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 UP Dated
May 31th, 1999

 .......

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Remember
Good Helicopters (even kits) Aren't Cheep.
More Important,
Cheep Helicopters Aren't Safe
and Can/have KILLED

Before Buying Anything,
I strongly suggest you personally observe the designer and or manufacture (not just the company's test pilots) flying there product at altitude many many times before you invest your money n possibly your life...
If  the designer or manufacture comes up with ANY excuse why they don't fly there craft, the writing is on the wall, move on to another manufacture that has the confidence in there craft to regularly fly it.

I have personally seen the manufactures that fly there craft n I have also seen the ones that don't fly there craft, statistically one is LOTS less likely to kill than the other.

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I have noticed that I often get a big laugh when I refer to one of
                  the more renowned kit helicopter manufactures as
"the helicopter hitler".
   Now I can't mention his name, but I just thought some of  U might know who this name fits
              and perhaps U 2 might get a good belly laugh after hearing it.

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Memorial Day

   I'M WRITTING THIS MESSAGE TO LET PEOPLE IN THE SEATTLE AREA KNOW
ABOUT A GATHERING OF HELO'S AT MY RANCH IN THE BUCKLEY AREA ON
8\19-21\99.

I'M ASKING THAT ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED PLEASE RSVP
BY EMAIL AT EXEC12093@AOL.COM.

AS OF NOW I HAVE 2 SCORPION'S 1 EXEC 152,  2 EXEC 162'S, 1 RAF GYRO, 1BENSON GYRO, 2 PARASAIL;'S AND A RAMJET. COMING  TO THE GET TOGETHER. I WOULD REALY LIKE TO SEE A MINI 500 AND THE NEW  VOYAGER 500 AT THE SHOW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE A ANGLE,SPORTCOPTER,  AND B.J. SHRAM'S HELICYCLE.

AS OF NOW I DON'T HAVE THE RUNWAY TO LAND WHEELED AIRCRAFT BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRAILER YOUR SHIP. THERE WILL  BE A SAFE AREA TO PARK YOUR RV AND HELO. THIS BEING MY FIRST GATHERING  I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A FEW BUGS TO WORK OUT BUT I HOPE TO MAKE IT FUN SO PEOPLE WILL RETURN NEXT YEAR.

                                         HAVE FUN
                                         FLY SAFE
                                         DON'T MOW THE GRASS

                                      PAUL WHITTLESEY

I was glad to find this page on the net.  I was equally delighted to fine some opinions on the G-1 helicopter. I am currently building a G-1 and was sorely disappointed in the plans.  I agree that it seems to be a dangerous craft if flown higher then 10 feet AGL.  That is why I have redesigned my G1.

As a mechanic, I am appalled at mounting a horizontal engine in the vertical configuration.  Horizontally designed engines should always be mounted horizontal, and vertical crank engines should be mounted vertically.  Failure do abide by this rule of thumb will result in short engine life and in some cases short pilot life too.

My G-1 conforms to the overall fuselage specs except I mount my Rotax 502DC with the crank parallel to the tail boom (crank facing out the back).  The engine will couple to a boat engine lower transom via a clutch similar to an Adams Wilson.  A boat transom makes a good right angle transmission for the main rotor, weighs only about 15 Lbs modified, and will handle
the power and torque for this type service as Long as HP ratings are suitably matched.  I intend to mount an Adams Wilson main and tail rotor system to my G-1 for full flight function, control and above all, safety.

    The G1 I am working on is about 70% complete.  The fuselage is about 98% complete, engine and main rotor transmission are installed in their mounting cradles; A tail rotor of my own redesign of the Vortech design was mounted, but "bench testing" at about 2000 RPM was unsatisfactory.  The tail rotor held together fine with very little vibration, but will not articulate
through the full range of motion due to aerodynamic pressure overpowering the spring loaded pitching system.

Test result: crash would be certain due to failure of tail rotor to counter engine torque at 1000 RPM or above.  Remedy is to use a quality, proven main and tail rotor on the Vortech G-1.  This will raise the cost of a G-1 substantially, but isn't your life worth it?

