Andino
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2022
- Messages
- 531
- Location
- Southhampton, U.K.
- Aircraft
- many FW airplanes + various autogyros
- Total Flight Time
- >1000 hours
Your client sounds like the SCII pilot at Van Nuys, whom you've previously mentioned. Repeating that lone example doesn't besmirch the flexshaft. According to my files, the only indisutable RAF/Sparrowhawk flat disc take-off attempt was the 2018 G-BXDE. While there may be others, most of the RAF's "mismanaged" take-offs seem related to the short coupling, lack of suspension, and wonky nosewheel/pedal linkage.A client of mine who hit his empennage in a rushed takeoff had a flex drive pre-rotator and he had been taught in The Predator that allows continued pre-rotation with the cyclic rearward and received further training in his own aircraft.
RAFs and SparrowHawks have a typical number of takeoff accidents from mismanaged takeoff procedure.
This thread is about a Sparrow Hawk with a flex shaft.
Saying a flex shaft is better doesn’t make it so.
"Saying a flex shaft is better doesn’t make it so." I don't "say" that solely because of personal preference, but via the incident data (at least regarding AutoGyros). Certainly, anything can sufficiently be learned to fly safely, but, as I've several times tried to explain, why design in necessary work-around procedures with the propensity to "bite" the novice? Those of you CFIs who, for example, adroitly fly the Cavalon may be too experienced to understand the extra workload on the new student. You all zip about on these ovoid tyre unicycles (because you stringently adhere to the operating manual), but the hapless student was expecting a bicycle ("Easy to fly! Cannot stall! Land it on a roof top!"). When he prangs his unicycle, he hears "Tsk-Tsk" from the community. Yes, he deserves that, but so do the manufacturers who are still selling unicycle rotorcraft.
Last edited: