Drop test of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter - GIF

Drop test of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

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Previously:

Igor Sikorsky test flying the VS-300 helicopter - GIF
Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave heavy-lift helicopter - photos
Sikorsky S-40 flying boat - photo
Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter accident - video
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter - GIF

Glide ratio of a streamlined crowbar...

For that helicopter to have achieved the altitude it was dropped at, in a real world the rotor blades would have been rotating in the neighborhood of 500RPM With engine fail mode autorotate the collective pitch would be between 3 and 5% The rotor speed might have increased to 120% or 600 RPM An experienced pilot would use this RPM increase to his advantage by increasing the collective pitch slowing the rate of fall enough to possibly reduce major damage to the airframe and increasing the survivability chances of the occupants.

So - did it pass or fail?

It looks like to me, being an untrained helecopter pilot, that it's going to take quite a bit of buffing to make it fly again...

Yep, it broke.

Not much point in that test other than to see how it breaks.
If pilot does not react fast enough (usually within a couple of seconds) after loss of power, by lowering the collective lever to reduce blade pitch, the rotor speed will drop below a recoverable RPM and the rotors will stall. In that case it will end the same way as this demo.
As Frank said, in a real world scenario after loss of power, if pilot lowers collective pitch quickly, he can autorotate and with sufficient altitude and with a suitable flat landing spot available, it's completely survivable and may save machine without damage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank S

For that helicopter to have achieved the altitude it was dropped at, in a real world the rotor blades would have been rotating in the neighborhood of 500RPM With engine fail mode autorotate the collective pitch would be between 3 and 5% The rotor speed might have increased to 120% or 600 RPM An experienced pilot would use this RPM increase to his advantage by increasing the collective pitch slowing the rate of fall enough to possibly reduce major damage to the airframe and increasing the survivability chances of the occupants.

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I learn a lot from you. You have certainly been there and done that.

Note the strap above at the beginning; dropped from above, perhaps from a Chinook

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank S

For that helicopter to have achieved the altitude it was dropped at, in a real world the rotor blades would have been rotating in the neighborhood of 500RPM With engine fail mode autorotate the collective pitch would be between 3 and 5% The rotor speed might have increased to 120% or 600 RPM An experienced pilot would use this RPM increase to his advantage by increasing the collective pitch slowing the rate of fall enough to possibly reduce major damage to the airframe and increasing the survivability chances of the occupants.

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Did you fly?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gadgeteer

Did you fly?

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Only when a friend would take me up in his antique 47g trainer when I was briefly taking ground school.

Never been in a real heli. Was hoping to have my own little craft by now, but my heart got in the way of the medical. I've been flying models on my heli chair sim for a few years, now. Probably, as close as I'll ever get to the real thing. If I find someone that will let me try to hover for a few bucks, I'll give it a go. Happy New Year!

Why ???????????