Anyone with G-1 questions, comments or best of all, tips may contact Cort Carrington

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Today, May 25th, 1999 is my wife's birthday n Augusto Cicare's birthday. Many of  U know that Augusto designed the helicopter I fly, so why not show my appreciation by getting him something I know he will like. Above is a foto of  the present I got Augusto  (I eMed him this foto today).  However, since his test pilot (Sergio) is visiting us 4 a week or so, I decided to save a few pennies n export/import fees by sending the above switch grip back to him in Argentina with Sergio.

I was wondering, did any of  U xyz 5oo owners send it's designer a BDay present as a token of your gratitude? Sarcastic Bastard aren't I.

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Helicopter Flight Simulator
by Augusto Cicare

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 Information Request

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Michael Anderson

I'm a helicopter pilot and am interested in building one of my own for pleasure.  I live at 6500ft. and density altitude gets pretty high at times here in New Mexico.

I've located a kit helo made by Pawnee Aviation, inc. in Colorado called the "Chief".  It's two place and has a 250hp engine. The company said it can HIGE at 12,000ft.

Do you know anything about this company and helicopter or know of anyone who does???????  I need all the help and research I can get.

E. LITTLE

Flying At Your Own Risk
KMOV TV-4 St. Louis
 

Preface
Alan Barklage is a 32,ooo + helicopter hour pilot
Larry Barklage is Alan's brother
Lisa Brown is the TV reporter
Pat McCammon ?????
George Shultz seems like an owner/pilot

Part One:

Lisa Brown: "Allen Barklage had a colorful career.  Being shot down in Vietnam, thwarting a hijacker, helping police chase suspects, and making dramatic river rescues.  In short, Barklage was considered one of the best.  But in September of 1998, Barklage took his last flight, in his home-built XYZ-500."

Larry Barklage: "In my opinion, if that helicopter could kill Allen Barklage, it could kill anybody."

Richard Barklage: "Ten minutes into the flight, the engine quits for no reason at all, it just quits."

Lisa Brown: Barklage's death was the fifth in a XYX 500 in a year and a half.  But until his crash, not many pilots questioned their own safety.  As worried pilots from around the world gathered for an owner's meeting in Florida in February, many decided to ground their
aircraft.

Pat McCammon: There have been a lot of problems with people who are far more experienced than I am in building.  And so until those kind of problems are resolved I don't want to finish mine.

George Shultz: I'm just hovering it because I'm afraid to get it more than three feet off the ground.

Lisa Brown: George Shultz has even given up his XYZ-500 dealership, saying he cannot, in good concious, continue to sell the kits.

Jim Campbell: We had great hopes for the machine, ya know, it was the dream, it was what everybody wanted - the cute little helicopter you land in your backyard, run on in, grab a sandwich, and then go on out for your next adventure.  I mean, what's, what's not to love about
that?

Lisa Brown: Jim Campbell is the publisher of Aviator Magazine.  He helped organize the owner's meeting partially out of a sense of responsibility, since he originally endorsed the XYZ-500.

Jim Campbell: Right now this is the most dangerous sport aircraft in the world, in my opinion.

Lisa Brown: Eight pilots have died in two years, three since Barklage's death.  Most of the helicopters crashed well before the one-hundred hour mark.  In fact, we found only three pilots who have flown their XYZ-500s more than one-hundred hours.  One of them crashed and died in December.  Our investigation of government databases found problems with engine seizures, frame cracks and defective parts.

Rick Stitt: There are several things that could kill pilots.

Lisa Brown: Rick Stitt was a project engineer at RPM Helicopters, which manufactures the XYZ-500 kit in Excessive Springs, Missouri. We talked with several former employees, Stitt was the only one willing to go on camera.  He showed us pinion bearings that routinely failed
at twenty to thirty hours of flight time.

Rick Stitt: This goes to a further point of failure, it would lock up the transmission, and if they were flying they would crash.

Lisa Brown: He says a water tee connector used in the cooling system would melt.

Rick Stitt: They deform, and then they start leaking coolant.

