Army Aviation Digest - Apr 1977

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UNITED ST TES ARMY PRIL 97VIATION GEST

I D TH HI D


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UNITED

MG James C. SmithCOMMANDER

U.S. ARMY AVIATION CENTERA major activity of theArmy Training and Doctrine Command

COL Keith J. RynoHCOMMANDER

ARMY AGNECY FOR AVIATION SAFETYA major activity of theGeneral and Auditor Generalof the U.S. Army

Richard K TierneyEDITOR

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST

ABOUT THE COVERDIGEST thanks the U.S. Army

and Technology Center,VA for the excellentand back cover photos of the

Soviet Hind helicopter

ST TES RMY VI TION

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APRIL 1977 VOLUME 23 NUMBERSoviet Airmobile Tactics Peter J. Bloke .............................Behind The Hind, LTC Wolter Urbach Jr ..............................New Guy Goes I M C, W l Lon C. Cooper ...........................Airmobile Operations Under Radio Silence Conditions

CPT David R. Reger .............................................................Safety And The Supervisor, MAJ Kenneth A. Gehler ...........Seeing Is Believing, CPT John B. Boney Jr. .. ........................EPMS Corner SFC Douglas E. Allen .....................................What Is Your Instrument I.O.? CW2 Michael L. Broich ........OPMS Corner MAJ Richard A. James ..................................Pipeline ............................................................................Views From Readers .......................................................After The Engine Fails, What? Patrick J. Hollifield ...........Anatomy Of An Accident ..............................................Where Have We Been? ...................................................What Would You Prescribe? ..........................................A Look At P1 Multiplier Failures, Clarence J. Corter ........Pearl .................................................................................OH-S8 Control Removal ................................................ATe Action Line .............................................................1st Brigade Is Back ................................Inside Back Co

The mission of the US RMY VI TIO DIGEST i Lo provide information of an operational orfunctional nature concerning afety and aircraft accident prevention . training. maint nance. operations.research and development. aviation medicine and other related data .The DIGEST is an offical Departmentof the Arm y periodical published monthly under the upervi ion ofthe Commanding General. Army Aviation Center . Views expre ed herein are n01 necessarily tho e ofthe Department of the Army nor the U .S. Army Aviation Center. Photos are .S . Army unless otherwi especified . Material may be reprinted provided credit is given to the DIGEST and to the author . unle sotherwise indicated .Articles. photos . and item of interest on Army aviation are invited . Direct communication IS authorizedto: Editor . US RMY VI TION DIGEST Fort Rucker. AL 36362 .This publication has been approved by Th Adjutant General. Headquarters. Departmentof the Army . 23December 1975 . in accordance with AR 310-1.Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint distribution sy tem a outlined in AR 310-1Complete DA Form 12-5 and end directly to CDR. AG Publication Center. 2800 Eastern BoulevardBaltimore . MD 21220. For any change in distribution requirements. initiate a revised DA Form 12-5

ontrolled circulation paid at Pensacola . FL .ational Guard and Army Reserve unit under pinpoint distribution also should submit DA Form 12-5Other ational Guard units should ubmit request through their state adjutant general.Those not eligible for official distribution or who desire personal copies of the DIGEST can order themagazine from the uperintendent of Document . U .S . Government Printing Office . Wa hington. D 2040:lAnnual ub cription rate are 15.70 dome tic and 9 6 t; over ea .


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The YAK 24 Horse of more than 20 years ago established load and altituderecords . Succeeding pages show a few of the helicopters n the Soviet inventory

AirmobileMajor Peter J Blake

HHC 22nd Aviation attaliorAPO Seattle 98731

TacticsThis article represents the opinions of the author which are derivedfrom his studies in open literature. They in no way represent or implyindorsement by the U. S Army Aviation Center the Department of

Army or the Department of Defense


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S OVIET AIRMOBILITYhas corne of age as a potentpart of the Soviet forcescombined arms team. Theevolution of a large modernhelicopter fleet within theSoviet Union bears witness tothe fact that Soviet militaryplanners have not ignoredthis critical aspect of moderncombat. This article examines the intensified interestthat the Soviets have beenshowing in airmobile operations; the helicopters that currently are in their inventory ;and the methods and tactics oftheir employment in combat.

The combat effectivenessof the U.S. Army is depen-dent on the helicopter The

helicopter has revised theconcept of the modernbattlefield , reducing troopexposure and enhancingeconomy of force. 1The truth of this statementby former Under Secretary ofthe Army Norman R. Augustine certainly has not beenlost on the other armies ofthe world. A quick look at theforeign military sales beinggenerated by the UnitedStates alone will show thatcountries throughout theworld consider the helicopterto be a very desirable pieceof military equipment. In terest has heightened withthe realization of the potential of the helicopter as afirst-rate antitank system.

The Mi-24 Hind could carry eight combat equipped soldiers but its punch comesin armament - a nose mach inegun , four antitank missiles and four pods each with

3 57 mm rockets

Recognition of this potentialby European military powersis evident:In virtue of their ma-neuverability , their greatfirepower , and the possibil-ity of employing themrapidly and against a target ,combat helicopters ought toplaya major role as pow-e r ful an ti tan k weaponryin conducting defensive bat-tles 2The new concept of thetank destroyer gunshipTDG ) emerges ; an idealstep towards a groundcombat weapon , capable offlying , has been takenThe main task of the TDGis combat against tanks ;beyond this it should bec p b l e of c r ry ingout additional missionsthrough its movement andarmament: escort for transporthelicopter units . fire support from theair against enemy airborneoperations 3... the tank destroyergunship , as an operativestrong point weapon of thefuture , has a far greatereffectiveness than everypresently known and con-ceivable weapon systemwhich is being developed 4The Soviets have taken noteof the U S Army s development of airmobile operationsand have seriously studiedour tactics and technology.Their writings show an

awareness of our tactics notonly as an essential aspect ofa modern highly mo bilearmy 5but also with respect tospecialized training in combating a helicopter threat. 6In addition for many yearsSoviet writers have been advocating the employment ofhelicopters as an integralpart of the combined arms



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team irrespective of Westernactions. The numerous missions which the Soviets havetraditionally considered forairborne forces are now beingproposed as excellent forhelicopter-landed forces becaus of the helicopter 's highmaneuverability; fewer cons t r in t s f rom dverseweather; faster employment;and very small requirementfor specialized training. 7 Inan article entitled , ManeuverIn Battle , Colonel V. Sankin,a prominent Russian militarytheoretician states:Maneuver by air can beconsidered a fourth form ofmaneuver in modern com-

bat. The great spatial sweepof combat action and thetrend toward executing mis-sions in compressed periodsof time and , hence , the muchgreater importance of thefactor of time - all this increases the role played bymaneuver by air and it inturn contributes to con-tinuity of attack and attain-ing a high tempo. 8A number of additionalexamples of the Sovietawareness of helicopter potential on the modernbattlefield could be cited butthis should suffice when it isrealized that they havebacked up this awarenesswith a modern helicopterfleet and complete tactics ofemployment.The Soviet Union 's armedforces have a large 2 ,500) 9helicopter fleet which is beingrapidly modernized. Themajority of these helicoptersare assigned to multipurposehelicopter units which are organized as part of the FrontalAviation Army. These unitsare regimental size and include the assets nece ary toconduct a tactical lift of acomplete motorized rifle ba t-April 1977

