Quick Stop in helos

[Guest ruckerstud]

For the non-huey folks out there, when you have to stop in hurry, does the rotor overspeed? If so, what can you do about it? In the N model, we can crack the throttles, but what do you do when the throttles are overhead? Thanks

[Guest Roswell]

Anything with EECU's (engine computers) ie GE-700's-701c's will automagically chop throttles for you. Huey's and Jet rangers have to do it manually. But...if your rotor does want to overspeed and you can't manipulate the throttles manually, you have to pull pitch and control Nr. Period. You may have to take it around for another pass, but it beats blowing the rotor head apart. Even with the 700's the Cobra has, I still have to pull a little pitch in right autos to keep Nr in check.

[Murph]

ruckerstud,

I noticed you don't take PMs (or I just suck at computers). I'm looking for a buddy of mine from Vance who went through rucker not too long ago. If you don't mind, e-mail me so I can catch up with this ruffian.

[ 30. March 2006, 20:44: Message edited by: Murph ]

[Guest ruckerstud]

Murph,

Problem solved, PM me, I'll pass on what I know.

[busdriver]

cracking throttles in the N model is in my opinion the result of a poor governor. If the rotor spins away from the engines in the 60, the engines will just idle for you. The setup is such that the 701 aircraft respond very well to collective inputs and they spin up fast, the 700 birds require a bit of a "wakeup" meaning you give a little collective pull before you actually need it to get the motors spinning.

[Guest rotorhead]

Decent rotorheads don't have much of an issue here. The semirigid Huey had some tail rotor drive weaknesses, and have a VERY narrow NR tolerance (the UH-1H was limited to less than 105%). (By the way, the H never needed "throttle cracking" to the extent of the N). We very routinely see 108% during auto training in the hawk. The first (of three) rotor overspeed lights don't illuminate until 127%. You can't get there unless you are doing something yet to be invented. If you plan the approach at all, you're not going to get higher than a little over 100. Again, properly planned, you should keep the head loaded. You shouldn't need to make that quick of an approach except in combat....also reinforces why hawks fly in pairs...the lead bird is approx 0.5- 0.7 ahead, marks the LZ visually/aurally, and the pickup bird has no issue at all with NR.

[Guest croftfam]

what rotorhead said.

[Guest ruckerstud]

Ok, so basically, the throttles still get cracked, it's just that the computer does it for you. Is this a correct, if over simplified statement? And for Roswell, since it sounds like you fly W model Cobras, are the throttles still on the collective like in other Hueys or are they overhead too? Thanks for satisfying (possible STS) my curiousity.

[Guest SuperStallionIP]

Originally posted by ruckerstud:

For the non-huey folks out there, when you have to stop in hurry, does the rotor overspeed? If so, what can you do about it? In the N model, we can crack the throttles, but what do you do when the throttles are overhead? Thanks

For a quick stop in the 53E, the turns will come up some on a quick stop but not like in a flare during a practice autorotation. You just need to scan the Nr tape gauge to make sure it does not go above 110, because there is only 1 tick mark between 110 and 120 but overspeed is 118 and above. It's never an issue with the aircraft that taxi fast at flat pitch because their auto turns are low due to the blades taking a bite of air at flat pitch. We basically have the same speed control lever (SCL) quadrant set up as the H-60 does. Go figure, a Sikorsky product.

[Guest ruckerstud]

So, the other thing I have gathered is that rotor overspeed isn't as big a deal in non-Huey airframes. In the N model the light goes on at 103 and we are oversped at 105, which is a very real possiblity in an auto and can happen in a quick stop.

[HeloDude]

I remember the first time (and so far only time) I overspeed the rotor on the N model. It was on my second ride during initial qual and my IP said 'Don't worry, there are those who have and those who will'.

With high DA, especially at Kirtland, it's not a hard thing to do. And I never met anyone who doesn't crack the throttles, even your most experienced IP's, when flying tac.