Lisa Brown: And then what happens?

Rick Stitt: The engine will seize.

 ...as for as the, the tees that melted, that is true, we immediately sent every customer out an AD and said here is the proper one that you must put on, do so.  And in fact, none of the problems we've ever had has ever caused an accident...

Lisa Brown: RPM helicopter's president insists all accidents were pilot error.  However,
very soon the National Transportation safety board will release its report of Barklage's accident.  News 4 has learned it will show engine failure as the cause.

Rick Stitt: I think they should all be grounded worldwide.

Lisa Brown: And if they are not?

Rick Stitt: More people will die.

Larry Barklage: Had he known then what I know right now about this particular helicopter, he'd have never got it out of a hover.

Lisa Brown: Since the XYZ-500 went into production, more than 30 safety advisories have been issued by the company.  The owners say the problems should have been detected long before the first helicopter kit was ever shipped.  They claim the company has used them as test
pilots.  Coming up tomorrow night you will hear some very interesting advice from the company that makes the engine for the XYZ-500.

Eric Tucker: It can fail or stop at any time, so don't fly in a position where a sudden engine stoppage could create a problem.

Lisa Brown: But as you've seen, sudden engine stoppage is one of problems.  Tomorrow we'll tell you why the government hasn't done anything about it.

[anchor small talk follows]

Larry Conners: Yeah, that is part the problem too that if it seizes up and you're over a school or a home, that's where you're going to go down.  How many of them are out there in use right now?

Lisa Brown: Um.

Larry Conners: Or at least that are out there, I should say.

Lisa Brown: 500 kits have been sold, no where near that many are flying at this time.  Um.  And also the company is now planning to put out a two-seater.  So that will be in production pretty soon, and its pretty much got the same parts as the XYZ-500 as well.
 
 

Part Two

Promotional video: Imagine the thrill of building and flying your own state-of-the-art flying machine.

Lisa Brown: The XYZ-500 is marketed to anyone who has the dream of flying.

Fred Stewart: ... sold this to several people that had the idea that what they would do is fly back and forth to the job or commute back and forth.  Uh, farmers for spraying crops, or running cattle.  It was marketed to a wide array of people.

Lisa Brown: And the price is right, only about twenty-eight thousand dollars, the cost of a mid-sized car.

Richard Barklage: That's the American dream, to have your own little personal aircraft and fly it to and from work everyday, well, it's not turning out that way.

Lisa Brown: Why?  In the past two years there have been eight fatalities and more than forty accidents, making the XYZ-500 accident rate sixteen times worse than for all experimental aircraft.

Fred Stewart: I had control problems, my control bushings wore out in twelve hours, I never could get the balance - the helicopter to balance.  And that was just the beginning.

Lisa Brown: While owners have cited numerous complaints with the XYZ-500, the universal complaint is the engine.  Most say it just doesn't belong in the aircraft.  In fact, listen to this.  The engine manufacturer's own literature states that this engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage.  Rotax company makes the engines for use in ultralights, jet-skis and snowmobiles.  Company spokesman Eric Tucker says Rotax has done no testing to determine if the engine is suitable for the XYZ-500.

Eric Tucker: It can fail or stop at any time, so don't fly in a position where a sudden engine stoppage could create a problem.

Lisa Brown: XXXX XXXXX is the owner of RPM Helicopters, which manufactures the XYZ-500 kit.  He blames the engine problems on the builders.

XXXX XXXXX In other words, if  I as a designer hook the engine up in there wrong, and it vibrates wrong, or its fed fuel wrong or its exhausted wrong, that engine is subject to failure.

Lisa Brown: The owners take exception.  They point to dozens of engine seizures and insist they can't all be doing it wrong.

J R: The helicopter is not flying safely.  I mean, something is seriously wrong here so someone needs to really step in and control that specific manufacturer.

Lisa Brown: But it's not that simple.  Larry Barklage is a manager for the Federal Aviation Administration, which enforces safety issues. He is also the brother of Allen Barklage.

