XXX Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Saw this today and wanted to share with you guys. I drove past then saw the dual rotors and had to get a pic. Anyone else have any pics of unusual AC? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N6758N Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 You mean like this? The company I used to work for in Vegas had a few of these birds used for heavy lift type operations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 It's a KMax by Kaman. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 I've spent a fair amount of time watching examples of those haul and dump water buckets on forest fires. Very cool to watch. When I was a kid my step-dad was stationed at Bergstrom AFB, TX, (which is the Austin airport now), and they had some of these flying around at the time: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMuncy Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 I hope they have a fool-proof method of keeping those rotors in sync. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamont337 Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Just saw an article that they are now back in production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Here is a video of one. At about half way through you can see how the counter rotating blades mesh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 30 minutes ago, DonMuncy said: I hope they have a fool-proof method of keeping those rotors in sync. I agree, but it's not really hugely different from the venerable CH53, except they are closer together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX Posted May 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 34 minutes ago, DonMuncy said: I hope they have a fool-proof method of keeping those rotors in sync. My thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX Posted May 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 34 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said: Here is a video of one. At about half way through you can see how the counter rotating blades mesh. Excellent video, thanks for posting. That is one awesome machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMuncy Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 That almost gives me vertigo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLCarter Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, DonMuncy said: I hope they have a fool-proof method of keeping those rotors in sync. No worries, they will only get out of sync once Edited May 25, 2017 by RLCarter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takair Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 It has something in common with our Mooneys. Look at the gear...pucks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piloto Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 Just can't imagine loosing a blade on that contraption. José Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyK Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 I would think losing a main rotor blade on any heli would be a terminal event. I watched the video and was confused as soon as they started turning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1964-M20E Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 When the rotors were spinning it made my head spin. Just weird looking. All your power is used for lift and not wasted on the anti torque force provided by the tail rotor. Helicopters are complex machines with many moving parts I'm not sure if this configuration helps or hurts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 47 minutes ago, 1964-M20E said: Helicopters are complex machines with many moving parts I'm not sure if this configuration helps or hurts. I think it allows a lot of power to be put into lifting with a smaller helicopter. The elimination of the tail rotor is a safety feature when operating in close quarters (like dipping for firefighing, etc.). Seems to solve some problems. The HH-43 Huskies were around in the 1950s, so it's not a new design. I seem to remember them being described as two helicopters flying in close formation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 1 hour ago, 1964-M20E said: Helicopters are complex machines with many moving parts I'm not sure if this configuration helps or hurts. I've seen them described as a collection of spare parts rotating around an oil leak . . . . But this configuration appears to work, as long as timing holds up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX Posted May 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 The Huskie has that same warning on the side, "warning approach from front". I wonder what that is about? I think I'll get some T-shirts made with that warning on the back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Smasher Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 It's a heavy lifter. There is a lumber company that uses the Kmax for helicopter logging in Oregon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 There is some inefficiency built in... 1) the counterrotating blades have some torque cancelling advantage. The cost is in the fact that, the rotors are tilted a bit away from each other to clear each other's hub. So not all 100% of the power goes into lift... 2) the 'approach from the front' advice probably comes from a warning that you will get hit by the blade as it comes closer to the ground than a typical horizontal blade. 3) There is some mechanical timing involved. It probably requires breaking a gear tooth to lose the timing. 4) the single turbine engine must have a really interesting complex gearbox. I really like the useful load characteristic. If the Mooney could lift like that, the fuel doesn't get included with the payload. And the payload was nearly the same as the Aircraft fully fueled... Best regards, -a- 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 18 hours ago, Chupacabra said: The Huskie has that same warning on the side, "warning approach from front". I wonder what that is about? I think I'll get some T-shirts made with that warning on the back. Pretty sure that's just to keep you from getting your noggin thumped by a rotor blade. This is kind of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Too much gas, short legs, funny sounds. Dad flew big ones when I was little, always preferred the snazzy jets and old warbirds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 35 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said: I have loved absolutely all kinds of winged aircraft and flying since I can remember, but helicopters do absolutely nothing for me. It's actually a little surprising to me but that is how I feel. Does anyone else here feel that way? Jim Depends where you live. Here in Los Angeles an hour in a heli can get you all over the city - at very low altitudes with full forward visibility though a bubble canopy. You can even land in the Santa Monica mountains on a hilltop and shut down. Minimum altitudes don't REALLY apply and VFR restrictions are lower than fixed wing. Flying lower gives you a much greater sensation of speed too. Once flew up to Santa Barbara with my instructor at 20 feet AGL. Not sure it was legal, but he was Italian so it doesn't matter. Did I mention you can also fly backwards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonal Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Did I mention you can also fly backwards? I owned a Cessna 150 so nothing special about being able to fly backwards 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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