The Mi-8 Hip can accommodate up to 32 equipped soldiers . Four 16 pod 57 mmrockets can be mounted suiting th is hel icopter to either transport , airmobile orground attack roles

talion. lo The Frontal AviationArmy stationed with theGroup of Soviet Troops inGermany (GSTG) has two orthree helicopter regimentsassigned. t is important toremember that the FrontalAviation Army, which is assigned to the military districteven in peacetime , enablesthat commander to have immediate control of the groundforces plus the aviation support should war break OUt.1 2Although the Soviet Unionis the world 's leader in heavylift helicopters , these hugetransports probably will notbe found as an organic partof the regiment. The primaryvehicles of the modern Sovietforce are the Mi-8 Hip andthe Mi-24 Hind. The Mi-8 firstwas introduced in its militaryversion in 1967. I t has twin1,500 horsepower turbine engines and is capable of carrying 24 passengers or 8,800pounds internally or 6,600pounds externally. The Hiphas a cruising range of 264miles with a maximum cruising speed of 140 mph. 3 Militaryversions can be equipped withexternal stores which can berockets , machineguns , or ant i t nk guided miss i le s(ATGM).The Mi-24 gunship whichhas been in service sinceearly 1974 has been produced

in two versions , the Hind B(w hich preceded the Hind A)which is armed with a 12.7mm machinegun and four 57mm rocket pods. In additionto this armament, the Hind Ahas an outboard weapons station on each auxiliary wingwhich mounts launch rails fortwo Swatter or Saggerantitank missiles. The Mi-24is powered by two turbineengines that are thought to besmaller than the system inthe Mi-8. 4The new FM 90-1,Employment of Army Aviation Units In A High ThreatEnvironment , asserts thatthe Hind A also is armed witha 23 mm cannon mounted in achin turret. 15 This possibilitywas substantiated by A VI A-TION WEEK ND SP CETECHNOLOGY in a news report stating:Soviet Union has a majorprogram underway to develop an advanced attackhelicopter , a long range ,self-guiding missile to armit and the tactics necessaryto employ it in conjunctionwith a mobile armoredstrike for e So vie t shave flown a new attackhelicopter , with a differentrotor system , t ndemgunner pilot seating and aradar directed 3 mm gunContinued on Page

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hindThe

indThis article has been prepared exclusively from unclassified sources primarilySoviet. Technical data on the Hind was extracted from the January 1976 issue ofInteravia It in no way represents or implies the views of the U.S. Army Aviation

Center the Department of the Army or the Department of the Defense.

LTC Walter Urbach Jr.Notional War College

Fort L J. McNairWashington DC

S OVIET GROUND force doctrine andtraining for both conventional and nuclearwarfare place primary emphasis on offensive operations. Their major efforts are directed toward maximizing the use of sur-prise , firepower , maneuver and speed. Inorder to enhance attainment of their goals,the Soviets ha ve devoted great effort tostudying the tactical successes of Westernarmies and applying those lessons to theirown technological efforts.Former Secretary of Defense DonaldRumsfeld s Posture Statement for FY 1977revealed that helicopter production is theonly major weapons system area in whichthe United States still leads the USSR - alead which may be slowly dissipating.The Soviet component comparable to U. S.Army aviation has been receiving steadilyincreasing attention as evidenced by forcestructure changes and equipment mo -dernization efforts. The heavy emphasisplaced upon airmobility by the U. S. Army andthe demonstrated combat utility of thehelicopter in Korea and South Vietnam haveundoubtedly influenced Soviet efforts.Soviet journals pay a great deal of attentionto U. S. airmobility doctrine but , typically,Soviet efforts are inadequately publicized Inour own professional journals. Therefore, alook at their most recently fielded tacticalhelicopter should prove instructive.First let us recognize that, because of the4

Soviet Union s centrally controlled economicsystem, it is better able than the West to focusdevelopment and production efforts duringpeacetIme. This in turn results in accelerateddevelopment cycles for weapons systems.Thus, they have been able to progress within 6years from an initial policy of modifyingexisting helicopters to carry armaments, tofielding , in 1973, a fully developed troopcarrying gunship designed specifically for thecombat role. This new type helicopter, the MilMi 24 , is code named Hind and its description ,capabilities and probable employment are thesubjects of this article.The Hind appears to combine the squadcarrying capability of the U. S. Army s UH 60AUTTAS with the firepower of the AH -64A AAH(excluding HELLFIRE) , neither of which haveyet gone into production. Although the Hindprobably does not match the technologicalsophistication found in either the UTTAS or theAAH , it is an impressive piece of equipmentwhose dynamic systems (engines, rotors andtransmission) are all of new or improveddesign.With an estimated maximum gross weight of18,500 pounds, the Hind has twin gas turbineengines with projected power in the vicinity of1,500 shp (shaft horsepower ) each. Retractablelanding gear and stub wings combine to assistin attaining speeds in excess of 160 knots.The five bladed main rotor and three bladedtail rotor are hydromechanicall y controlled



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and designed to reduce the helicopter noisesignature. Both rotor systems have electrictrim and deicing. Although we do not yet knowhow effective this rotor deicing capability is ,the fact that it exists on equipment in the fieldrepresents a significant advantage overcomparable U S helicopters. Deicing for theengine air intakes and the windshield isaccomplished by diverting warm air from thecockpit/cabin heater .The three man crew consists of a pilot ,copilot and gunner. The pilot and copilot sitside-by-side (with the pilot on the left ) immediately behind the gunner who controls hispanoply of weapons from the nose of theship. Behind the crew compartment is alarge cabin capable of carrying 16 lightlyarmed troops or a fully equipped eight manantitank squad.The armament system is equally impressiveand consists of a nose mounted 12.7 mmmachinegun and wing stations which can .accommodate four antitank guided missilesand 128 free flight armor piercing rockets (infour pods . The normal missile /rocketconfiguration may be tailored to carry larger