Larry Barklage: The problem is that uh the kit manufacturers fall in a crack in the regulations.

Lisa Brown: And that crack is wide.  The only regulation on a kit manufacturer is that it put together no more than forty-nine percent of the aircraft.  So what are the protections for the buyer?

Larry Barklage: There aren't any.  Its its buyer beware.

Lisa Brown: And Fetters knows the regulations well.

Manufacture: Well, actually I have no liability for safety issues, I'm only the parts supplier.

Lisa Brown: And he says he doesn't vouch for those parts.

J R: There's been product that has failed in the first ten hours.  And he's, he's been telling people in his advertising that it'll last two-thousand hours.

Manufacture: In our literature it said that we had designed these components up to two-thousand hours.  It does not say that we guarantee them up to two-thousand hours ?or? that we test them ??
two-thousand hours.

Lisa Brown: Owners and aviation officials counter that anyone in business should be responsible for products they sell.

Larry Barklage: Its very frustrating for me.  My brother was killed in one of these helicopters right here in St. Louis and I can't do anything about it.  My regulations do not apply to the kit
manufacturers.

Lisa Brown: When our investigation first began, owners of  XYZ-500s told us the National Transportation Safety Board was unresponsive to their concerns.  The NTSB told News 4 they, like the FAA, were powerless to do anything.  But since we began looking into this story,
the agency now says it is investigating the XYZ-500.  And as one investigator told me quote I think now we have enough information and unfortunately carnage out there its time to do something.

[anchor small talk follows]

Larry Conners: So why hasn't something been done before now?

Lisa Brown: They could pass regulations but apparently its very very difficult they expect a strong backlash from the Experimental Aviation Association.  And that's uh, that's a powerful lobby group, and they oppose any kind of regulations.  So at this point it would be an uphill battle.

Larry Conners: They're still being built and sold.

Lisa Brown: Yep.  And flown.

Larry Conners: And flown.  Alright, all right, Lisa.

SHnPGIE's 2 cents:

I have so many thoughts on this subject that it isn't easily put on paper (this web site).

If you purchased either the xyz 500 or the 2 seater he has in development, Just do as the manufacture does, NEVER fly this craft, just lick your financial wounds n move on and LIVE your life by not flying it..................... Glenn Ryerson, Host of SHnPGIE

Ps
I personally can't wait until the TV Magazine show "60 Minuets" does a full hour on the above "Parts Manufacture", I have been told it is in the works. I am confident that 60 Minuets will put a dent in his parts sales n save many lives too..

View
Comments on the above
eM U're Comments to SHnPGIE 4 posting here

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New RW Owner n Builder

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The United States National Helicopter Championships
May 19-22, 1999, McMinnville, Oregon

World Helicopter Championships,
August 18-23, 1999, Nordlingen in North Bavaria, Germany

Event 1 - Navigation, Timed Arrival, and Load Drop Off
Event 2 - Precision flying and Precise Landing
Event 3 - Navigation
Event 4 - Slalom
Event 5 - Freestyle (Not conducted at the USNHC)

Here is what happened at the
World Helicopter Championships in 1996.

Helicopter Club of America

Someone should modify a ch-7 and win this,
R22s have won it in the past.
Karl Hartig

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17 th of April, 1999
I am delighted to announce that
Jack's Turbine Angel
had it's first flight this weekend. With only a
few minor problems, all went well in his first 4o minuets of flight.
......
Jack sent along a 2o min tape which I have only had time to view 2 minuets of so far. When I get a free hour or 2, I will digitize a few segments from his video and make a page or two out of his first flight video n post a link to it here on ShNPGIE's "New Stuff" page.

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Open letter to Bill Clinton

Mr. Clinton,                                                                                                      April 28th, 1999

As many of us lucky ones know, just leave America n go to any other country n 9 out of 10 will agree that the USA with all it's problems is the best.

However, even thou the USA may have less percapata serious crime than many other similar societies, Littleton Colorado is obviously un excusable.

Your gun control idea today is a start, but perhaps you should also consider a large tax on each and every violent act  portrayed in the movie industry, the television industry, the record industry, video games ect.

