How do you land an overweight Huey?

[Reflected]

I’m pretty confident landing the Huey when it’s not overweight. But as soon as she’s heavy, I’m having trouble. I’m trying to go for fast approaches, but as soon as the speed goes below 40 knots no amount of cyclic can control the rate of descent and I just fall out of the sky. The only way is to land like an airplane, fast, sliding on the grass. Thanks for the advice in advance!

[Cibit]

How heavy are you ? How are you adding weight

[Reflected]

How heavy are you ? How are you adding weight

 

Not sure exactly, but it was the resupply mission of the Medevac campaign. I couldn't lift off more than 3 feet without losing RPM, and I had to rag her along the grass to hit transitional lift.

[QuiGon]

Not sure exactly, but it was the resupply mission of the Medevac campaign. I couldn't lift off more than 3 feet without losing RPM, and I had to rag her along the grass to hit transitional lift.

 

Have you tried landing the same way (touch down above 40 kn)?

[Cibit]

Running landing would be the correct way just don't dump the collective till you stop otherwise you will end up flipping. There is a way of adding weight via mission editor trigger so you can practice

The below example adds 1500Kg internal cargo (3300Lbs)

Just adjust to your requirements and have some practice:)

UH-1h heavy cargo test.miz

[Reflected]

Yes, that's the only way it works. But did real Huey pilots land like that?

[GunfighterSIX]

If you can get the aircraft light on the skids for takeoff, then you don't need to do a running landing. You just need to slow down your approach, get the aircraft into ground effect before getting below ETL. Make small smooth control inputs so you don't waste power.

[Holbeach]

Yes, that's the only way it works. But did real Huey pilots land like that?

 

Yes they did in Vietnam, where slide T/O and landings were common place when heavy and hot.

 

..

[Holton181]

And it's something we practiced during my EASA CPL(H) training aswell (not in a Huey of course). Good to master in real life commercial helicopter business aswell I guess.

[Reflected]

Thanks for the advice!

[Robert31178]

Yep on the running take offs. Because of the climate and such in Vietnam helicopters didn't have the same amount of "power" as they seemed to stateside, something to do with air density. The C models used as gunships were some of the most affected by this. I have read in more than a few books that the regularly had to use darn near a whole runway to get TL. I have even read that sometimes the gunner and crew chief had to get out and run along side of the Huey to help it even get started on a running take off!!!

 

As far as landing goes.....how are you getting to this point? A grossly overloaded Huey, assuming you can get it in the air, would burn fuel at a fantastic rate. Along with that, if you are going a short enough distance that you are landing int he same overweigh configuration, then why did you need to be that overloaded vs making an extra trip for the short distance? for the actual landing - yes, keep it low and moving forward, just like you would in an autorotation, and sure, skid it in if you have to. That'd be my recommendation, well, after saying don't overload it :-)

 

~S

Edited February 15, 2017 by Robert31178

[Xtrasensory]

I’m pretty confident landing the Huey when it’s not overweight. But as soon as she’s heavy, I’m having trouble. I’m trying to go for fast approaches, but as soon as the speed goes below 40 knots no amount of cyclic can control the rate of descent and I just fall out of the sky. The only way is to land like an airplane, fast, sliding on the grass. Thanks for the advice in advance!

 

I assume you mean collective? Else that would be your problem. Once slowing down and especially below 30-40kts you need to increase collective while maintaining your decelerative attitude with cyclic.

 

And as Gunfighter Six mentioned. If you are taking off and intend to land on the same location you should have enough power.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Xtrasensory

[Reflected]

I assume you mean collective? Else that would be your problem. Once slowing down and especially below 30-40kts you need to increase collective while maintaining your decelerative attitude with cyclic.

 

yes yes, sorry, I meant collective.

[crudboy12]

I’m pretty confident landing the Huey when it’s not overweight. But as soon as she’s heavy, I’m having trouble. I’m trying to go for fast approaches, but as soon as the speed goes below 40 knots no amount of cyclic can control the rate of descent and I just fall out of the sky. The only way is to land like an airplane, fast, sliding on the grass. Thanks for the advice in advance!

Be careful to not descend too fast while going too slowly. Choppers seem to like to enter vortex ring state more easily when overburdened. Try to plan your landings so that you don't enter a hover until you are only a few feet above your target, and keep moving forwards until then.

[Los]

You might want to read ChickenHawk...your predicament was basically a regular occurrence on many of his missions:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Chickenhawk-Robert-Mason/dp/0143035711

[Reflected]

You might want to read ChickenHawk...your predicament was basically a regular occurrence on many of his missions:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Chickenhawk-Robert-Mason/dp/0143035711

 

Thanks, I'm secretly waiting for it to be released on audible :)