April 1977

caliber air-to-surface rockets , gun pods orbombs in any combination. Recent Sovietwritings have led to speculation that they maybe also experimenting with air-to-air missilesand developing tactics for an anti air(helicopter and fixed wing) role.No information is available on the Hind's

maintenance requirements. however, theycontinue to follow the pattern of earlierhelicopters , we can expect 1,000 hours beforethe first scheduled major maintenanceinspection and 500 hours between subsequentinspections. One Western helicopter expertobserved, It 's undoubtedly true that all youhave to do to keep their helicopters operatingbetween overhauls is to pour oil into thetransmission and fuel into the tank. Performance parameters of the Hind appearto be quite adequate for its dual missioncapability. The Hind has a maximum sea levelspeed of 168 knots and an endurance of 2 hoursand 25 minutes at a sea level cruising speed of159 knots. t can climb at the rate of 2,460 fpm(feet per minute) at sea level; has a 14 ,700 footservice ceiling ; and can hover out of ground

ontinued on page 6

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M ODERN ARMIES have capitalizedheavily on technical advances in the area ofelectronic communications to keep all levels ofthe chain of command informed of the latestdevelopments in a constantly changing fieldsituation. Aviation units have come to relyalmost exclusively on the radio during aerialoperations. This is partially because of a lack ofdevelopment of any realistic alternate method- and partially because our most recentbattlefield opponent displayed no real capacityof radically affecting our mission throughelectronic countermeasures.Our potential enemies place great stock inthe effects of electronic warfare andaccordingly equip even their smallest unitswith jamming devices capable of disruptingradio communications. I t IS not unreasonableto expect that our next adversary will possessthe means necessary to at times make controlthrough radio communications difficult, if notimpossible.Unfortunately radio beams do notdistinguish friend from foe and anyone on thesame frequency within range can monitor. Theavailability of direction-finding equipmentmakes every radio transmission a possiblesource of locating friendly positions. Byplotting a series of aircraf t transmissions, theenemy could easily determine direction andrate of travel, and alert antiaircraft emplacements along the expected route.Radar used on the ZSU 23 4 is much moreeffective scanning a 60-degree arc than a fullcircle. The probability of receiving enemy fireis increased every time the trigger is pulled totransmit over tactical radios. Terrain flightaltitudes are a definite plus for airmobileoperations in future battlefield environments,but the effectiveness of operating at thesealtitudes will be partially negated if radiotransmissions are allowed to give awayaircraft locations. Therein lies the problem.Aircrews operating in low intensity andtraining environments tend to coordinatelast-minute details over the radio while enrouteto accomplish the mission. This type ofcoordination has definite positive implications.Airmobility has enjoyed success because oftimely reaction and instant flexibility causedby rapid communication. On the negative side ,many unnecessary transmissions are made. I fradio traffic is to be reduced or eliminated withthe ensuing loss of enroute coordination overtactical radios, premission planning becomes a

8

irmobileOperationsUnder

RadioSilenceConditionsCaptain David R Reger

Operations OfficerDepartment of Undergraduate Flight Training

U . S. rmy v iation CenterFort Rucker L

major area of interest. Additionally, visualsignals must be developed which compensatefor the loss of radios in certain environmentsand help to retain flexibility and timelyreaction.The following information is offered as aguide to the premission planning phase of radiosilence airmobile operations and preplannedsignals which encompass the more commonevents and maneuvers associated withairmobile operations. Unit SOPs (standingoperating procedures) should be developed toencompass specific unit needs and eachcrewmember should be made thoroughlyaware of the contents.Preplanning Phase. Upon receipt of theoperations order, the air mission commandershould: Plan a route of flight and perform a map study to determine the best route of flight using



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terrain features which will conceal theformation from known or suspected enemylocations. Designate aerial checkpoints which arerecognized easily and can be used to checkenroute times; change route directions; signalimpending change of formation; and align theformation for final approach. Perform an aerial photo or map study ofavailable landing zones (LZs) to determineapproach and departure paths and landingdIrection; use the most current weatherforecast to choose the landing direction withfavorable winds; study the intelligencesummary to pinpoint and avoid enemylocations; and, using the above information,determine the best formation for landing. Select alternate LZs which can be used ifenemy presence will render the primary LZunusable; ensure al ternate LZs are located atsites which facilitate mission accomplishment. Measure the route to see i refueling isnecessary during the mission; plan the route toinclude stops at existing F ARRPs (forwardarea refueling and rearming points) orarrange for prepositibned fuel as required. Designate coordination points throughoutthe mission where key personnel can gather tocoordinate any last-minute changes to themission; prior to start, assembly area , pickupzone (PZ) and refuel points are considerations. Use reverse planning sequence todetermine start time; formup time; assemblyarea time; PZ arrival and departure time ifdifferent from assembly area); checkpointtime; refueling times, as necessary;supporting fires start and stop times, if used;and use 1 knots less than cruise for planningpurposes. Areas close to or beyond the forwardedge of the battle area (FEBA) which willrequire nap-of-the-earth (NOE) flight shouldbe timed accordingly.April 1977

encountering unexpected [Me enroutewould require radio silence be broken sth t positive control of the form tioncould be m int ined nd bre kupprocedures implemented

Coordinate supporting fires and helicoptergunship cover. Designate signals to be used for anymission peculiar functions not covered in theunit SOP. Brief all aviation and support personnelsimultaneously, i possible.Now that the bas-ic plan has been discussed,the next step is to determine appropriateformation signals. Maneuvers common to allairmobile operations and signals that can beused are covered in the following paragraphs.Star t . All aircraft will start engines 1minutes prior to formup time when flight lead'sblades begin to turn. If this occurs at thebasefield or other secure area, a communications check will be made on all mission frequencies to ensure radio communication withall elements. Each navigator/crewchief canexit the aircraft at this time to act as fire guardand to signal the condition of the aircraft bythumbs up or down to the lead shipnavigator/crewchief. At night the fire guardmay signal the aircraft up by waving oneflashlight vertically or signal it down by waving one flashlight horizontally.

Formup. All aircraft will move into thepredesignated formation when lead begins tomove . f it is to be a large formation, aircraftshould move in order of chalk number to lessenthe possibility of confusion.Aircraft Loaded. Once the formation is inplace, each navigator/crewchief will exit theaircraft and take a position in view of the flightlead navigator/crewchief. When the aircraft isloaded each navigator/crewchief will signalthe lead aircraft with a thumbs-up signalduring daylight operations and will wave oneflashlight vertically during night operations.The navigator/crewchief will remain outsidethe aircraft until the signal for operating RPM

ontinued on page 8

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ewpeople realize the number of lives and dollars th tare lost each year to accidents The key to s fety is superv sion

up rvisoror flying but will be dangerous until gaining the skillthrough training and experience. One might have theknow ledge and skill but without exercising self-disciplinewill be subject to unneces-sary risks and thereby increase the chances for an accident. In order to effectivelyreduce the human error mar-gin, there must be an effectiye b l ~ n d of knowledge, skill,dIscIplIne and supervision.The crux of eliminating thehuman error has got to be atthe operating level: company, platoon, section, etc. tis essential that operatorsknow the equipment and itscapabilities and limitations invarying environments. Theymust know th i r owncapabilities and not go beyondthem. They must exerciseself-discipline through the useof common sense, good judgment and adhering to estab-

April 1977

lished standards, regulationsand policies. When theoperators possess the requiredknowledge and skill and exercise good discipline, theygreatly reduce the chances ofhaving aQ accident due to anerror on their part .The most important ingredients in reducing the humanerror aspect are the super-visors company commanaer,platoon leader , sectionleader). The primary causefactor of accidents is the lackof supervision or the atti tude ofthe supervisors. When thesupervisors lack the knowledge of th i r people scapabilities and the equipmentthey operate, they cannot effectively exercise propersupervision. f they display afatalistic or lax attitude toward safety by philosophizingthat accidents are inevitableand cannot be prevented, thisattitude will prevail through-

out and accidents will occur.Accidents just don t hap-pen; they are caused. Supervisors must know what thecause factors of accidents arein order to prevent them.They must be able to identifypotential hazards personnelwho are sick or who are notpsychologically in the rightframe of mind to safely perform their mission) and takepositive, prompt steps toeliminate the potential accident. They must be on thealert and lw ys looking forpotential accident indicators.