I for one am not a advocate of bigger government, so for me to suggest the above is out of character, but mostliekly only an total idiot will not agree that all the violence in the media contributes to many of the problems in the wonderful country of ours n needs to be addressed immediately.

Think about it, the extra tax money raised could be used to fund programs to counteract the problems the entertainment industry creates. And, obviously taxing per violent act will lower the amount of violence in the entertainment industry products, so win win all around, I think....

Sincerely,

Glenn Ryerson
Stroudsburg Pa, USA
 
 

Send a message to the President

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Sport Helicopter n Pilot Global Information Exchange
you feel it to be a worth wile web site and  are willing to contribute 1 dollar to insure it's continued existence on the InterNet by helping pay SHnPGIE's out of  pocket expenses,
please click the button below

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Old New Stuff Page 1
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Honestly speaking, SHnPGIE's contributions have dropped of tremendously in the last 6 months, if this means there is no longer much interest in this WWWeb site, well I'm sad to say that one day the "law of  the jungle" will likely take over n SHnPGIE will die.

Until than, please realize, I already contribute 10/20 hours a week hosting/editing SHnPGIE n I personally feel it only fair that the people that enjoy n profit from this site should also contribute something to help pay SHnPGIE's out of pocket expenses. So, needing cash for SHnPGIE  I  started selling a few things to help supplement SHnPGIE's contributions.

So, if  you're purchasing a book from Amazon, now or in the future, by clicking thru SHnPGIE, we will get a small (about $0.50) commission. Or if you use telephone cards, by purchasing from SHnPGIE, you will save a buck n SHnPGIE will make a buck since (we sell them for a dollar less than at your local convenience store). So if you have the need for one of the two for mentioned items, please click on the icon above.

It all adds up n will help maintain n perhaps allow me to cover additional helicoptering events, thus giving YOU more good stuff on helicopters to read n quality fotos to dream on n help SHnPGIE be on the WWWeb one more year.

It's all up to you, the reader  if  SHnPGIE is on the WWWeb after September 1999.
Right now I feel like the beggars we C on the PBS TV channels from time to time, they are annoying aren't they, sorry.

THANK YOU

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A Few
Good Helicopter n Aviation
...Related Books...
You may like to read
.

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Chicken Hawk is a story of a young boy that goes thru US Army  Warrant Officer Flight School becoming both a helicopter pilot and a man. The story starts in the late 60 in the USA, than onto VietNamand back. The author Bob Mason tells how he almost washed out of pre flight school but was allowed to take the "Hell Month" over again (6o days of Hell Month) and  almost a year later earned his wing as a Warrant Officer. He tells how he and many other set up one of the first Air Cavalry Divisions (perhaps the first, I can't remember). Any way, I  enjoyed Bob's book so much I have actually read 3 times so far and most likely will again. It is a great book for any one fascinated with the whirling wing/helicopter and or VietNam helicopter aviation. If you are forgetful like me, you can enjoy it 3 times for only $8.76 thru Amazon.com.

Almost every one knows Chuck Yeager was the first human to break the sound barrier. But the story that leads up to him being in the right place at the right time and having "the Right Stuff" is equally as interesting as his mach 1 story. If I remember correctly (I read this one a few years back n only once) this book also starts out when Chuck was a young man on a farm, following him thru Army flight school, a W.W.II P51 pilot in Europe and back to Murrock/Eedwards AF Base, retiring a Air Force Brig. General....... Great human aviation story, great W.W.II story and great aviation history story all rapped up in one book for just 6 bucks thru Amazon.com.

.
You may have seen the movie or perhaps the segment on 6o minuets or 2o/2o type TV show recently. What a story that starts with a grope of young soccer players on a twin engine turbo prop plane flying thru the Andes in Chili South America and does not make it. I do not want to give it a way, but is is a great story and just keeps on coming and coming as you turn the page. Once again, I read this one a few years ago and with my memory, I will take it with me on my next long airline flight and read/enjoy it all over. Alive is also a bargain at $5.59 thru Amazon.com.