enstrom 28a

[thewanderer]

I owned an A model for 5 years. No problem with 2 people. In the winter I could fly with 3 people as long as they were about 125lbs or less. I now fly a C model. Yes the turbo makes a difference. But it is like anything else. You will get use to the A model and it will be fine. You just have to stay on top of the RPM. Great machines and fun to fly.

[Rich1]

"Full throttle to hover with two people to hover" ? Wow... My R44 Raven 1 has never been close to full throttle with two on board even in the hottest weather and full fuel...in moderate temps and two on board I have as much as 4-5" of manifold pressure remaining...

 

Full throttle to hover doesn't leave much margin for error...yikes!

[Astro]

I've never been at full throttle to hover either with 2 people at max gross in Phoenix in an R22.

[lvflyer]

Enstrom's are heavy so they modified with a turbo normalizer for 34" of manifold pressure. The older models without turbo are under powered. Max gross on Enstrom is much higher than a r22. I don't have any problems with my 280C.

[cbx1000]

now im gettin worried .too many people goin for the turbo on here and elsewhere.these forums are good for trashing out these questions.the easy answer is buy r44 250k leave it in the hangar till sat or sunday and fly .but for the not so rich guy this is not goin to happen .. an 80 to 100k .enstrom in the hangar till sunday alot of people can live with that .no matter how clean the non turbo machine is .itlooks like its pointing to the turbo especially for a low hrs guy .an other thing i see is r44 s advertised something like .r44 2004 with 1900hrs 100k odd or what ever.by the time you have its 12 yr done your nearly 300k .or run out astro 65 k same for it and i dont think you can start with an astro and get 12y any less than raven 1.300 k again.

[lvflyer]

Well I'm only putting about 20 hours a year on my Enstrom 280C. I bought it with about half life left on the components. At that low rate if I take into account the cost of replacing the time limited components and that I do a lot of the work myself with supervision I figure it costs me about $300 per hour for maintenance. That would be a lot lower per hour if I flew more since the Lamiflex bearings begin to expire once you open the package in 5 years. Those cost about $7000 to replace. So that right there is $70 per hour for me. That doesn't consider the fact when I replace the transmission and engine or any other part the value should increase. With that in mind the hourly cost is really only fuel in a perfect world. Still an Enstrom is a lot cheaper than renting and the least expensive to privately own if not owning for commercial purposes. You will just have to fly a non turbo model to see if it is right for you. Oh and there there has only been one fatal accident from a catastrophic failure in an Enstrom not due to pilot error and that accident was caused by fatigue cracks in an experimental registered model used by a police department with over 15,000 hours. Two winters ago a spindle cracked which initiated a world wide AD to have all spindles checked. By far the safest helicopter out there.

[Guest pokey]

Oh and there there has only been one fatal accident from a catastrophic failure in an Enstrom not due to pilot error and that accident was caused by fatigue cracks in an experimental registered model used by a police department with over 15,000 hours. Two winters ago a spindle cracked which initiated a world wide AD to have all spindles checked. By far the safest helicopter out there.

 

i do remember that accident, in which the AD was initiated, there was a topic on here about it also. However? i didn't know it was in the "experimental" category. Please explain, and/or post the link?

 

i have heard of some trying to run "timed out components" in the "experimental" category,,, i have only found no evidence to back this up if it is possible or not (been a&p/ IA since Fred courted WIlma, and Dino was a puppy) altho? i have been approached with this scenario a few times by cheepskate owners----(all private) and said "i can't help you" However? a certificated aircraft, can be put in the "experimental" category to temporarily 'experiment' with a new modification.

 

i am interested in why the police did this modification.

[lvflyer]

I remember at the time that I researched the N number and discovered the hours and experimental type certificate in the history documents. I don't remember where at this time, but there was a discussion on Facebook in one of the groups. We postulated the reason for the experimental was the addition of devices like FLIR and Spotlights, etc. It was probably flown over gross on multiple occasions if not all the time. It was sold to a school in Colorado, if I recall correctly. Mine had 6700 hours on them and 2 of them did show slight cracks and Lamiflex bushing wear. The previous mechanic obviously wasn't as great as everyone says he is. I replaced them with serviceable ones.

[cbx1000]

lvflyer you others have me convinced to look at the turbo.theres a few for sale on the net.looks as though the turbo gives you that extra peace of mind that combined with the safety leaves it the best choice for the low hrs private owner .theres more of a choice in the us europe dosent seem to have many for sale.anything i should watch out for

[lvflyer]

Thoroughly check all ADs and SDs are complied with and if any SBs have been considered. They can be found at http://enstromhelicopter.com/support/technical-support/. The turbo takes a little bit getting use to because you can easily over boost. They didn't want to have a waste gate that would take away any extra power you would need in an emergency. Remember don't let the red line on the gauge kill you. I found on mine that if there isn't a mechanic around that is familiar with the Enstrom you are better off getting the manuals and learning yourself then be supervised by a mechanic. Chances are you will know more than them. I found many around the world that are quick to help with any questions you may have about flight or maintenance. Don't be concerned about slight bounce on takeoff. The oleos on the struts remove a lot of that when not fully extended, but if not filled correctly or rotors need tracked and balanced it will be an uncomfortable dance and noticeable bump in flight. The dampers need occasional bleeding of air for optimum smoothness as well. Three heavy blades give lots of inertia, but can be hard to get turning if you get below the power curve. On initial engagement she'll rock and roll a bit till the centrifugal force balances the blades also. I find my GEM engine analyzer is a must have for proper leaning, oh yes Enstroms are designed to be leaned contrary to Robinsons. Remember you were told never touch the mixture in a helicopter? Enstroms demand it for full power.

[cbx1000]

over to the usa to a school that has both turbo and non turbo models .from that we will see the difference and how each handles.you ve been helpfull lvflyer.ill take some time while over there to look at some machines for sale.then will be back for some names of experienced enstrom engineers to do a pre purchase inspection.very important for any purchase .