f supervisors see a driverdriving too fast, they shouldtake action then and notwait. f it happens again,they should relieve thedriver. f aviation super-visors see aviators who haveor are performing in an unsafe manner, they definitelyhave to take positive action.They might just counsel the11


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aviators. They might wantinstructor pilots to fly withthe aviators and evaluate themfrom a safety standpoint.They might want to relievethem of aircraft commanderresponsibilities. and makethem copilots until the aviatorshave demonstrated that theyare capable of reassuming theresponsibilities of aircraftcommander.In any case, supervisorscannot just stand by idly and hope that the potential accident threat will disappear.They must take whatever action they deem necessary toreduce or eliminate the problem.Lack of supervision alsomay stem from oversupervision in one area and com-pletely overlooking anotherarea. This sometimes hap-pens in aviation units. Interest is directed solely to- aircraft and flying and as aresult there is a lack ofsupervision in operation andmaintenance of wheel vehicles. Normally, however,when an aviation unit has afine aviation safety record itwill have good safety in allareas of opera.tion within thecompany because the safe attitude developed toward flying will carryover into theother areas.Supervisors are responsiblefor permeating a safe atti-tude to all of their subordinates. Enthusiasm is contagious. Supervisors must display an enthusiastic attitudetoward safety and let theirtroops know they are deadserious about safety. Theymust let them know by theiractions that they are concerned for their safety andalso that they will not tolerate negligence that mightcause a loss of lives and/or.equipment. Supervisors can-12

not compromise. They mustset the example and demonstrate good safe procedures.The second element, themachine, is a primary participant in a vast majority ofmilItary accidents. Its dam-age or loss represents loss indollars but it is not normallythe primary cause factor ofaccidents. Materiel failureoccurs much less frequentlythan human failure.Many mechanical malfunctions are the result of anoperator who exceeds theoperat ing l imits, or themechanic who overtorques anut, or has not assembled asystem properly on themachine. Close supervisionand technical inspections cangreatly reduce these mal-functions attributed to humanerrors.The final element, the environment, again is not a leading cause factor of militaryaccidents. t is, in manycases, a contributing factor tothe accident. Extreme temperature conditions may causea driver to be less alert mentally.People playfully wrestlingin a work area could create adistraction for a personoperating a piece of equipment and this could result inan accident. Rain and snowcre te unf mil i r andhazardous driving conditionsfor the driver of a militaryvehicle.

In aviation there are regulations governing our limitsin adverse weather. This doesnot mean, however, that anaviator should fly just be cause the weather is withinprescribed regulation limits.Good judgment and commonsense has to be exercised bythe driver or aviator in allcases when dealing with unfamiliar weather or environ-

ment. Supervisors must beaware of these environmentalfactors so they can sensiblyeducate their people on howto cope with these dangersand reduce the possibility ofthe environment luring theminto an accident.Units can and have maintained zero accident rates. Anaviation company commanderin U S Army EuropeUSAREUR) recently maintained a zero accident ratewith both wheel vehicles andaircraft, yet he never conducted a safety meeting oncedur ing his t enure ascommander. Why was he sosuccessful? He felt that safetymeetings were not the answerbecause many people automatically form a mental blockwhen they know they are required to attend a safety lecture. He solved the problem byliving, preaching and breathing safety all the time. Heencouraged everyone andanyone to discuss anythingconcerning safety during hisweekly command meetings.He always conducted a debriefing after an airmobileoperation.Again, he encouraged hispeople to discuss anythingthey might have observedduring the operation that theyfelt was an unsafe condition.He made his people feel thatthey were an important rolein the safety program.Safety councils and unitsafety officers are very helpful but the key to safety is thesupervisors. They instill thespirit and attitude of safetywithin their troops and oncethey have accomplished thisthey will greatly increasetheir chances of achieving azero accident rate As it hasbeen so aptly stated manytimes in the Army, safety is aCommand e s p o n s i b i l i t y ~

U S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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Seeing s Believing

Captain John D Boney Jr.Section Leader 5 st viation Company

South Carolina Notional Guard

During review of this article the Director of Evaluation/Standardization Ft.Rucker stated that the author should be commended on his actions pointingout this could very easily have been an accident report instead of a safetyarticle. We agree

O 7 NOVEMBER 1976 CW2 Paul T. Lyell were requested and we assisted the attendantand I departed McEntire Air Base enroute to in refueling the UH-I. There were 100 gallonsSavannah Georgia on a mission. This is recorded on the pump register and we paid fornormally a 1lj2-hour flight and with a 21/2-hour it on a government civilian credit card.fuel capacity on the UH 1 Huey Savannah is As we proceeded through the checklist afterwithin the fuel range. starting the aircraft we noted that the fuelHowever on this particular morning we quantity gauge indicated only 275 pounds ofencountered strong headwinds and the fuel fuel. This was the same indication that was onconsumption rate was above the average the gauge prior to our refueling. The gauge waslimits. About halfway into the flight a fuel retested and it was determined that one of twoconsumption check determined that the fuel things had occurred.would be uncomfortably low upon arrival. We One the UH 1 fuel indicator was defective.decided to stop at Walterboro Airfield for fuel. Or two fuel did not go into the tank.Local policy was that only 100 gallons or less Since only 100 gallons of fuel were takenof noncontract fuel be used due to the price onboard it was impossible to verify physicallydifferential. Therefore 100 gallons of jet fuel that fuel did go into the tank. We both had seenApril 1977 13


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the 100 gallons register on the fuel pump and allvisual indications were that the fuel went intothe Huey. We knew that 100 gallons wouldeasily carry us the 40 miles to our destination.into the tank and requested that the attendanttop the tank off so he could physically verifythat the fuel was there. Mr. Lyell and I beganthe refueling process. Fuel flowed into the tankfor a few seconds and then only air came out ofthe hose. However the pump indicator stil l wasregistering that fuel was flowing into the tank

By now our time schedule was becomingcritical. A delay would make us late picking upa colonel to fly him to the state adjutant generaland his staff who were awaiting the colonel sarrival. We managed to take on 50 gallons of gas andcontinued to Savannah for refueling.Points of consideration:hat would you have doneWe decided that safety was our first priorityand returned to the gas pump. I contacted theattendant and insisted that he demonstratethat fuel was coming out of the nozzle. Theattendant act ivated the nozzle and fuel pouredout onto the ground.

When taking on less than a full loadcrosscheck for actual fuel flow with the pumpmeter and verify it with the UH 1 gauge. Take on a full fuel load when possible andphysically verify that the gas went into thetank. When in doubt say, safety firststill was not convinced that the fuel went

SFC Douglas E AllenAviation Career AdvisorU . S Military Personnel Center

Alexandria, VA

AIRCRAFT QUALITY ControlSupervisor Course Military Occu-pational Specialty MOS) 67W.School quotas are available for theaircraft quality control supervisorcourse at Ft. Eustis, VA. Applications are being accepted from personnel in grade E5 who have at tained E6 promotion standing liststatus and personnel in grade E6who are not in the zones of consideration for promotion to E7.Personnel who will be due overseas tours in comparison with theircontemporaries upon completionof school will not be allowed to attend in TDY and return status.

