A/W-95 Helicopter by A-B Helicopters

On Dec 8, 6:48 am, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
Richard Riley wrote:

Small helicopters are FAR harder to fly than large ones. I've had the
opportunity to fly a Blackhawk for a half hour or so, and have a dozen
hours in Robinson R-22's. The Robinsons are good trainers because if
you can fly one, you can fly any helo out there. It's like ballancing
a broom vrs. ballencing a pencil.

I would imagine a single place homebuilt would be much more difficult
to fly than a Robinson.

You are so right. I got to fly a 206 for about 30 minutes a year or so ago.
All of my previous helicopter flight had been in an R-22. With the exception
of some systems operations which is "book learning" stuff the 206 was much
eaiser to fly.

I'd expect the same but am told the somewhat more flimsy and
underpowered Rotorway ships are easier to hover than a Robbie.

Well...Have I got a surprise for you guys. A few years ago Dwight Junkin,
who is involved with the Mosquito, asked me if I wanted to try his Mosquito.
OK I'm helicopter rated, have hovered a UH-1, Safaris, Schweitzer 300CB,
Bell 47s, and a Brantly B2B, and tried to hover a R-22. Here was Dwights
Mosquito that weighs less than 300 #. I knew it was going to be skitterish
as hell and was scared spitless as I slowly raised the collective keeping
the rpm in the green. The little bugger came nicely off the ground and just
set there like a much much heavier helicopter. Withing 15 sec I was hover
taxiing the thing around the field. Having raced two stroke motorcycles I
wasn't inclined to go flying about though without accumulating more faith in
the engine. Bottom line? It was easier to hover than any other helicopter
I've tried with the exception of the Huey. People who have flown both the
R-22 and the Mosquito say the Mosquito is much easier to fly. Now I don't
have any experience or second hand info on the AW-95.
The Exec that I hovered felt very much like a Safari.

"JohnO" wrote in message
...
On Dec 8, 6:48 am, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
Richard Riley wrote:

Small helicopters are FAR harder to fly than large ones. I've had the
opportunity to fly a Blackhawk for a half hour or so, and have a dozen
hours in Robinson R-22's. The Robinsons are good trainers because if
you can fly one, you can fly any helo out there. It's like ballancing
a broom vrs. ballencing a pencil.

I would imagine a single place homebuilt would be much more difficult
to fly than a Robinson.

You are so right. I got to fly a 206 for about 30 minutes a year or so
ago.
All of my previous helicopter flight had been in an R-22. With the
exception
of some systems operations which is "book learning" stuff the 206 was
much
eaiser to fly.

I'd expect the same but am told the somewhat more flimsy and
underpowered Rotorway ships are easier to hover than a Robbie.

Stuart & Kathryn Fields wrote:

Well...Have I got a surprise for you guys. A few years ago Dwight Junkin,
who is involved with the Mosquito, asked me if I wanted to try his Mosquito.
OK I'm helicopter rated, have hovered a UH-1, Safaris, Schweitzer 300CB,
Bell 47s, and a Brantly B2B, and tried to hover a R-22. Here was Dwights
Mosquito that weighs less than 300 #. I knew it was going to be skitterish
as hell and was scared spitless as I slowly raised the collective keeping
the rpm in the green. The little bugger came nicely off the ground and just
set there like a much much heavier helicopter. Withing 15 sec I was hover
taxiing the thing around the field. Having raced two stroke motorcycles I
wasn't inclined to go flying about though without accumulating more faith in
the engine. Bottom line? It was easier to hover than any other helicopter
I've tried with the exception of the Huey. People who have flown both the
R-22 and the Mosquito say the Mosquito is much easier to fly. Now I don't
have any experience or second hand info on the AW-95.
The Exec that I hovered felt very much like a Safari.


Just a guess, Stuart, but what were the control forces and excursions
like on the Mosquito?

Richard

Richard: As I recall the control forces were fairly light but such that I
felt connected to the ship and control excursions required were not large
but generated response that seemed very appropriate. This seems to be
supported by the fact that several people have learned to fly the thing
without having any helicopter instruction. Something I sure don't
recommend.

"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...
Stuart & Kathryn Fields wrote:

Well...Have I got a surprise for you guys. A few years ago Dwight
Junkin, who is involved with the Mosquito, asked me if I wanted to try
his Mosquito. OK I'm helicopter rated, have hovered a UH-1, Safaris,
Schweitzer 300CB, Bell 47s, and a Brantly B2B, and tried to hover a R-22.
Here was Dwights Mosquito that weighs less than 300 #. I knew it was
going to be skitterish as hell and was scared spitless as I slowly raised
the collective keeping the rpm in the green. The little bugger came
nicely off the ground and just set there like a much much heavier
helicopter. Withing 15 sec I was hover taxiing the thing around the
field. Having raced two stroke motorcycles I wasn't inclined to go
flying about though without accumulating more faith in the engine.
Bottom line? It was easier to hover than any other helicopter I've tried
with the exception of the Huey. People who have flown both the R-22 and
the Mosquito say the Mosquito is much easier to fly. Now I don't have
any experience or second hand info on the AW-95.
The Exec that I hovered felt very much like a Safari.


