the corioblog

I picked up the miniaturized version of TM 1-1520-237-10 yesterday. It’s a book, two inches by six by eight: the operator’s manual for the Black Hawk. Today I’ve spent a little time browsing through to find interesting pieces of information.

• The rotor system shall not be shut down in winds exceeding 45 knots. Presumably, in such conditions, the pilot is expected to either wait for the winds to die down, taxi into a hangar, or relocate into the lee of the most convenient mountain.
• Landings are permitted with 60 knots forward speed and 540 feet per minute vertical speed. In other words, it is allowable to land at highway speed while descending faster than most elevators.
• When in icing conditions, pilots may choose either to descend quickly, or to have cabin heat, but not both.
• Pilots should be able to identify all cockpit controls and switches blind before attempting to fly while wearing a gas mask.
• Braking with the main rotor during a rolling landing is permissible so long as only the tail wheel is in contact with the ground. Once the main wheels touch down, attempting this may cause the main rotor to come in contact with other parts of the helicopter.
• With external fuel tanks installed, the right hand tank will vibrate more than the left tank. This is normal. (No other explanation is given.)
• Front and side airbags (for the pilots, at least) are standard. In the event of inadvertent deployment, they should be punctured with a survival knife to facilitate deflation.

So far, the biggest change from the TH-67 seems to be that the presence of a second engine opens up a number of additional options. Most emergencies change when the failure of an engine diminishes in severity from “you are now autorotating” to “better keep the other engine within torque limits.” Other than that, systems have been made redundant and safeties have been added. In all, this is just a better helicopter than any I have ever flown before. Let’s hope these observations remain true after I have a chance to actually fly the thing.