Applications will not be accepted14

nlisted Personnel Management Systemfrom personnel who are on assignment instructions.

Soldiers serving in overseasareas who desire school trainingshould apply approximately 8months before their normal dateeligible for return from overseas(DEROS). Applications shouldoriginate at unit level and be fo rwarded through channels to Military Personnel Center (MI LPE RCEN).Enlisted Preference StatementDA Form 2635 . The enlisted preference statement has been revisedto work in conjunction with Standard Installation/Division Personnel System (SIDPERS).Soldiers who have completed apermanent change of station (PCS)move since they last submitted apreference statement should con sider preparing a new one. The DAForm 2635 should be completed asaccurately as possible and routedthrough the Soldiers servicingMilitary Personnel Office (MI LPO)to MILPERCEN.Looking for an Exciting Career?Vacancies exist in the air trafficcontrol field (MOS) 93H and 93J ingrades E4 and E5.

Applications are .being accepted

from personnel on career status ingrades E4 and E5 who are currentlyin an overstrength MOS.Applicants for MOS 93H and 93J

must possess a general technical(GT) or skilled technical (ST) scoreof at least 105 and be able to pass aclass f l ight physical. Prerequisities and school data arelisted in DA Pam 351-4, formalschool catalog. School applicationshould be initiated at unit level andbe forwarded through commandchannels to MI LPERCEN.

Secondary Military Occupa-tional Specialty SMOS). Personnel in grades E6, E7, E8 and E9 arereminded of the requirement to beidentified with at least one MOS inaddition to their primary militaryoccupational specialty (PMOS) .Personnel in grades E 1 throughE5 are encouraged to acquire anSMOS in order to perm t greateruse of skills . The SMOS may beawarded based on prior militaryservice, civilian acquired skills oron-the-job training.Personnel in all grades shouldnot hold an SMOS which progresses into their PMOS . MOS qualifications are listed in AR 61 1-201and 611-202.



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CW Michael L BroichDeportment of Graduate Flight Training

U. S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, AL

WH TISYOURINSTRUMENT

ALTHOUGH THE NightHawk Program, NOE (napof-the-earth), tactical instruments and mid-intensity warfare are front and center inthe Army aviation world, weall still are required to maintain proficiency in standardinstrument practices and procedures.The following is a little quizto help test your instrumentIQ. It poses 20 quest ionsabout stateside instrumentprocedures - some easy,some hard, some old, somenew. All should be tmderstoodthoroughly. So take this littlequiz - and come your nextinstrument checkride, youcan impress your friendlyneighborhood examiner.Answers and discussions beginApril 1977

on the following page .1. You are issued the following IFR (instrument flightrules) clearance, ...clearedas filed, Hartford Two Departure, Cruise 5 000 .... This isauthorization for you to climbto 5 000 feet, proceed to thedestination airport and descend and make an instru-ment approach without anyfurther clearance. True orFalse?2. Density altitude (DA) is

as important for instrumentoperations as it is for VFR(visual flight rules) flights.Without using a density altitude chart or an E68 computer, figure DA from the following information: You arein your aircraft on the groundwith a known field elevation

of 500 feet. The current altimeter setting is 29.85 andthe outside air temperature is28 degrees centigrade. Densityaltitude equals3. An airport advisory areais the area tmder direct controlof an airport control tower.True or False?4. Refer to the following il-lustration. You have filed anIFR flight plan to D VOR(VHF omnidirectional range)via A VOR V-I to CVOR direct Y intersectionV-3 to D VOR. You arecleared to Y direct AVOR V-2 B VOR, V-3 Yintersection maintain 7 000.The controller has providedyou with enough informationand you may take off withoutfurther clarification at this

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time. True or False?5. Refer again to the flightplan number four. With thesame clearance you are toldto maintain 6,000, expect4,000 at C VOR. f you arrived at C VOR with a lostcommunication situation, atwhat altitude would you proceed to Y intersection?6. During an instrumentcheckride the examiner asksfor and the tower approvesan option approach. Howwill this approach terminate?7. You contact the approach control facility serving your destination airportand you are issued the following information: ...clearedfor straight-in ILS (instrument landing system) runway 36 approach, circle torunway 18 .... a) This is abad clearance as it is an obvious contradiction in terms.True or False? b) Are yourminimums DH (decisionheight), straight-in LOC MDA(localizer minimum descentaltitude), or circling MDA?c) Your missed approachpoint is (I) DH, 2) MDA or(3) MDA at time computedfrom ground speed and distance from the final approachfix?8. The latest weather observation at your destinationis M20VC L-F, RVR (runway visual range) for thelanding runway is 1,200 feet.Minimums published on theILS approach chart are 582/24(200-%). A pilot flying ahelicopter is legally authorized to begin this approach, assuming it will terminate in a straight-in landing. True or False?9. A VOT (VOR receivertesting facility) can be usedat any point on or above theairport where a usable signalcan be received. True orFalse?16

10. On the low altitude enroute chart those VORs listedas T class are very rarelyused to form Victor airwaysand only rarely are used tofix intersections. Why is thisso?11. You file a stopoverflight with an IFR leg to ani rpor t and 30 minutesground time; the return leg isVFR. This is known as acomposite flight plan. True orFalse?12. You may not performhooded flight (except in theOV-I) unless your observer isinstrument rated in eithercategory. True or False?13. When filing a stopoverflight plan, ground time at anintermediate stop will not exceed 2 hours, excluding airtraffic clearance delay. Trueor False?14. Flight Plan VoidTime, a mandatory entryfor stopover flight plans, represents the time after ETD(estimated time of depar ture) that the entire flightplan will be cancelled if it isnot activated. True or False?15. Your aircraft is equipped with only one communication radio, a UHF (ultrahigh frequency) transceiver.Are you authorized to utilizea STAR (standard terminalarrival route) on an IFRflight plan?16. When participating inStage III radar service withina TRSA (terminal radar service area), you are providedseparation from all aircraftwithin the area with whichthe controller is communicating, to include all VFR aircraft. True or False?17. Decode the followingteletype weather report:

LSF SP 0825-XM3BKNE 1010VC 1RW 237/75/68/33V0312G21/@23/R32VR40

18. If you are given aclearance limit short of yourdestination, air traffic controlmust, if they do not intend toissue you holding instruc tions, issue further clearancebefore you reach your clearance limit. They are not,however, subject to any timelimit. True or False?19. After breaking out atminimums on a circling VORoff-airport approach, youenter a left downwind forlanding. During the circlingmaneuver, you again encounter IMC (instrumentmeteorological conditions)and make the decision toexecute a missed approach.The published missed approach procedures specify aclimbing right turn, return tothe VOR and hold. Youshould (a) begin a climbingright turn, (b) begin a climbing left turn or (c) begin aclimb and turn the shortestdistance to a direct course tothe VOR?20. Helicopter approachesare designed based onstraight-in minimums andtherefore, in order to begin acopter approach, you mustha ve only the visibility published on the approach chart.True or False?

