Seaking question

[MontyPlumbs]

Read an article once about camoflaging aircraft and colour schemes, (I know what you are thinking but I was bored at the time!) and it may have had a good reason for the one blade yellow on the SAR sea kings.

It's all to do with the human eye being attracted to movement (like when you're walking down the street and an attractive woman with large breasts comes towards you, you can't help yourself can you) DT_Xtremez_19:

Anyway, I digress. They tried painting all the blades the same, as on most helicopters. This formed a large disc shape when the rotors were turning. This is fine on a normal helicopter moving from one place to another as your eye is attracted to the movement of the aircraft as a whole.

Unfortunately SAR helicopters spend a large chunk of time in the hover and although a brightly coloured set of blades was visible, it didn't have the same effect as something that was moving.

So they painted just one blade yellow... which gave a strobe effect that was about 30 ft across (or however big a seaking rotor disk is!). Even when the helicopter is in the hover, it still has a large moving component, thus drawing even the most doziest of pilots eyes to it!:raf:

Anyway, you can wake up now..DT_Xtremez_06:

HTB

So, "stroboscopic" effect is the reason? Is this the same reason that turboprop s have red bits at each end of the blade. If so, why is just the one blade on a sea king painted?

Confused plumber.

MP

 

[MrMasher]

Only one blade needs to be a different colour. It has its top surface painted yellow.
This is the one that gives the said stroboscopic effect.

Each blade has a foot or so of yellow paint on the underside of the tip end for the same reason as the props having red at the tips.

 

[MontyPlumbs]

Roger dodger ten-four. Understood.

MP

 

[stacker1195]

Only one blade needs to be a different colour. It has its top surface painted yellow.
This is the one that gives the said stroboscopic effect.

Each blade has a foot or so of yellow paint on the underside of the tip end for the same reason as the props having red at the tips.

You know what, all 4 months I worked with the things that was the one question I always meant to ask but forgot.

 

[goldenballs mkII]

after a few years on sea king, I thought it was just to identify that that was no.3 blade! DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[born free now trapped]

Go on Masher why is it 3 blade and not 1? Be a good visual for the fold!

 

[PlymBoy]

Heh heh!
Used to work in a blade bay........DT_Xtremez_30:

Masher you dont want to be tooo obvious, hee hee. DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[PlymBoy]

Go on Masher why is it 3 blade and not 1? Be a good visual for the fold!

Coz 1 is master, this would make sense and the RAF aren't logical.DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[rhino]

Have any of you done the chopper courses at Westlands...if so what course and when?

 

[MrMasher]

Westlands numbered the blades, not the RAF!
It matters not where it is fitted to be honest, we've had to put it in another position before during rotortuning.
Why would it make sense to make no1 blade yellow? You dont look down on the top surface of it during fold/spread do you? Therefore it would be a poor visual.
Its more than likely something to do with component location when it was on LITS or the navy's 1st incarnation of WRAM maybe, or some such daft reason.
It can be fitted in any position, it still weighs the same and is balanced (36602+/-5 before sealing +/-15 after sealing!!DT_Xtremez_28: )to the same moment as any grey blade.

Yes rhino, in 2005 I did the blade repair course. I also did the Seaking Q there a few years before. Why do you ask?

 

[Teh Wal]

Go on Masher why is it 3 blade and not 1? Be a good visual for the fold!

The white chickenstick is the visual for the fold.

 

[MrMasher]

The white chickenstick is the visual for the fold.

If you've got one!!
No1 blade position light tends to be a good visual too!DT_Xtremez_30: