Simviation Forum - The status of Helicopters

Oct 29^th, 2008 at 8:06am

ShaneG Offline
Colonel
I turned into a Martian!

Posts: 10000

For my first poll ever, I will examine an interesting topic brought up in the beautiful aircraft post.

Just for some fun, thanks for voting. Wink

♪♫♪‼

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #1 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 10:17am

Rich H Offline
Colonel
Sweden Jamboree 2011!
Solihull, U.K.

Gender:
Posts: 2082

Of course they are.

"Politics" is made up of two words, "Poli", which is Greek for "many", and "tics", which are blood sucking insects. - Gore Vidal

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #2 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 12:33pm

Hagar Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

Helicopters defy all the laws of aerodynamics. They are simply so ugly that the earfh repels them. Tongue

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #3 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 1:14pm

expat Offline
Colonel
Deep behind enemy lines!

Gender:
Posts: 8499

Hagar wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 12:33pm:

Helicopters defy all the laws of aerodynamics. They are simply so ugly that the earfh repels them. Tongue

That or they should naturally screw themselves into the ground.

Matt

PETA People Eating Tasty Animals.

B1 Boeing 737-800 and Dash8 Q-400

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #4 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 1:18pm

Rich H Offline
Colonel
Sweden Jamboree 2011!
Solihull, U.K.

Gender:
Posts: 2082

What's so wrong with helicopters?

"Politics" is made up of two words, "Poli", which is Greek for "many", and "tics", which are blood sucking insects. - Gore Vidal

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #5 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 2:46pm

specter177 Offline
Colonel
Check out the Maverick
Flying Car!
I-TEC - X35

Gender:
Posts: 1406

I agree that some helicopters are good looking (beautiful is stretching it) but helicopters as a whole are not.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #6 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 3:39pm

Souichiro Offline
Colonel

Posts: 1092

I love the Hind Helos Except for the Hind A which is disgusting

&&

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #7 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 4:56pm

Sean_TK Offline
Colonel
Hello
USA

Gender:
Posts: 1620

Helicopters are great, and I have a hard time understanding why people seem to have issues with them!

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6384566

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6353432

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6344152

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6323262

http://www.airliners.net/photo/NHV---Noordzee/Eurocopter-AS-365N-3-Dauphin/11544...

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Eurocopter-AS-365N-3-Dauphin/1040757/M/

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #8 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:02pm

BFMF Offline
Colonel
Pacific Northwest

Gender:
Posts: 19820

Sean_TK wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 4:56pm:

Helicopters are great, and I have a hard time understanding why people seem to have issues with them!

Ever been to a vintage helicoptor fly-in....? I sure havn't.... Grin

COMPLETED: If Anyone Cares, Here's A Map Of My Current FSX Flight Around The World

My Reality Check Bounced

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #9 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:10pm

Sean_TK Offline
Colonel
Hello
USA

Gender:
Posts: 1620

It seems like the only people that don't like them are those that don't understand how they work, and/or are intimidated by them for some reason.
And I have been to a helicopter fly-in, which featured both modern and "vintage" flying and static displays, sponsored by this agency:
http://www.helicoptermuseum.org/

I have been around helicopters literally every day of my life, and I simply don't understand why people dislike them. Reasons please?

And as for the vintage comment.....I have seen plenty of flying helicopters that I would consider vintage or "almost-vintage" running about.
These include (with production dates):

Bell 47 series (1945)
Bell 206 (1962)
Piasecki H-21 (1949)
UH-1 "Huey" (1956)
CH-47 "Chinook" (1961)
AH-1 "Cobra" (1965)
OH-6/MD500 (1963)

^^ Perhaps you recognize a few of those names... Roll Eyes

It sure is funny that people hate what they don't understand.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #10 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:45pm

Rich H Offline
Colonel
Sweden Jamboree 2011!
Solihull, U.K.

Gender:
Posts: 2082

One of my favourite helicopters is the AH-64 Apache.

"Politics" is made up of two words, "Poli", which is Greek for "many", and "tics", which are blood sucking insects. - Gore Vidal

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #11 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 7:19pm

Hagar Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

Sean_TK wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:10pm:

It seems like the only people that don't like them are those that don't understand how they work, and/or are intimidated by them for some reason.

I have been around helicopters literally every day of my life, and I simply don't understand why people dislike them. Reasons please?

It sure is funny that people hate what they don't understand.

I worked with aircraft for almost 40 years & I still spend a lot of time around them. I understand how helicopters work which is the main reason I dislike them. Too many whirling bits & pieces for my liking. Tongue

PS. Apart from that I've never seen a helicopter that I would call beautiful. They all have the appearance of huge insects.

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #12 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 7:26pm

ShaneG Offline
Colonel
I turned into a Martian!

Posts: 10000

I must admit, when I went to Gatlinburg Tennessee, we went on one of their helicopter tours and it scared me to death! I got to sit up by the pilot, and when he started to hover above the dam and I looked down at my feet and saw nothing but several thousand feet worth of free fall, I prayed that he knew what he was doing! Grin

The landing really freaked me out too! Shocked

Helicopters also make for an interesting bailout if needed! Cheesy

But they do have a lot of good looking ones. Wink

♪♫♪‼

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #13 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 10:11pm

Flying Trucker Offline
Colonel
An Old Retired Rocking
Chair Flying Geezer

Gender:
Posts: 11425

Interesting poll Shane.

