Forced landing in my Helicycle....I am ok

[StanFoster]

I unfortunately made some one bad decision today, and was demonstrating a max performance takeoff at the airport for a friend........I over zealously pulled too much collective....I did notice my rotor rpm pulling down showing I was pulling her too hard....the belts were probably slipping..and the engine speed went down. I then lowered collective...but since I had never been in this situation before...the engines rpm surged forward...hitting the overspeed limit at 64000 rpm causing an automatic flame out.

Here I am stupidlly in the bad area of the HV curve....not enough airspeed to arrest a very high rate of descent...........worse case scenario and especially for a fledgling dumb ass pilot......

Ironically they say the gear on these will collapse with any kind of hard run on landing.

Well....I will pat my back on putting those reinforcing cables on last week....they saved my ship. It MOST definately would have collapsed and balled up. I will pat myself on the back for using all my collective to stop most of my high rate of descent.

I started the turbine up...and she runs fine. The automatic safety stuff did its job.


And let me tell you .......what a run on landing that was. I was ecstatic that I survived my 19 forced landing.....and in a helicopter this time.


I HAVE ALL THIS ON EXCELLENT VIDEO ALSO.


More details later. Here is a picture where I landed...I torqued to the left....and went into auto....and landed the angle I was pointed at. I went in the grass, across the runway and stopped on the other side in the grass.

 

[All_In]

Wow! Way to just land her and way to design and build a solution so she could handle this landing.

 

[GrantR]

Geez Stan! Glad you and your Heli are ok.

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

I am not a helicopter pilot so all I can say is OOPS!

Glad you are both OK.

 

[gyrojake]

That shows automatic responce is natural for you and will save your life faster than thinking about what to do.
Lets hope it never happens again.
Jake

 

[WHY]

Will the upholstrey require replacement ???

Tony

 

[ms80831]

Stan

I bet you won't be caught in that situation again... Glad you and your beautiful machine are OK.

Mark

 

[brett s]

Glad it worked out ok!

I don't personally care for the idea of using belt slippage to limit power to the drivetrain, this incident reinforces that feeling.

A low rpm event shouldn't be something that can easily lead to an engine shutoff just because you dropped the collective quickly, I'd want that sensor bypassed.

 

[Bumperdog]

Good job Stan, knowing what to do and when, saved you.

 

[scottessex]

Yikes! nice save. Glad you are OK and the Helicycle too.

 

[gyro]

they say a pic is worth a 1000 words but I really need to see the video

 

[Earthboundmisft]

Stan, you went to the limit of your machine. Amazing the rotor used that much torque, to slip the belts. Good job landing it, etc, etc. Now that you know that particular limit of your machine, are you dissapointed? Could you go near that limit routinely?

 

[PW_Plack]

Stan, was your gyro background part of the good outcome?

 

[scottessex]

Wow that is kind of is a lesson for showing off isn't it?
Crowds, cameras, confidence.....we have all done it, just glad your training kicked in.

 

[StanFoster]

Thanks guys- I will post a more detailed post analysis tomorrow, both what I am proud of, and also what I was stupidly doing. I am very impressed with the machine, I just stupidly over drove it, stupid, stupid, stupid. My instincts thank god took over and at 56 years of age, I guess my reflexes are very quick. I am watching a funny movie right now, but I have a lot more to say that is going to be a scathing scolding of myself, followed by a few pats on the back for making the best of a most terrible scenario even for an experienced helicopter pilot. I had never lost rotor rpm on a max performance takeoff, and had I eased the collective down , I wouldn't have dumped the collective on a high torqued turbine. I learned how to overspeed a turbine, and won't forget it. I will be a much wiser pilot. I absolutely love this machine , and I probably needed a wakeup call. My gut feeling told me to put those cables on that landing gear, and something else, I want that main fuel solenoid switched so as to fail onN instead of off. A normal real auto with airspeed and a little more altitude would have been a piece of cake. I have been very concerned about how tuff my gear wasn't before I thought of putting those cables on. I will no longer be concerned about a runon landing at 10 mph or less. Stan

 

[GyroChuck]

Stan, I'm really glad your OK and your Helicycle is OK also.

I admire you for posting your faults along with your accomplishments.

 

[choppergabor]

Wow I take my eyes off of you for a second and look what happens! We just talked right before you did this stunt! I am glad you are a natural. This $hit kills less talented ones ya know! I have to agree with Brett on the combination of "safety" system almost cost you a lot. Phewwwwwww. Helicopter pilots are weird but they sure have many lives......
Damn don't scare us like that ever again! OK you also did good on saving the bad decision. You just took one unit out of your "luck bag" and placed it into the "experience bag". The idea is filling the "experience bag" before you run out of the "luck bag".

 

[birdy]

fledgling dumb ass pilot......
Bloodyell Stan!!!!!!!!!, dont make me come over there.................... .

 

[StanFoster]

Gabor- I learned more in that 5 second plunge back to earth, than I can state. I will not be the same.

 

[BUD ONEAL]

happy that it all worked out Stan