ANSWERS1. True. DOD FLIP, General Planning, chapter 2 (seecruise definition). A cruiseclearance is also clearancefor a pilot to execute a let

down and approach at his destination.2. Density altitude equals+2,250 feet. FM 1-30, chapter2. To figure DA without achart or computer, solve thefollowing equation: DA = PA(120 x Vt) where PA ispressure altitude, 120 is theU.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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temperature constant, Vt isthe variation of OAT (outsideair temperature) from thestandard temperature at thepressure altitude. To solve,you must first determine PAby setting 29.92 in theKollsman window of the aircraft altimeter. PA is thenread directly from the altimeter. By raising theKollsman setting to 29.92from 29.85 (given) you increase indicated altitude to570 feet. Therefore, PA = 570feet. The next step is to determine the standard temperature at your actual al titude. Using the standardlapse rate of 2 degrees centigrade (C) per thousand feet,and a standard temperatureof + 15 degrees C at sealevel, it is readily apparentthat standard temperature at500 feet is 14 degrees C. Wenow know:

Pressure altitude = 570 feetActual OAT = 28 degrees CStandard temperature forPA = 14 degrees CTemperature variation+14 degrees CNow solving the equation:DA = PA + 120 x Vt)DA = 570 feet + 120 x 28degrees C 14 degrees CDA = 570 feet + 120 x 14)DA = 570 feet + 1,680DA = +2,250

The factor of 120 is the approximate change in DA foreach I-degree C of tempera-ture variation from standard.3. False. DOD FLIP, General Planning, chapter 2 (seedefinition). An airport advisory area is the area within 5statute miles of an uncontrolled airport on which is located a Flight Service Station(FSS).4. True. DOD FLIP, General Planning, chapter 5.ATC may utilize ShortApril 1977

Range Clearance Procedures... when any part of the routebeyond the Short RangeClearance Limit differs fromthat specified in the originalflight plan, clearance will include proposed routingbeyond said clearance limit.Since the short range clear-ance takes you to a point inyour flight plan route, furtherclearance is not required atthis time.5. 6,000. DOD FLIP, IFRSupplement, Procedures forTwo-Way Radio Failures: Inthe event of a two-way radiofailure, the pilot shall proceed at the highest of threealtitudes: last assigned, thealtitude you are told to expector minimum enroute altitude.6. You have no way ofknowing. DOD FLIP, GeneralPlanning, chapter 2; AIMPart I, chapter 4. Whencleared for an option approach, a pilot is authorizedto make a touch and go, lowapproach, missed approach,stop and go, or full stop(7110.65, paragraph 420a,page 114).7. a. False. DOD FLIP,General Planning, chapter 2. Astraight-in approach (lFR) isone which is made without aprocedure turn and has nothing to do with the landingrunway.b. Your minimums arecircling MDA because this is acircling approach.c. 3. MDA at time computed from ground speed anddistance. See illustration.8. True. AR 95-1, para 4-27cand 4-27d. Helicopter pilots... may reduce all publishedvisibility or RVR by 50 percent,but never less than 14 mile orRVR 1,200. RVR is the controlling visibility factor when published and reported for a givenrunway.9. T r ~ DOD FLIP, Gen-

eral Planning, chapter 5,para 5-52. Adequate signalstrength is present when theVOT identification is receivedand the VOR course warningflag is not in view.10. Low Altitude EnrouteCharts Legend. T classVORs have frequency protection guaranteed only up to12,000 feet at 25 nauticalmiles. The low altitude enroute structure includesairspace up to but not including 18,000 feet. See L-8 PanelH, Enroute Low Altitude U.S.Chart, Alliance VOR V-100. Inthese cases a waiver is obtained to use a (T) VOR in theNational Airspace System.11. False. AR 95-1, para4-11; AIM Part I, chapter 4. Acomposite flight plan involvesIFR and VFR on the sameflight, i.e., a VFR departureand an IFR arrival on thesame leg.12. False. AR 95-63, para2-14c. No aviator will en-gage in hooded flight unlesshe is accompanied by an vi-ator qualified and current inthe category being flown andhe is properly prebriefed forthe flight.13. True. AR 95-1, para4-9c (2).14. False. DOD FLIP, General Planning, chapter 4.Void time is the time asapplied to actual takeofftime, that FSS will cancelproposed flight plans thathave not been activated, thatis, the second or any sub-sequent legs filed on thestopover flight plan.15. No. DOD FLIP, GeneralPlanning, chapter 5. Manyof the FAA (Federal AviationAdministration) developedSTARs do not provide sufficient routing or altitude information to allow orderly

ontinued on page 8

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Aviation Specialty Positions1 SA General Aviation OfficerNontactical TDA) Aviation Unit Commander Attack Helicopter Company/BattalionCommander/XOAirfield CommanderAviation Staff OfficerAirfield Operations OfficerAviation Safety Officer ASI 1SAviation Unit Advisor ASI ST)Readiness CoordinatorR D CoordinatorInstructor, Aviation School

Aviation Platoon/Section CommanderS-3 Combat Aviation Battalion/Group or BrigadeAviation Staff Officer (Divis ion level and lower)SC Combat Support Aviation Officer

S-l,Aviation Battalion/Squadron/Group/Brigade

Air Traffic Control Unit Commander ASI 3J)Aerial Surveillance Company CommanderASA Company Aviation) CommanderAviation Platoon/Section CommanderS-2, Aviation Battalion, Group or BrigadeCommunications - Electronic Staff OfficerAviation Battalion, Group or BrigadeS Combat Aviation OfficerCombat Aviat ion Battal ion, Group or Brigade

Commander/XO 1SO Combat Service Support Aviation OfficerAssault Support Helicopter Com pany/Battal i o nCommander

Assault Helicopter Unit Commander/XOAir Cavalry Troop/Squadron Commander/XOAerial Field Artillery BatteryBattalion Commander/XO

Aviation Platoon/Section CommanderS-4 Aviation Battalion/Group or Brigade

necessary at the eighth yearto meet Army field grade requirements. t now appearsthat requirements will demand that most aviators inYGs 71 and later will haveAviation designated as one oftheir specialties at this point.Most of these officers will behighly qualified for a primarydesignation of Aviation at theeighth year point. Those sodesignated will pick up a newalternate specialty . Recognition of former primary specialty skills will be retainedin the officer's master file asa previously designated specialty.When aviators with l ssthan 8 years service are notin specialty 15 positions theynormally will be assigned toduties which will increasetheir experience in theirprimary specialty or to positions which will provide developmental experience in analternate specialty.Once aviators pass theApril 1977