A handful of decades ago after I left the Royal Canadian Air Force to make my fortune flying in the Commercial Field of Avaition, companies like Purolator, etc were not even on the drawing boards.

I was fortunate after being with the Airline for a good many years, a Instructor Pilot with a good many noncurrent endorsements and having left behind or broken the stem on at least a dozen or more tobacco pipes by sticking them in my rear uniform pants pocket and then taking the pilots seat our company offered to pay for half a Rotary Commercial Licence for me.

Back then that was at least $12,000.00 Canadian Dollars and a good chunk of change. Well the Korean War was over, Bell 47s (Bubble Gum Machines) were everywhere and I had a good many rides in them. The Vietnam War had not started and I believe the Huey was still on the drawing boards.

Well Commercial Airline Instructor Pilots drank, sang and did all other weird things others would not even think of doing and we did them together.
One of those things was to make life as miserable for Helicopter Pilots as we could, why, because they were different. (unless they had a Fixed Wing Licence of course) Roll Eyes

It was thought, no it was known that helicopters were a moving mass of a million parts all flying in unison looking for a place to have an accident. Shocked

And of course most of us knew there was no future in Helicopters except for maybe the military. Huh

So I thanked our wonderful company and passed on that silly idea. Roll Eyes

After my retirement did I regret that decision, about as much as when I turned down the chance to fly the Boeing sportscar the 737. Not a dam bit. Wink

Amongst our children who are still serving in the military, one a Reservist who also flies for the Commercials, two (one boy and one girl) have Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing Licences.

So you see Shane there can be some dandy discussions around the dining room table and into the wee hours of the morning when we all get together. Grin

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Wink

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
P.S. I always put a little extra in two of our childrens stalking when they are here at Christmas as I don't think they have all their marbles.

« Last Edit: Oct 31^st, 2008 at 2:15pm by Flying Trucker »

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #14 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 10:18pm

BFMF Offline
Colonel
Pacific Northwest

Gender:
Posts: 19820

Sean_TK wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:10pm:

It seems like the only people that don't like them are those that don't understand how they work, and/or are intimidated by them for some reason.

I don't hate helicoptors, I just prefer to have wings and a propeller in front of me.

But for me, a fixed wing pilot, it's my duty to give helicoptors a hard time. Just like I do the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and the Marines. We don't hate each other, but we do like to give each other a little bit of crap every now and then.... Grin

COMPLETED: If Anyone Cares, Here's A Map Of My Current FSX Flight Around The World

My Reality Check Bounced

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #15 - Oct 29^th, 2008 at 10:22pm

a1 Offline
Colonel
Tied In A Knot I Am

Gender:
Posts: 8217

Helicopters are quite nice and may be beautiful. I really like the Blackhawks and consider them beautiful. Kiss

790i : QX9650 : 4Gb DDR3 : GeForce 8800 GTX : 1 WD Raptor : 1 WD VelociRaptor 150

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #16 - Oct 30^th, 2008 at 1:37pm

expat Offline
Colonel
Deep behind enemy lines!

Gender:
Posts: 8499

Sean_TK wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 5:10pm:

It seems like the only people that don't like them are those that don't understand how they work, and/or are intimidated by them for some reason.

As a licensed aircraft engineer (with more spannering time than your "been around helicopters literally every day of my life"), I can assure I have a very, very good idea of how helicopters work and am far from intimidated by any flying machine, having worked on more aircraft types than I care to remember, including a helicopter or two.

Matt

PETA People Eating Tasty Animals.

B1 Boeing 737-800 and Dash8 Q-400

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #17 - Oct 31^st, 2008 at 1:24am

An-225 Ex Member

HH-65!!!

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #18 - Nov 4^th, 2008 at 1:00pm

Isak922 Offline
Colonel
Consider yourself badgered!!!
Connecticut

Gender:
Posts: 1528

Only helo's I like are ones bristling with ammunition from every part of the Airframe!

Go attack helicopters! Grin

4GB DDR2 PC5300; 3.2GHz Pentium D 940, Nvidia 9800GT 1024MB DDR3, Windows XP Pro SP3

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #19 - Nov 11^th, 2008 at 11:22pm

BFMF Offline
Colonel
Pacific Northwest

Gender:
Posts: 19820

a1 wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 10:22pm:

Helicopters are quite nice and may be beautiful. I really like the Blackhawks and consider them beautiful. Kiss

Before, during, or after they crash...? Grin

COMPLETED: If Anyone Cares, Here's A Map Of My Current FSX Flight Around The World

My Reality Check Bounced

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #20 - Nov 14^th, 2008 at 9:59am

beaky Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender:
Posts: 14187

Helicopters generally are short on graceful curves, etc because they had to trade beauty for utility that blows away any airplane. Grin

But some are actually pretty, like the Hughes 500... insectoid, of course, but very nice lines, I think.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #21 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 3:27am

Staiduk Offline
Colonel

Posts: 1040

I dunno... Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder; I personally find helicopters amazingly graceful and quite beautiful. More so than airplanes; which I find generally functional in appearance. I think it has something to do with their grace in flight and basic weirdness that makes them so attractive. Still, if you're looking for pretty machines; these are really beautiful mahines! Grin

Cheers!

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #22 - Nov 20^th, 2008 at 5:54am