Check Collective??

[NeverQuestionMe]

I am looking for further input on a subject that has recently been discussed on the Helicopter Flight Training - School Reviews forums.

 

I would greatly appreciate any input on this matter, since it is an important issue for any pilot. There is a vast amout of knowledge and experience on this forum that could be benefitial to this subject.

 

http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.c...showtopic=11872

 

Thanks.

[v15x]

What is your question? That treat is confused, without focus, and pretty much unreadable.

[r22butters]

Have your instructor take you up to around 2000' or so, so you can practice the autorotative glide. Once you learn how different inputs from each control effects rotor RPM, you can decide for yourself when to use the collective.

 

If you get the chance, go down to the Robinson Pilot Safety Course in Torrance, CA. They will show you some pretty cool things in the auto.

[helonorth]

Have your instructor take you up to around 2000' or so, so you can practice the autorotative glide. Once you learn how different inputs from each control effects rotor RPM, you can decide for yourself when to use the collective.

 

If you get the chance, go down to the Robinson Pilot Safety Course in Torrance, CA. They will show you some pretty cool things in the auto.

Practicing the glide is a good idea. But checking the collective is to prevent an overspeed, which as far as I know, pretty much only happens during the flair. I dont think you can duplicate it at altitude. It can climb during the decent, but the critical part is not to let it wind

up during the flare. That's when the damage occurs.

Edited September 6, 2009 by helonorth

[Goldy]

Practicing the glide is a good idea. But checking the collective is to prevent an overspeed, which as far as I know, pretty much only happens during the flair.

 

 

Oh no, you can overspeed at any time, just varies from ship to ship. Sneeze in an R22 with the collective full down and you will overspeed. Tougher in an R44, but still easy to overspeed in the glide if you dont raise collective slightly. The B47 is pretty tough, no matter what you do the RPM just sorta sits there!

 

Remember also, that every ship is different, weights, DA, pitch link adjustments, it will all change the ship characteristics in an auto.

 

Goldy

[helonorth]

I realize you can overspeed at any time. I guess I'm refering to high overspeeds that will require maintenance. As I have said, little to no Robinson time, but all the Robinson overspeeds ive seen that required maintenance were during the flare.

[r22butters]

The point I've been trying to make, is that the original poster must learn the "why" behind rotor RPM movement in an auto. If you just tell him "yes, check the collective", without him understanding what is really happening, he could get himself into trouble one day.

 

If the RPM is low just before the flare, and he automatically "checks the collective", it will remain low in the flare, then when he levels out, the RPM will go down even quicker.

 

You can still practice a flare at altitude. I did it at Robinson.

[helonorth]

The "why" is because the RPM is too high (or worse, low). I'd like to think that an instructor would not say "check the collective" unless they talked about it earlier. Maybe RRPM would be better. That's what I did. This is already getting goofy.

Edited September 7, 2009 by helonorth

[r22butters]

Anytime you increase the angle of attack on the rotor system in an auto you need to "check the collective", not always to prevent an overspeed, but sometimes to just keep the RPM where it is. Before turning in a 180, or trying to bleed off some airspeed, you raise the collective slightly just to keep the RPM at the top of the green.

 

After a while you just learn to preceed any cyclic input with collective, however, all of this probably won't help, I believe the original poster is actually a student pilot, so all of these posts are probably just overloading him. I'm sure he has enough to worry about.

 

The best advise any of us could probably give him, is to just "follow the needle with the collective". Save the more advanced stuff for later. I didn't really understand any of this until long after my Private checkride.

 

You are right though, this is getting pretty goofy!