Apache Crash in Afghanistan - "Return to target" maneuver
Discussion
dramatic video, expensive & career ending errorActual density decreases as Density Altitude goes 'up' (so your blades and engine do not work as well as they should 'lower' down)
in a well-executed wing-over the G forces should be absolutely neutral as the aircraft is kept in balance all the way around...this wasn't always the case when the studes were having a bash, and you would experience some lightness as you went over the top.
The 2 worst maneuvres for G in the back were the fast spiral descent where we wanted to get through the small-arms fire zone quickly, so the captain would 'bank and yank' which made moving around in the cabin impossible...I would normally end up just kneeling in the doorway and hanging on (if you watch the Mike Brewer thing on Afghanistan you see the ramp gunner fall over as they do this!)
At the opposite end of the scale if you were wandering around when the Captain put it into Autorotation you would end up with your back against the ceiling as the chopper entered free-fall and then would collapse onto a heap on the floor when they checked the Rotor RPM with the collective...again the studes would add an extra dimension by forgetting the torque reaction and doing a bit of fish-tailing throwing you from side-side!
My worst one was when I missed the grab-handle as I swapped from the bubble window on the Port side to the door-way. Luckily I had my monkey harness on and ended up crumpled up on the step. Once my instructor had stopped laughing he helped me back in...he said that it looked like I just stood up and 'Super-manned' out of the door!
in a well-executed wing-over the G forces should be absolutely neutral as the aircraft is kept in balance all the way around...this wasn't always the case when the studes were having a bash, and you would experience some lightness as you went over the top.
The 2 worst maneuvres for G in the back were the fast spiral descent where we wanted to get through the small-arms fire zone quickly, so the captain would 'bank and yank' which made moving around in the cabin impossible...I would normally end up just kneeling in the doorway and hanging on (if you watch the Mike Brewer thing on Afghanistan you see the ramp gunner fall over as they do this!)
At the opposite end of the scale if you were wandering around when the Captain put it into Autorotation you would end up with your back against the ceiling as the chopper entered free-fall and then would collapse onto a heap on the floor when they checked the Rotor RPM with the collective...again the studes would add an extra dimension by forgetting the torque reaction and doing a bit of fish-tailing throwing you from side-side!
My worst one was when I missed the grab-handle as I swapped from the bubble window on the Port side to the door-way. Luckily I had my monkey harness on and ended up crumpled up on the step. Once my instructor had stopped laughing he helped me back in...he said that it looked like I just stood up and 'Super-manned' out of the door!
Max_Torque said:
I think i'm right in saying most military 'copters now have vertical G limiters built into the seats for just such an eventuality? (i.e. a shear pin system that allows the seat to "submarine" in a controlled fashion and hence limit the max G the pilot receives in the crucial vertical plane ?)
The Apache has shock absorbers on the crew seats to reduce the impact in heavy landings. Main gear legs and the gun turret are all collapsible for just such incidences as this crash.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17481023
What are they on! "Spins wildly out of control" What????
What are they on! "Spins wildly out of control" What????
mrloudly said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17481023
What are they on! "Spins wildly out of control" What????
00.21 - 00.23 probably. It looks an awful lot like that's the main body of the Apache spinning through the air after impact.What are they on! "Spins wildly out of control" What????
The Apache was spinning whilst out of control, wasn't it? The fact that the loss of control came at the point of impact (rather than prior to, as you may have expected) doesn't make it an incorrect statement. And I don't really see why it matters - it's a dramatic headline to draw attention to a (rightly) dramatic video.
Apparently "It spins wildly out of control before bouncing on the snow" Since when has a stall turn being "Wildly out of control"?
Looks like he screwed up, hit the floor and then spun (as part of the crash). IMHO it looked in controlled flight right up to the point where
it met Terra-Firma...
Looks like he screwed up, hit the floor and then spun (as part of the crash). IMHO it looked in controlled flight right up to the point where
it met Terra-Firma...
tenohfive said:
It does look like the Apache's reputation for being a flying tank is well deserved.
I think the flying tank thing is more to do with fire power than structural strength. Apart from a bit of armour around the crew and a few vital bits the Apache isn't an especially strong airframe and is purposely made of thin metal to let bullets pass through it instead of bouncing around inside. eccles said:
I think the flying tank thing is more to do with fire power than structural strength. Apart from a bit of armour around the crew and a few vital bits the Apache isn't an especially strong airframe and is purposely made of thin metal to let bullets pass through it instead of bouncing around inside.
"...to let bullets pass through". Doesn't sound like a very good design IMO - bullets should be kept out shirly?mrmr96 said:
"...to let bullets pass through". Doesn't sound like a very good design IMO - bullets should be kept out shirly?
I understand that the russians armoured the floor of their helicopters after experience of bullets coming through the bottom.When they decided to fly down the vallys in Afghanistan they were getting shot from above which then bounced up off the armour. It would have been better if they had passed through.
ked, but when he comes down for the final time he seems to hit belly first, so it could be true!Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff