at just the crest of the rise. My admiration, what a cool operator.

Dave
 
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