Thread: Ultralight helicopters

Originally Posted by Greatsouthernland

Yep. Only one chance at a save by auto-rotation if engine fails in a chopper, and you need altitude on your side.

Fixed wing - you can extend the glide (a bit if battery power for flaps) or side slip to make changes in forced landing location.

Gyro copter would be awesome fun in my opinion

Pretty sure you only get one chance at a forced landing in a plane too, and you are going a hell of a lot fast when you meet the ground. Unless you have a Cirrus

Having hung around choppers a bit now, I think engine failure is not even nearly the only thing you should be concerned about, at least the thing is still very controllable. There are so many moving bits, all going in 5 million different directions, many of them, if they fail, will render it uncontrollable.

There's a guy down here I know just flew a brand new gyro down from Newcastle. It's kinda cool looking, has an enclosed canopy, little twin tail thing out back. Has a little belt drive to get the blades started up, it taxis out with them stopped. He loves it. It's cool, not sure I would get in it though

Last I heard (about 2008), they were considering adding some rotary wings to the rec reg/rec licence list, but I haven't heard anymore.

I, too are very keen to get one!

Originally Posted by BigBlackDog

Pretty sure you only get one chance at a forced landing in a plane too, and you are going a hell of a lot fast when you meet the ground. Unless you have a Cirrus

h

Read my post again if you like as you've misinterpreted. Of course you only get one go but with a light aeroplane (depending on a few inputs already made) you have a lot more flexibility with point of touch down than auto-rotating a plummeting chopper. Forced landings in a Cessna I have practiced, but only know the theory for the chopper.

Are you sure about which one's faster? I'm not...

(considering the corresponding vectors of each aircraft, during a forced landing, with a bit of open space, I'd choose the fixed wing)

Bloke I knew with an Auster got so much practice with 'unscheduled destinations' that he became comfortable with the Very High & Shrt Final style of landing... you just don't get that level of training these days.


Auster:- One of these...[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JF8ilgj3d0]Auster J1B - YouTube[/ame]

Originally Posted by Greatsouthernland

Read my post again if you like as you've misinterpreted. Of course you only get one go but with a light aeroplane (depending on a few inputs already made) you have a lot more flexibility with point of touch down than auto-rotating a plummeting chopper. Forced landings in a Cessna I have practiced, but only know the theory for the chopper.

Are you sure about which one's faster? I'm not...

(considering the corresponding vectors of each aircraft, during a forced landing, with a bit of open space, I'd choose the fixed wing)

Sorry, sure. You would be surprised how much control a chopper will allow though. Yes the chopper get to the ground a hell of a lot quicker, but, done right, touchdown should be close to zero speed. If you get it right no damage done, can do it into a very small spot. Before you say, I will qualify that by also agreeing that it is a lot easier to forced land a plane. Even a Cessna is still doing 30 knots when it touches down.
Confined areas or trees? Helicopter. Open areas, beaches etc: aeroplane. Preference - 2 turbine engines in either admitted this has nothing to do with the OP too.

To be truthful to the OP - an ultralight plane will be a safer than an ultralight helo.

My trail bike of the skies

Originally Posted by BigBlackDog

Sorry, sure. You would be surprised how much control a chopper will allow though. Yes the chopper get to the ground a hell of a lot quicker, but, done right, touchdown should be close to zero speed. If you get it right no damage done, can do it into a very small spot. Before you say, I will qualify that by also agreeing that it is a lot easier to forced land a plane. Even a Cessna is still doing 30 knots when it touches down.
Confined areas or trees? Helicopter. Open areas, beaches etc: aeroplane. Preference - 2 turbine engines in either admitted this has nothing to do with the OP too.

To be truthful to the OP - an ultralight plane will be a safer than an ultralight helo.

all good BBD.

Originally Posted by Greatsouthernland

but with a light aeroplane (depending on a few inputs already made) you have a lot more flexibility with point of touch down than auto-rotating a plummeting chopper. Forced landings in a Cessna I have practiced, but only know the theory for the chopper.


(considering the corresponding vectors of each aircraft, during a forced landing, with a bit of open space, I'd choose the fixed wing)

Personal opinion of course, having practiced plenty of autos in an R22 many with full touch down, some in between and avoiding trees, which was where ever my CFI decided to pull a surprise simulated auto. I would go for a helicopter for forced landing, I have the opinion you have more flexibility with point of touch down in a chopper, sure you get more distance out of your glide in a plank but you hit the ground with more speed and anything in your way will do it's best to wash off that inertia, with a helicopter you can touch down with little or virtually zero groundspeed. Autos are even slower in high inertia rotor helicopters.
Was the theory behind the choppers from fixed wing instructors? the reason I ask is because there is always the banter between plank and rotary pilots/instructors about which is better. There is a common misconception that helicopters plummet out of the sky with an engine failure, I can assure you they too can glide, even backwards, which my instructor demonstrated to me once.
We can agree to disagree on this one