George wrote in news:5ycUh.4182$H_5.2932
@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net:

Is this one of a point of departure or a point of impact? I can't tell.

http://airforce.ru/photogallery/gall...i-8t/index.htm

George


I have to admit, Hans' answer has a lot going for it... ;-)

But I have to say this is very likely a fast liftoff. The rotor
blades are showing greater pitch at the back of the rotor disk, towards the
tail, which is forward cyclic control. Plus there's a lot of debris in the
air, which is less likely to be seen should he be plunging into the ground,
since the rotor downwash would be catching up from behind.

And then, there's the idea that the photographer would probably have
a complete sequence of the crash photos, or would not even have gotten this
one because he was scrambling for cover ;-)

So I'm inclined to say this was a running takeoff, transitioning into
forward motion even before pulling enough collective to lift off.
Potentially he's heavily loaded, and trying to gain some transitional lift
from forward motion since full hovering takeoffs require more power.



- Al.

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