Frank Robinson Tables of Stone.JPG (22.82 KiB) Viewed 2160 times
Maybe the mandatory wearing of a parachute like you mention would be one way to avoid the 9000 feet operating limitation?
Rather than continue this in the Pointless thread......Fire risk was the main reason we wore parachutes above 3000ft in the Wessex. The transmission castings, forgings, stringers and sheet metal fuselage were all magnesium. Apart from a magnesium fire imitating Fireworks Night, if you ditched when not on fire and didn't recover the helicopter quickly the sea water would start to react with the magnesium, hence why a recovered ditched Wessex was liberally hosed with fresh water in a faint attempt to minimise corrosion.
Re: Helicopter Altitude and Parachutes
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:21 pm
by TheGreenAnger
Thanks for setting up an appropriate thread C16.
Magnesium burns like crazy so I can see why the need to expedite a departure from the aircraft at altitude might have been appropriate.
The R44 had a bad reputation with particularly post crash due to the lack of bladders in the fuel tanks. This deficiency has been rectified in newer models.
Re: Helicopter Altitude and Parachutes
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2022 12:42 pm
by TheGreenAnger
Pilot Delsalle makes this very difficult and dangerous high altitude flight, look easy.
Re: Helicopter Altitude and Parachutes
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2022 4:05 pm
by CharlieOneSix
During basic flying training one exercise with an instructor was for a looong climb to 10,000ft in a piston engined Whirlwind (packed lunch and refreshments provided! ) for a demonstration of retreating blade stall at altitude. Once complete a Cornish field was chosen to autorotate into....and with about 6 or 7 minutes to get it sorted I managed to miss the field!
During basic flying training one exercise with an instructor was for a looong climb to 10,000ft in a piston engined Whirlwind (packed lunch and refreshments provided! ) for a demonstration of retreating blade stall at altitude. Once complete a Cornish field was chosen to autorotate into....and with about 6 or 7 minutes to get it sorted I managed to miss the field!
More altitude, more possible embarrassment!
I imagine that a retreating blade stall is not benign at all, even in a 3 bladed Whirlwind with a fully articulated rotorhead. A retreating blade stall in the teetering rotor Robinson R44 would most likely be disastrous probably resulting in mast bumping or blade slapping/boom chopping, with an expedited return from altitude to a smoking hole back on terra firma! The added altitude would give one enough time to consider one's misbegotten life even as one headed for the target field with the unerring accuracy of a lawn dart!
20 years ago - surely not! Tempus fugit and all that.
Re: Helicopter Altitude and Parachutes
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2022 7:41 pm
by FD2
That Whirlwind height climb was one of the most uncomfortable ones - it felt like we we sitting on the top of a pin, wobbling around. My Aussie instructor wasn't impressed by my efforts to get to the threshold of the duty runway but we made the other end, just.
particularly post crash due to the lack of bladders in the fuel tanks. This deficiency has been rectified in newer models.
) for a demonstration of retreating blade stall at altitude. Once complete a Cornish field was chosen to autorotate into....and with about 6 or 7 minutes to get it sorted I managed to miss the field! 
