S61 Questions

[Winnie]

Hi Y''all
A couple of S61 questions for the knowing.
What is the VALCOR valve, and where are the controls for this located? I have understood this helps control the temp on startup.
What are "T" checks?
On the checklist is says Cyclic.................T Check
All the 61 "experience" I have was on the Westland Sea King, and I was never up front in flight, so just a few things here to help me visualize again. Thankful for all information, and if anyone have pictures of the flight deck, I''d much appreciate that too!

Thank you for listening

 

[Bladestrike]

When you start the 61, you go straight to the idle gates upon reaching the required Ng, like a 206B, and the only way to modulate the temperature is through the VALCOR valve, controlled by a button on each cyclic that cuts some of the fuel going into the start when its depressed (it actually causes a valve in the auxiliary fuel line to close). It works very well and if standing outside during a start you can really hear it working. Each pilot will test his during the early stages of the start then the pilot flying will continue to use it to control the T5 (Power Turbine Inlet Temperature, the 5th engine temperature referred to by engineers. For example, the Compressor Inlet Temperature is T2, etc.) as required. The switch is only energized during the start.

The T check is a control check where you move the cyclic through a T, Full aft, full forward, and while full forward full left then full right, making a T. Used when checking the hydraulic or AFCS systems.

 

[a_c]

naw the file is huge....actually an acrobat file about 110mb..

 

[Winnie]

a_c
Well I guess size really does matter
Do you have a burner?
And if you do, if I send you a CD and some dough for postage, maybe you can make me one?

Bladestrike
Exactly what I was looking for, now I only need to find an S61 to practice my new knowledge!

 

[graunch1]

If you still need a xxxxpit photo I have some around that I haven't got scanned in yet. Check out hte phot section for one of MQF that I took many moons ago in Tuk.


"Helicopters are to flying as bagpipes are to music"

 

[a_c]

done and done

 

[Winnie]

G1, or should it Mach2?
On the Picture, I'll be looking, but what is a XXXXpit? I believe somebody needs to cut down on the sensorship, and if I'm right, it is not you G1
I saw you had a string about the two f104/cf104s that are being flown in the states, one of my cohorts from the museum back home is crew chief for them (He was in the RNoAF in the 60/70s and has tons of 104 experience)

 

[graunch1]

Hi Winnie,Yeah the auto censoring was kind of strange on the xxxx-pit word as the preview showed it ok. I know a few of the guys on the Starfighter team and the single CF104 is one I personally worked on at #1 Wing back inthe 60's.
It interesting that the a/c they are flying still have most of the original avionics from the 60s. What's your buddies name?

G-1 who has only gone 1.6 🙁

ps on preview this time it has xxx out xxxx-pit, so I should use swollen-member-pit perhaps???
Hey Kyle just joking

 

[Winnie]

I guess we could call it Rooster pit?
G1, the name is Odmund Bjoernaalie,
He is a current F16 Crew Chief at the 331st ftr sqn in Norway, as well as Base Ops/Visiting flights, and totally nuts about the F104. I helped him and a feller from Lockheed restore a U-2C for our museum, restored to represent the machine Francis Powers was flying when he was on his way to Bodoe, via the Sovie Union (he ended up in the slammer for a while...)

To the '61 people out there, what is the EXIS light? And if anyone got a POH lying around taking up space, give me a price and I'll help you get rid of it!

 

[Bladestrike]

An emergency exit lighting system, found around all the exits. Has its own power pack and when armed, comes on when you need it!

 

[Winnie]

Bladestrike, you come to the rescue again!
By the way, ref your handle, have you ever experienced one?
I did once in a Sea King, 3 blades all damaged beyond repair, add one drive shaft looking like a banana, and some fiber gass covers shattered. In addition to that there was an engineer on the outside looking VERY mad!

 

[graunch1]

Best I heard about (or worst - depending on your view of it

) occurred in Scotland at Bristow - 20+ years ago. According to one of my fellow wrenches who is now in Swaziland or some other place just as nice, was working there when TWM taxied in too close to the hangar in a great flourish and caught the tips on a 61. According to my friend who was in the jumpseat at the time. this puppy stopped real quick but not before it scattered those nice little dart-like tip weights for a km or so.
Luckily the guy standing out in front of the a/c was close enough and low enought to have all the bits pass him by

 

[Bladestrike]

Yup, in a 206, 19 years old, almost 1000 hours under my belt, and full of piss and vinegar. Had to ride in the caboose of an ore train for 12 hours to get back to base, load up a new blade, and head back north with an engineer. I thought my flying career was over and that train ride was the longest 12 hours of my life. Luckily everyone had taken a liking to me and I kept my job.

 

[Winnie]

About hitting other stuff with the rotors...
A friend of mine ruined his chances of rising higher in the military when he decided to taxi a Sea King between the terminal building and a parked Dash-7, first they struck the D-7, then the termianl building, to the great detriment of rotor blades, dash 7 and terminal building roof!
But he's still flying so all is well I guess.

In regards to my first mention, that was a bladestrike to the fuselage because of blade sailing during start up, thus not too much speed yet, just after the droop stops came out, but it didn't feel like a lot in the cabin, but the engineer turned red immediately!
They even had a great investigation to find out why it occured, as if that was not very obvious.
Seems they had built a Hardened Aircraft Shelter just downwind (from prevailing wind) to the pad where the sea king always started, and that caused a not too strong wind to cause the blades to sail excessively.
Nuff said, will appreciate more good S61 stories/tips!

 

[Over-Talk]

We all have little mishaps in our careers, as Bladestrike recently explained. As commercial pilots we try hard to avoid such events, to keep our lives, families, careers and reputations intact.

So, I am amazed that with all the crew on a Sea King that it can still be taxied through what was obviously a very small area (apparently too small !).

As a taxpayer who pays this crew's salary, and for all the damage they caused I feel very disappointed.

As a pilot, I am scared to hear "he's still flying so all is well I guess".

Then a request goes out for "more good S61 stories".

What is our Military all about ??? From this it appears to be about coming up with a darn good story to tell at the Officer's Mess-Hall that evening, regardless of the expense to us taxpayers.

If you want some more good "tips"....here's one; stop taking unnecessary risks at the taxpayer's expense, and if something does go wrong, at least have some humility about it, as Bladestrike did.

I realise many of you on this forum have made the transition from the military to the commercial world.
What do you think ?? Was it always like this ?? Is that why you got out ?? Did you succeed in the commercial world because you didn't have this mindset ??

What about you folks still in the appropriately named Department of Defence ??
Let's please hear at least one good defence to this tale, so as a taxpayer and pilot I don't feel so ashamed.

Then, in the other event it sounds like I (we) paid for a "great investigation to find out why it occured, as if that was not very obvious".

I feel violated in a delicate place. I used to carry a wallet back there to provide some protection, but too many Sea King taxiing (or should it be tax-ing) games have sucked out the contents !!