Just a guess, Stuart, but what were the control forces and excursions like
on the Mosquito?

Richard

Stuart & Kathryn Fields wrote:

Richard: As I recall the control forces were fairly light but such that I
felt connected to the ship and control excursions required were not large
but generated response that seemed very appropriate. This seems to be
supported by the fact that several people have learned to fly the thing
without having any helicopter instruction. Something I sure don't
recommend.


Sounds like somebody got it right.


"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...

Stuart & Kathryn Fields wrote:


Well...Have I got a surprise for you guys. A few years ago Dwight
Junkin, who is involved with the Mosquito, asked me if I wanted to try
his Mosquito. OK I'm helicopter rated, have hovered a UH-1, Safaris,
Schweitzer 300CB, Bell 47s, and a Brantly B2B, and tried to hover a R-22.
Here was Dwights Mosquito that weighs less than 300 #. I knew it was
going to be skitterish as hell and was scared spitless as I slowly raised
the collective keeping the rpm in the green. The little bugger came
nicely off the ground and just set there like a much much heavier
helicopter. Withing 15 sec I was hover taxiing the thing around the
field. Having raced two stroke motorcycles I wasn't inclined to go
flying about though without accumulating more faith in the engine.
Bottom line? It was easier to hover than any other helicopter I've tried
with the exception of the Huey. People who have flown both the R-22 and
the Mosquito say the Mosquito is much easier to fly. Now I don't have
any experience or second hand info on the AW-95.
The Exec that I hovered felt very much like a Safari.


Just a guess, Stuart, but what were the control forces and excursions like
on the Mosquito?

Richard

"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message
...
Richard: As I recall the control forces were fairly light but such that I
felt connected to the ship and control excursions required were not large
but generated response that seemed very appropriate. This seems to be
supported by the fact that several people have learned to fly the thing
without having any helicopter instruction. Something I sure don't
recommend.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=232hX895nU0

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Capt: That video has been around for awhile. There were a bunch of
helicopter pilots looking at it a few years back and the consensus of
opinion was that the pilot probably had a brief flight with his instructor
the day before and the danged instructor never really let the guy have the
controls but was "On there with him" and the guy thought he was flying the
thing OK. This gave the guy the impression that it wasn't that hard so he
tried it by himself. Bad instruction technique. I had the same kind of
instruction in a Schweitzer 300CB at a fairly famous flight training school.
I never knew whether it was me or the instructor on the controls. Left
there and took training with Mike Zemlock in Chino. There was never any
doubt in my mind who just screwed up that maneuver.
"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote in message
news:Y7adnR53GqRVoMHanZ2dnUVZ_veinZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message
...
Richard: As I recall the control forces were fairly light but such that
I felt connected to the ship and control excursions required were not
large but generated response that seemed very appropriate. This seems to
be supported by the fact that several people have learned to fly the
thing without having any helicopter instruction. Something I sure don't
recommend.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=232hX895nU0

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote

People who have flown both the R-22 and the Mosquito say the Mosquito is
much easier to fly. Now I don't have any experience or second hand info
on the AW-95.

What do you think of the power output of the little Rotax in the 95? Is it
over taxing the engine, or is it going to be able to put out that much power
without reliability problems in the long run?

Whenever I see a 2 stroke in a Heli, it reminds me too much or an earlier
helicopter no longer in business (that shall go nameless) and it concerns
me.
--
Jim in NC

One of the problems with two strokes in helicopters is the need to be
running at or near full power. Then to practice an auto you chop the
throttle and if steps aren't taken, a seizure can result. I know one guy
who has added an enrichment device for just those times when he reduces
throttle after running at full chat for awhile. In my old motorcycle days I
had a compression release installed for those long down hills so that I kept
some fuel-oil mixture going thru and also I could avoid a fouled plug at the
bottom. With an sprag clutch and no real flywheel on a helicopter the
compression release would not work.
All that said I do know of a couple of guys flying the Ultrasport with the
two stroke engine and they seem to have over come some of the two stroke
problems.
Engine power requirements can be kind of estimated quickly using the old
10#/hp For adequate helicopter performance this rule of thumb gives some
indication of how much power is going to be needed. Whether the Rotax can
supply this for a period of time is a question better asked of people who
have used them in such an environment.
"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote

People who have flown both the R-22 and the Mosquito say the Mosquito is
much easier to fly. Now I don't have any experience or second hand info
on the AW-95.

What do you think of the power output of the little Rotax in the 95? Is
it over taxing the engine, or is it going to be able to put out that much
power without reliability problems in the long run?

Whenever I see a 2 stroke in a Heli, it reminds me too much or an earlier
helicopter no longer in business (that shall go nameless) and it concerns
me.
--
Jim in NC