Figure 1

eighth year formal designation point they normally willbe assigned duties in one oftheir two designated specialties just as are their nonratedcontemporaries.Army requirements willcontinue to demand that officers sometimes will be assigned outside of their designated specialties. We can expect that aviators will filltheir fair share of positionswhich are not specialty re lated such as Reserve Officers'Training Corps (ROTC) or recruiting. There also will be occasions when officers will beassigned to previously designated specialty duties. In thesecases an effort will be made toassign the officer to a locationwhich also provides an opportunity for Aviation or alternatespecialty development duringa stabilized tour. As OPMS develops the proper number ofqualified officers for each specialty the need for assignmentoutside their designated

specialties will diminish.Up to this point most of thediscussion has centered onthe designation process andassignment policies. Wherecan company grade aviatorsexpect to serve in the Aviation specialty?Lieutenants graduatingfrorn init ial entry trainingcan expect to be assigned to a3-year utilization tour in anoperational flying position.The bulk of these positionsare in table (s) of organiza-tion and equipment (TOE)units , where they can expectto serve as a team or sectionleader. Figure 2 shows a general breakdown as to the lo-cation of requirelnents. Aconcerted effort is beingmade by Deputy Chief ofStaff for Operations andPlans DCSO:PS) and MilitaryPersonnel Center (MILPERCEN) to eliminate or convertto warrant officer those commissioned officer positionsshown as Pilot or Aviator. f

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a position calls for a commissioned officer it should entailspecific supervisory or staffresponsibilities.Utilization tours for cap-tains graduating from initialentry training also normallywill be to tactical units. Dueto the current shortage oflieutenants some captains initially may be assigned toteam or section leader positions. Most, however, will beassigned as platoon leadersor in unit operations duties.Many other positions requirecaptains; however, these areto the extent possible filled byaviators who have experiencein aviation units. Examplesof these duties include command of detachments and aviation battalion headquarterscom panies as well as functional staff positions at aviation battalion and group level.Captain specialty 15 positions,are found in all but one of theArmy Readiness Regions andon the Continental UnitedStates (CONUS) Army headquarters staffs. There is alarge variety of captain dutypositions at the U.S. ArmyAviation Center at FortRucker, AL, and at severalother Training and DoctrineCommand: (TRADOC) installations. Army Materiel Development and ReadinessCommand (DARCOM) andU.S. Army CommunicationsCommand (USACC) also havespecialty 15 positions for captains.Most of the approximately135 company and detachmentcommand positions in the Aviation specialty are found at thegrade of major. The number ofcommands varies somewhatwith tables of distribution andallowances (TDA) and TOEchanges. With the implementation of the Aviation Requirements for Combat Struc-20

VI TION SPECIALTY REQUIREMENTSY COMM NDUSAREUREighth ArmyFORSCOMTRADOCOther Major Commands

LT CPT MAJ23106223

116

51248

145

521811Figure

ture of the Army Study(ARCSA III), we will see fewerdetachments in the system andmore combat aviation units,with a corresponding increasein tactical unit command opportunities.As can be seen in figure 2 theproportional requirements bycommand do not change significantly from captain tomajor. The primary differenceis the shift from unit level requirements to staff responsibilities. In combat aviationunits requirements are for battalion and squadron executiveofficers and S-3s. Functionalstaff positions are found in thefour aviation groups and the6th Air Cavalry CombatBrigade (ACCB). All nineArmy Readiness Regions haverequirements for aviation advisors in the grade of major.Aviation staff officer positions are found at every levelof the structure from brigadeto Department of the Army.There also are worldwide requirements in Army MilitaryAssistance Advisory Groups(MAAGs) and missions. Aviator majors also serve in avariety of positions to includeinstructors, project officersand staff officers throughoutthe TRADOC school system.Any discussion of assign-ment opportunities must bynecessity be broad. The variety of assignments available

to members of the aviationspecialty are as varied asany specialty within OPMS.Current position require-ments for members of theAviation specialty are 871lieutenants, 1,441 captainsand 490 majors. These are alloperational flying positions.Upon implementation ofChange 3 to AR 611-101 in thefall of this year, nonopera-tional flying positions forabout 150 captains and 100majors will be shifted fromother specialties to specialty15.More information on specialty 15 will appear in therevised edition of DA Pam-phlet 600-3 Officer Professional Development and Utilization, which is scheduled forpublication this fall.As pointed out, implementation of Aviation as anOPMS specialty will notchange the role of the Armyaviator. Our mission of augmenting the capability of theArmy to conduct prompt andsustained combat operationson land remains the same. Inthe present and future environment of reduced strengths,stabilized tours, and changingArmy requirements, the Aviation specialty provides arealistic framework for managing the professional de-velopment and utilization ofthe Army aviator. ..... I



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Mi-10 Harke appears similar to our CH-S4 Skycrane . The Mi-10 was developed after theMi-6 (background). Note their upper fuselage likeness. Large extemal pods ore fuel tanks Disrupt enemy com-mand communications. Occupy vital areasi.e., key road junction,mountainpass etc.) . Sieze beachhead inthis respect it is interestingto note that the Hind A hasbeen proposed as a candi-date for employment

aboard the new Soviet air-craft carrier Kiev J. 2 :And what are thecapabilities of this force once itis landed in the enemy rear?Basically, the Soviets believethat an MRB - reinforced with122 mm artillery, 120 mm mortars, and mounted in its carriers - could inflict heavydamage on the enemy andexist with or without supporting artillery and close air support for a number of hours (inTurbiville's opinion, up to 24 or48 24 before linkup.The Soviet Armed Forcespreoccupation with the violent, swift attack and the importance placed on the principles of mobility, surprise,combat activeness, massingand dispersion of forces (sonecessary on a nuclearbattlefield)25 all combine to indicate that helicopters andairmobile tactics are becoming increasingly more important to the Soviet Union.Further, technological weaknesses hinder the Sovietfighter planes' all-weather operational capability and thusincrease potential reliance onhelicopter gunships for closeair support. 26April 1977

The Soviet airmobile threatnow is numerically inferiorwhen compared to NATO butits inventory is increasing ata tremendous rate.The U. S. Army must paymuch more attention to thepotent threat posed by Sovietairmo bili ty. Although the

threat is of manageable proportion now, we must fullycomprehend it and emphasizeserious training to combat thisthreat.The U. S. Army must cont inue to modernize tshelicopter fleet and ensurethat it is not outflanked eitherin numbers or in technology.ootnotes

1. Norman B. Augustine , HelicopterTechnology andToday 's Army , Vertiflites ,September-October, 19752. Hermann Baehr, Ninth InternationalHelicopter Forum , Wehrtecknik , 9/723. T. Wiaroa, The Tank Destroyer Gunship , Wehrtecknik , 2/72. Hereafter referred to as Wiaroa , The Tank. 4 Brigadier General Dr. F . M. vonSenger und Etterlin , The Air CombatTroops , Military Technique , vol. 12, 1971,as quoted in Wiaroa , The Tank.5. For examples , see M. Belov AirMobilization of Modern Armies , SovietMili tary Review , October 1975, and I.S .Lyutov and P . T. Sagaydak , TheMotorized Rifle Battalion in a TacticalAirborne Landing (Moscow Military Publishing House, 1969) . Hereafter referred toas Lyutov and Sagaydak.6 As an example , see N. Bystry,

