I also trained in the R22 (though I haven't flown in quite a long time) and
would describe it much like electricity... dangerous stuff, but extremely
useful if you're cautious and treat it with respect. :-)

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 02:21:47 -0700, Alex Calder wrote:

And as people have mentioned, the reactions times are much less for
corrective action in the R22. In some flight regimes, you have one
second to get the collective down. If this reality makes you
uncomfortable, you will want to opt for another aircraft.

Interesting conversation at the airport the other day about power
failures. One of our well-known pilot examiners was telling a CFI
friend of mine that apparently the number of engine failures in the
R22 (barring carb ice and no-fuel situations) is basically negligible.
Anybody else have any stats to back this? It came up when somebody
made the traditional, "Give me a turbine over a piston any day..."
comment. I guess if you stack up turbine power losses over pistons
(specifically the R22), the Robbie actually shines...

One of my old instructors had to do a forced auto in an R22 fresh back from
the factory. The cause? A clutch belt broke. He said there was a loud
bang and he just went straight into the auto. No damage to the ship and
the factory shipped a new belt. I also caught a bad lower clutch bearing
on a pre-flight once [ The previous CFI - not mine - and his student had
said that the clutch light was flickering, but apparently that didn't bother
them. :-( Please see above comment about electricity. ]

My guess is that clutch problems are the biggest cause of loss of power in
the R22, after stupidity (fuel exhaustion) and negligence (carb ice).

--
J Dana Eckart, PhD, PP-RH, KA4EVL | People who think that life couldn't be
Virginia Bioinformatics Institute | better lack vision, and those who think
| it couldn't be worse lack imagination.