Stealth Helicopters

Message
Author
User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Stealth Helicopters

#1 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:15 am

In my meanderings around French helicopters I came across the Eurocopter EC130 which is accounted to be one of the quietest helicopters on the civil register...

Which subject got me onto asking what were the quietest of the military helicopters and there is some interesting material around that question.

One such type as the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse

The Quiet One - Air America Story
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#2 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:17 am

Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

fareastdriver
Snr FO
Snr FO
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:41 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#3 Post by fareastdriver » Fri Jul 03, 2020 6:39 pm

The quietest helicopters going are those that are AOG.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#4 Post by Pontius Navigator » Fri Jul 03, 2020 7:10 pm

Anyone remember Blue Thunder and its stealth mode?

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#5 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:28 am

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Fri Jul 03, 2020 7:10 pm
Anyone remember Blue Thunder and its stealth mode?
So stealthy that it passed me by completely.

This example was so expensive (some 6 billions dollars were wazzed against the wall) and ineptly project managed, that the programme was canned!

Boeing-Sikorsky Commanche

Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8242
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#6 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:58 am

AirWolf was pretty quiet.
You couldn't hear it over the music when it flew.

PP

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#7 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:05 am

PHXPhlyer wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:58 am
AirWolf was pretty quiet.
You couldn't hear it over the music when it flew.

PP
:)

Poor old Jan-Michael Vincent, just as well that Airwolf was such smart technology, it is rumoured the Vincent acted in some of the episodes in the series, often totally gaffed out of his mind.
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#8 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:39 am

TGG, in case you didn't look it up:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Th ... elicopter)

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#9 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:32 am

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:39 am
TGG, in case you didn't look it up:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Th ... elicopter)
Thanks for the link Pontius, I had guessed it was a film but hadn't looked it up. Interesting to read how they mocked up their aircraft.
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#10 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:37 am

Also interesting how real life follows fiction. In the film they would go into whisper mode and peak into bedroom windows. A police helicopter, a couple of years ago, Yorkshire I think, was used for voyeuristic purposes spying on back gardens.
A former police officer who used a helicopter to film people having sex and sunbathing naked has been jailed for a year.

A judge at Sheffield Crown Court sentenced Adrian Pogmore after he used a South Yorkshire Police helicopter to spy on people in their gardens.

Footage shot by the “sex-obessed” former officer included graphic scenes of a couple having sex in a range of positions on their suburban patio.
independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/helicopter-sex-videos-film-naked-sunbathers-south-yorkshire-police-officer-jailed-guilty-adrian-a7882191.html

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#11 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:48 am

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:37 am
Also interesting how real life follows fiction. In the film they would go into whisper mode and peak into bedroom windows. A police helicopter, a couple of years ago, Yorkshire I think, was used for voyeuristic purposes spying on back gardens.
A former police officer who used a helicopter to film people having sex and sunbathing naked has been jailed for a year.

A judge at Sheffield Crown Court sentenced Adrian Pogmore after he used a South Yorkshire Police helicopter to spy on people in their gardens.

Footage shot by the “sex-obessed” former officer included graphic scenes of a couple having sex in a range of positions on their suburban patio.

Back in the the early 80's when TGG 'were but a lad', the ladies in the Tugwell university residence (Capetonian will probably remember it, colloquially known as Tampax Towers because of its shape) used to sun bath nude on the roof, and the helicopter training flights from the Ysterplaat air force base, decided to use Tugwell as a designated turning point on their training sorties. So popular had the building become that even Impala light jets got in on the act and the neighbours complained about the noise and the reason for the ad hoc VRP became apparent and an order came down from high, as did the nude women, and peace settled once more upon the neigbourhood!
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#12 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:03 pm

When inspecting 11kv power lines at about 40 ft AGL we would occasionally follow a line up rising ground and find a steamed up and rocking car just over the brow of the hill. They never heard us coming. A hand sometimes appeared and wiped a window as we passed by....
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7594
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#13 Post by G-CPTN » Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:13 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:03 pm
They never heard us coming.
Nor you them?

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#14 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:45 am

G-CPTN wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:13 pm
CharlieOneSix wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:03 pm
They never heard us coming.
Nor you them?
At the helicopter's awesome coming, some came running, while others ran coming!
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#15 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:52 am

Not Rotary but stealth, one pitch black night in the western Med, we were investigating a small radar contact, a Riser in the trade, and at one and a half miles we struck the searchlight. No ideas what the yacht crew thought. I think they may all have been below just running on automatic pilot.

As it happens other things were afoot too and we started dropping flame markers followed by noise generators. No ideas what the yacht crew thought in the middle of a Brocks benefit (Brocks made the noise generators).

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#16 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:32 am

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:52 am
Not Rotary but stealth, one pitch black night in the western Med, we were investigating a small radar contact, a Riser in the trade, and at one and a half miles we struck the searchlight. No ideas what the yacht crew thought. I think they may all have been below just running on automatic pilot.

As it happens other things were afoot too and we started dropping flame markers followed by noise generators. No ideas what the yacht crew thought in the middle of a Brocks benefit (Brocks made the noise generators).

Brocks, as in the fireworks manufacturer?
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#17 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:45 am

TGG. That's the one. They had a joint contract with Hunting, they complained Hunting had stitched them up.

Hunting got paid on delivery of the body to Bricks. Brocks filled it but only got paid when the whole thing was proved to work even though the Hunting bit was as likely to be the failure cause.

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#18 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jul 05, 2020 11:24 am

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:45 am
TGG. That's the one. They had a joint contract with Hunting, they complained Hunting had stitched them up.

Hunting got paid on delivery of the body to Bricks. Brocks filled it but only got paid when the whole thing was proved to work even though the Hunting bit was as likely to be the failure cause.
Probably still a good deal for Brocks despite the Hunting contingency. I wrote a Materials Requirements Planning program for another fireworks manufacturer in RPGII for the IBM System 36 many years ago. Almost the whole of their annual production cycle was focused on the 5th of November. Very odd business. Having a good contract with the MOD etc. would have been manna from heaven for them.
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

User avatar
TheGreenGoblin
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17596
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 pm
Location: With the Water People near Trappist-1

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#19 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jul 05, 2020 11:48 am



The Black Hornet maa bonnie lad...
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7594
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Stealth Helicopters

#20 Post by G-CPTN » Sun Jul 05, 2020 12:03 pm

Impressive!

Post Reply