Kmax - Whats It Like To Work

[Heli-Ops]

How about our new Kmax members give us some feedback on what the Kmax is like to fly, work with, or work on. Its such a unique machine that feedback would be great.

 

There are only 26 of them out there so lets hear from the elite crews.

 

Heli Ops  :devil:

[Guest Leggo]

Never mind that, what's it like to crash one!

 

According to the NTSB website, since January 1998, 7 Kmaxes have crashed in the US.  The FAA website shows 23 registered, including 4 that crashed.  I imagine the other 3 were destroyed.

 

So, in about five and a half years, 7 out of 26 have crashed, over a quarter of the fleet.

 

During the same period, 92 R22's crashed.  There are now 1038 R22's registered, so that's under 9% of the fleet.  And that for a helicopter constantly reviled by self-proclaimed high-time experts as "a death trap", "a nasty little toy" etc., etc.

 

So, what the #$%& is going on with these Kmaxes?  Is it design deficiencies, or are they being flogged to death?

[Guest Leggo]

Correction: 8 out of 23.  When making my previous post I wasn't aware of the fatal accident of July 28th.

 

Randy Harmon RIP.

 

Some regular posters on this board knew Randy personally.  I didn't, but if my the harsh tone of my earlier post offended his memory, my sincere apologies.

 

However, I still stand behind the gist of that post.  From the preliminary NTSB report it looks like mechanical trouble again.  Is this machine designed sturdily enough for the hard use they're being put to?

[Heli-Ops]

Leggo - First off Randy was a good friend of mine and no offence is taken by the post.

 

Secondly nothing would have saved the aircraft after what happened. Cant explain any more until the report comes out but lets just say that the situation was completely out of Randys hands.

 

I know that some of the Kmax tech reps will probably reply to your posts.

 

Heli Ops

[Paddy]

I just had a look at the HAI preliminary accident reports and guess what ?? 79 accidents, 16 on R 22 and 5 on R 44.

I think we should not focus ourselves on the accident rate but try to be realist and share the informations in order to be safer. I am too young on the Max to say something now, but I like the machine and it is a very good logging tool.

Thanks for the forum, I think it will be helpful as more pilots will enter and discuss.

[KIWIMIKE]

THREE WERE DYNAMIC ROLLOVERS[TWO WERE AT KAMAN ]ONE WAS INADVERTANT SHUT OFF OF FUEL SWITCH.TWO WERE CLUTCH FAILURE .ONE WAS FUEL CONTROL FAILURE.THE LAST ONE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED.WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE TYPE OF WORK WE ARE USING THEM FOR THE RATE IS NOT BAD.TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MANY HUEYS AND SIXTY ONS HAVE HAD MISHAPS IN THE SAME TIME FRAME.

                                ''CHEERS'' . :cool:

[Guest Tim]

Of the crashes, 4 were from pilot error.  Also 130,000+ flight hours in that time.  That’s 16000 hours per accident including pilot error.  32000 not including those.  Put that up against anything out there

[VRef]

Leggo,

 

Your R22's don't haul 6000 lbs around at 8000' doing 2 minute turns on a 250' line for 8 to 10 hours a day...

 

...apples to apples there amigo... ::

[flingwing206]

Safety records to the side for a moment - I've got a real flying question about the KMax. Given the aerodynamics and physics of how yaw control is effected in this helicopter, what happens pedal-wise in autorotation?

[CJ Eliassen]

Leggo,

 

Your R22's don't haul 6000 lbs around at 8000' doing 2 minute turns on a 250' line for 8 to 10 hours a day...

 

...apples to apples there amigo... ::

Kmax can't haul two people.  LOL

[VRef]

No, they can haul four people...you just have to be brave enough to strap it on!