Limited Airworthiness and Flight Characteristics Evaluation Model 214A Helicopter with Fiberglass Main Rotor Blades.

摘要

Thirty-six test flights for a total of 20.4 productive flight hours were accomplished. Within the scope of this evaluation, the Model 214A helicopter with the fiberglass main rotor blades exhibited slightly improved hover and level flight performance at higher gross weight-altitude combinations. The handling qualities remain essentially unchanged from those exhibited by the Model 214A helicopter with standard rotor blades. The enhancing characteristic noted was the low level-flight vibration levels. The deficiency noted was the inadequate directional control at airspeeds greater than 15 KTAS in right sideward flight at high gross weight, density altitude combinations, which is not attributable to the fiberglass rotor installation.