antiguogrumete Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 Heli Acrobatic Team 2013 (los Llanos) June 2013 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomad110 Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Is there anything special about the EC-120 rotor's system that make these kinds of low G maneuvers possible over the StarFlex of the AStar and EC-130? I have never seen any acrobatics done in an AStar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helipilotm Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Is there anything special about the EC-120 rotor's system that make these kinds of low G maneuvers possible over the StarFlex of the AStar and EC-130? I have never seen any acrobatics done in an AStar. There not doing anything you couldn't do an a130 or Astar... Exact same rotor system in all 3. I wouldn't do it in any of them. There just keeping enough G's to not have it go bad. Pretty ballsy and actually stupid if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomad110 Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Exact same rotor system in all 3. Every ounce of training I've had in the EC-130 has said to avoid low G maneuvers like the plague. But the EC-120s rotor head is very different from the EC-130 and Astar so I'm a little confused by your comment. I don't know anything about the EC-120 except that I've heard from Eurocopter mechanics that they think it's cheap. I just don't understand what gives these aerobatic pilots comfort about that rotor system. Of course I say this and you can find all sorts of R-22 helicopter show acts. I'm sure those pilots, who are far more skilled then I, know how to make these maneuvers in a way that never unloads the rotor head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helipilotm Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Every ounce of training I've had in the EC-130 has said to avoid low G maneuvers like the plague. But the EC-120s rotor head is very different from the EC-130 and Astar so I'm a little confused by your comment. I don't know anything about the EC-120 except that I've heard from Eurocopter mechanics that they think it's cheap. I just don't understand what gives these aerobatic pilots comfort about that rotor system. Of course I say this and you can find all sorts of R-22 helicopter show acts. I'm sure those pilots, who are far more skilled then I, know how to make these maneuvers in a way that never unloads the rotor head. I've never heard or read that about the 130. I do have around 1500 hours in them. Not saying it's not true. I guess I should have said the 120, 130 and astar have similar rotor heads. I would agree with your statement it is cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomad110 Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 I've never heard or read that about the 130.I know it's not in the RFM like a Robinson product probably because it isn't that crucial. Instructors have told me more then once that the Astar rotor head doesn't do great unloaded. Perhaps they were being general but I'm not about to test the theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helipilotm Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 I know it's not in the RFM like a Robinson product probably because it isn't that crucial. Instructors have told me more then once that the Astar rotor head doesn't do great unloaded. Perhaps they were being general but I'm not about to test the theory.I've heard the exact opposite... And I didn't test it out either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 (edited) I suspect a lot of bias against the Starflex design is actually related to the control assist (hydraulic) system. Nothing ruins a fully developed hot-dog session like servo-transparency at a tense moment. I would bet that the Starflex itself does pretty well in limited aerobatics.I wouldn't do aerobatics in a 120, 130, or a 350 because they're all wet-sump lube and aren't designed to reliably deliver fuel in negative G. Chuck Aaron modified the 105s he flies to, among other things, deliver liquids in low and negative G. If those are issues that a pilot of his capability considers important... Edited June 26, 2013 by Wally 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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