Helicycle add ons

[Mylo]

Has anyone ever attempted adding a cargo pod under the cabin, say directly in line with the CG ?

How about skis or floats ?

I'm wondering where the boundaries lie in terms of these kinds of add ons with the Helicycle.

Mylo

 

[StanFoster]

Mylo- When I fly my 122 mile flight to Mentone, I have a duffel bag triple nylon tied to my rear landing gear bow. It is tucked up right under the CG, and is mostly out of the airflow. It worked great. However, I am now making my phase 3 streamlining panels and I will have a hinged belly pan that will clean up the aerodynamics underneath. Thus will cause me to have my duffel bag hanging lower, so it may look like a bull scrotum hanging down. Probably will negate any drag reduction!

Stan

 

[Fly Army]

Floats just haven't been a great idea on Helicopters. The ones you see with them have them pretty much for emergencies only or in the case of the Mosquito to gain some additional weight in order to meet the "amphibious Ultralight" loophole. When you're sitting on the water in a helicopter with floats everything is fine until you go to power down. Unlike when you're on dry land the water offers no resistance and you start to spin. Then you're pretty much just along for the ride - to include whatever the wind and current are doing as well. Starting up on water is the same thing all over again.

 

[WaspAir]

How about skis or floats ?

My Bell 47 was previously set up for snow use, but I think the term "skis" is potentially misleading.

The mods were:
1) electric engine preheater
2) taller vertical legs on the skids for more clearance and longer skid tube tails
3) what might more accurately be thought of as "snowshoes" than skis; some metal pads attached at the skid shoe points that increased the area to reduce sinking into snow. They're something like paddles or shovel blades, designed to spread out the force, but they're not intended for zipping along with forward motion like you would on a bush airplane with skis.

I still have the heater and the tall gear installed, but don't carry those snow shoes anymore. If you were to try something like them on the Helicycle, you would want to carefully evaluate what their effect might be in forward flight, especially when pitched nose down.

 

[Mylo]

Fly Army - I figured there had to be a reason that you don't see any floats on helicopters, was wondering if anyone had any experience with them. I can see where power down would be "interesting". I would have thought powering up to be a little easier with some added tail rotor authority, much like hovering. I had no desire for floats, just curious.

Skis are a different matter.

Wasp - Yes, for sure, I was thinking more along the lines of snowshoes over skis, some attachment to the skids to disperse ground pressure to keep the ship from sinking in the snow. Both skids sinking at the same rate to the same depth wouldn't be so bad, but a sudden falling off on one side could be a problem....to say the least. I could definitely have use for skis/shoes for winter flying....in case of an unexpected landing in some field. I can't see adding them being a problem.

Stan - I would have to say that it would negate much of your streamlining efforts, having your bag tied up there. I would imagine that going on a long flight is when you need the MOST out of your aerodynamics. You must be able to figure something better than a scrotum hanging down. .....a Helicycle with a scrotum .....hmmm.....not good.

Mylo

 

[StanFoster]

Mylo- That is the only flight I strap a bag on underneath....poor choice of words!

However, the nose of the helicopter cabin is lower than the duffle bag, and I really couldn't tell my fuel burn went down, but I am sure it did a little. I may figure out a way to put it in my cabin this year as my belly fairing will lower it.

Stan

 

[PW_Plack]

Isn't the real issue on a Helicycle the design weight limit?

 

[Mylo]

PW - Absolutely, Gross weight is always a concern. The design and application of anything added would have to take that into account.

Mylo

 

[Fly Army]

Mylo,
Why aren't you considering your homeboy John Uptigrove's Turbine Mosquito ?

 

[Mylo]

FlyArmy - For no other reason I suppose then I have a Helicycle in crates sitting in my garage.

Mylo

 

[WaspAir]

I figured there had to be a reason that you don't see any floats on helicopters, was wondering if anyone had any experience with them. I can see where power down would be "interesting". I would have thought powering up to be a little easier with some added tail rotor authority, much like hovering. I had no desire for floats, just curious.

I used to operate a Robinson Mariner, with fixed inflated floats (not emergency pop-outs). You can handle the merry-go-round issues more easily if you beach the tips of the floats.

They slow you down a bit, add a little bit of rumble / periodic shudder at some airspeeds, and add some low-down surface that requires a little more attention to roll with yaw, but it sure was fun to put down on a lake or a river.

The strangest thing to get used to is hovering over water with the rotor downwash sweeping it away from you in all directions and obscuring any actual "ground" track. The wash pattern moves with you, so you need awareness of the shore to ensure that you're really holding a stationary position.

 

[StanFoster]

Waspair- That is very interesting what you just said about hovering over water....and loosing your ground track reference. I hover over water....but its only mudholes out in the fields.. and I notice the waves radiating out 360 degrees. But never considered loosing the feel for moving across the water if I were trying to set down with floats.


Stan

 

[Fly Army]

Waspair- That is very interesting what you just said about hovering over water....and loosing your ground track reference. I hover over water....but its only mudholes out in the fields.. and I notice the waves radiating out 360 degrees. But never considered loosing the feel for moving across the water if I were trying to set down with floats.


Stan

Plus it can be difficult to tell when you're really DOWN. The other factor is sometimes there can be surface adhesion between the water and the float which may lead to Dynamic Rollover.

 

[hillberg]

Floats & cross winds, No vertical reference, & small pads on the wheel house.