Anybody See 60 Miuntes?

See it? Heck, I was on it!

I assume you're associated with Airscooter? I'm with Trek Aerospace. Glad to
share the air time with you.


John‰] wrote:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in688454.shtml

http://www.airscooter.com/

I noticed that they didn't say anything about autorotation or what happens
if the engine quits, or did I miss it?

Joe


"John?] "
wrote in message
. net...



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in688454.shtml

http://www.airscooter.com/

This group must be pretty dead. Three days and no posts!

I don't know about the AirScooter's autorotation or engine out procedures, but
I can discuss what happens with Springtail. We have a BRS parachute that will
save the pilot and machine if you're at least 75-100' high. During testing,
the pilot also wears a base jumping parachute, which will save him if he steps
off the machine with at least 150-200' to spare. There is a rudimentary
autorotate capability, but you'd still be coming down pretty fast. In a
normal helicopter, descent rates during autorotation run between 1000-1500
fpm. In Springtail, it would be more like 3000 fpm. So what do you do if the
engine quits between 10' and 75'? Right now, pray and hit the ground hard.
We are looking into deployable airbags, similar to those used on Martian
landers. At 3000 fpm, they'll be able to break your fall.

Our follow-on aircraft, Dragonfly, has a power-off glide capability. In
addition, we're looking at a twin engined version. You wouldn't be able to
hover on one engine, but you could maintain level flight to very low airspeeds
and make a short landing.

joe wrote:

I noticed that they didn't say anything about autorotation or what happens
if the engine quits, or did I miss it?

Joe

"John?] "
wrote in message
. net...



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in688454.shtml

http://www.airscooter.com/

Wow! I gotta get me one of those.....

"Rob Bulaga" wrote in message
...
So what do you do if the
engine quits between 10' and 75'? Right now, pray and hit the ground
hard.
We are looking into deployable airbags, similar to those used on Martian
landers.

On 2005-04-20 01:41:31 -0400, "joe" said:

I noticed that they didn't say anything about autorotation or what happens
if the engine quits, or did I miss it?

Fixed pitch rotors -- what autorotation?

http://airscooter.com/pages/faqs.htm

If you root around on the Airscooter site, you can see that one of
their prototypes appears to have a BRS chute mounted. (the one with
yellow trim).

Earlier versions of the Airscooter (this thing, or something eerily
similar, has had at least two prior lives) also promised BRS in the
future when the kit was available -- it never happened.

As far as 60 Minutes goes, putting Paul Moller's ankle-high stock Ponzi
scheme machine into the show must have been their way of keeping the
report "fake but accurate." Airscooter and Trek might have some issues,
but they jolly well fly.

Moller's "Skycar" has the flying ability (and would need the same
technique) of Les Nesbit's turkeys from "WKRP" (was that his name? One
of you will know... )

I'm sorry the serious experimenters got lumped in with Moller the phony.
--
cheers

-=K=-

Rule #1: Don't hit anything big.

Kevin O'Brien wrote:

Moller's "Skycar" has the flying ability (and would need the same
technique) of Les Nesbit's turkeys from "WKRP" (was that his name? One
of you will know... )

I've been through there 4 times in the past 3 years, I can't help but
think of that episode on each trip...

WKRP in Cincinnati - "Turkeys Away"

Les Nessman - Buckeye Newsreporter (Richard Sanders) "The turkeys are
hitting the ground like wet cement."

Johnny 'Dr. Fever' Caravella (Howard Hesseman) "For those of you who
have just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with
live turkeys, film at 11."

Les Nessman "Its like the turkeys mounted a counterattack. Its almost as
if they were organized."

The Big Guy - Mr. Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump), "As God is my witness, I
thought turkeys could fly."

http://imdb.com/title/tt0077097

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

The Big Guy - Mr. Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump), "As God is my witness, I
thought turkeys could fly."


As my feeble memory recalls this is based on a true story from the
twenties or thirties.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:

As my feeble memory recalls this is based on a true story from the
twenties or thirties.

They were using a helicopter. My reality doesn't allow for that...

Les Nessman "Its, its a helicopter coming, it has something flying
behind it. I can't hardly make it out. It says,
H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G from W K R P what a sight
ladies and gentleman, what a sight. The helicopter is circling the
parking area, perhaps looking for a place to land. No, something just
came out of the back of the helicopter. Its a dark object, perhaps a
skydiver. Plumeting to the earth from only 2000 feet in the air. A
second, a third, no parachutes yet. It can't be skydivers. I can't tell
just yet what they are. OH MY GOD THEY'RE TURKEYS! OH ITS TERRIBLE,
JOHNNY ARE YOU GETTING THIS? THEY'RE CRASHING TO THE EARTH RIGHT BEFORE
MY EYES! ONE JUST WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF A PARKED CAR."

"THE HINDENBURG TRAGEDY WASN'T ANYTHING LIKE THIS!"

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

THEY'RE CRASHING TO THE EARTH RIGHT BEFORE
MY EYES! ONE JUST WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF A PARKED CAR."

Ahhhh good thing I just got up and havn't had my morning coffee yet.

I've told the story here before about a friend of mine who organized a
ping ball drop from a helicopter some years ago in the parking lot of a
shopping mall.

Him and I were on the roof of the mall watching the crowd below as the
helicopter circled the lot and then make a mad dash everywhere as the
balls came down and started to bounce around the parking lot.

Ten thousand balls were dropped and it was quite the sight.

Many were coloured in various ways to represent discounts in the stores
of the mall and one ball was marked to represent a fifty percent
discount on anything in the mall.

A lady found that ball and took it into the department store in this
mall and bought a pair of pantyhose. The store manager explained to her
that the ball could be used for any majour big ticket purchase and that
she could give it to a friend.... She said no.

She explained that she was going to a party that night and wanted her
legs to look good so she wanted to use the discount ball to buy
pantyhose.