Helicopters Over the Battery, SovietMilitary Review , January , 1975.7 Lyutov and Sagaydak .8 V. Savkin , Maneuver in Battle ,Mil i tary H erald (Voyennyy Vestnik) ,April 1972.9. Graham H. Turbiville, A Soviet Viewof Heliborne Assault Operations , MilitaryRev iew , October 1975. Hereafter referredto as Turbiville, A Soviet View .10 . Daird A. Bramlett , Soviet Airmobiltty :An Overview (USACGSC Student Paper ,1976) .11. Europe 's New Generation of CombatAircraft , In ternational Defense Review ,April 1975 . Herea fter referred to asE urope's New .12. Europe 's New .13 . Ja ne s All th e Worl d s Air c raft ,

1975/76 . (New York: McGraw Hill BookCompany, 1975.) Hereafter referred to asJane 's.14 Jane s .15 . FM 90-1, Employment of Army Aviation Units in a High Threat Environment(Washington, DC: Department of theArmy, 1976) .16. Soviets Developing Attack Helicopte r, Missile , Tactics, Aviation Week andSpace Technology , March 1976.17. Europe 's New .18 . Barry C. Wheeler, World 's MilitaryHelicopters, Flight International , 17 July1975.19. For examples of possible reinforcement see Lyutov and Sagaydak .20. Lyutov and Sagaydak.21 S. Borzenko and others , AirborneLanding Operation, Described in On-theSpot Report for Dvina Maneuver Region,Prav da , 12 March 1970.22 A. A. Sidorenko, The Offensive ( ASoviet View ). Translated and publishedunder the allSpices of the U.S. Air Force(Washington , DC : U. S. Government Print-ing Office , 1970) .23. Norman Polmar, The Soviet AircraftCarrier, U. S . Naval Institute Proceed-ings , Naval Review 1974.24. Turbiville , A Soviet View .25 . For a discussion of these principles ,see V. Y. Savkin, The Basic Principles ofOperational Art and Tactics ( A o v ~ e tView ). Translated and published underthe auspices of the U.S. Air Force(Washington , DC : U . S. GovernmentPrinting Office , 1974).26. Hank Gotard , Soviet Air Threat t aGround Force (USACGSC Special StudyProject , 1976 ).

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T HE PIPELINE surveysheets have stopped comingin the mail. So, as one captain wrote on his sheet, we' llput the tally out.The DIGE ST again re-ceived a solid endorsementfrom its readers. In fact 97.4percent found the magazinehelpful or interesting (orboth). This showed a slightimprovement over the 97.3percent received in the lastsurvey (see September 1974DIGEST .This time 307 survey sheetswere returned. This is lessthan in 1974, but percentagewise it is in proper proportionto the reduced number in thereading audience and to thesurvey sheets distributed.Here is how you checkedthe first portion of the survey(helpful, interesting or ugh) : 79 percent felt the DI-GE ST helped them in their

verallI prefer articles on:

Same MoreAvionics 52 15Armament 44 14ATC 35 34Inst Flying 23 56Humor 39 27Maintenance 36 46Medical 41 18Research 37 41Developments 30 50Safety 33 51Tactics 32 33History 36 19Training 33 42Combat Exp 32 24Weather 35 44Accidents 32 ~ 9Flying Exp 37 ~ 1

24

work and checked helpful should quickly point out weak(that's up from 74 percent in areas that need attention. Ofthe last survey). the eight ughs received, five 56 percent thought the were pretty much out of stepDIGEST was interesting and with the feelings of theirchecked interesting (up from peers. But three - all E-650 percent). maintenance types, by the 38 percent checked both way - agreed that the DI-the helpful and the interest- GEST does not devote enoughing spaces (up from 27 per- attention to enlisted personcent last time). nel or maintenance. We have

3 percent did not like the been working to offset this.DIGE ST and checked ugh. We already have begun a(We did not improve here. regtilar EPMS Corner andLast time only 2 percent also are planning expandedchecked ugh.) maihtenance coverage withThe ughs (there were an accent on articles writteneight) are of concern. These by maintenance men forfficer W

I prefer articles on: I prefer articFewer Same More Fewer

12 Avionics 57 11 16 Avionics19 Armament 49 17 18 Armament6 ATC 3 5 50 3 ATC4 Inst Flying 18 73 , 2 Inst Flying

12 Humor 47 23 17 Humor7 Maintenance 43 41 8 Maintenance

17 Medical 41 17 25 Medical8 Research 34 35 18 Research6 Developments 34 41 9 Developmen7 Safety 36 41 10 . Safety

17 Tactics 32 41 14 Tactics25 History 36 12 37 History8 Training 33 48 8 Training

26 Combat Exp 34 27 28 Combat Exp3 Weather 40 47 1 Weather3 Accidents 35 49 6 Accidents7 Flying Exp 39 41 9 Flying Exp

u.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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maintenance men. Thatquote is from one of the E-6swho graded the DIGEST ugh- and then really gave us anF min us by writing ve rymuch so behind the ugh.This is the first year anyone has written comments toemphasize their feelings inthis portion of the survey.We 're glad that was the onlyF minus , and also are happythat 15 (another first) gaveus A pluses by marking extraendorsements behind helpfulor interesting - or both. TheA plus markers included Department of the Army civi-

lians , officers , warrants , enlisted and a NationalAeronautics and Space Administration research pilot.The charts below speak forthemselves about how youfeel about subject mattercoverage. The overall chart has not changed sig-nificantly from the last survey.Most readers were quitecomplimentary of the DI-

GEST in the comments section. Ditching The Hueyfrom the November 1976 issuewas singled out for praise. Sowas The 5C Recipe For In-Enlisted

advertent Soup from the Oc-tober 1976 DIGESTMany praised ATC ActionLine and the DI GEST scorner series (Dash 10Corner ; Instrument Corner;OPMS Corner; and EPMSCorner) . There were recommendations for an AlliedCorner ; a Contact FlyingCorner ; and a Reserve Components Corner. We are looking into these possibilities.A gre t many askedspecific questions and gavetheir names and addresses.Those who have not heardfrom us yet, please be pa-tient; it 's going to take a bitlonger. Those who askedspecific questions, watch theViews From Readers' column . We will try to printanswers to all of the querriesin the VFR.Again this year many read-

ontinuedon page 9ivilian

I prefer articles on: I prefer articles on:More Fewer Same More Fewer Same More Fewer

12 Avionics ~ 5 13 10 Avionics 50 17 4% 25 Armament 34 21 11 % Armament 33 4 29

5 ATC 29 27 11 ATC 38 38 44 Inst Flying 34 16 11 % Inst Flyi ng 33 33 4

2 9 Humor 32 26 8 Humor 38 29 89 Maintenance 21 63 2 Maintenance 38 29 8

19 Medical 34 21 5 Medical 42 21 83 Research 31 42 2 Research 33 50 45 Developments 18 56 2 Developments 29 54 44 Safety 16 63 3 Safety 33 54 0

18 Tactics 29 26 13 Tactics 38 8 255 25 History 32 27 15 History 4 2 13 1711 % Training 37 31 10 Training 29 46 834 Combat Exp 31 29 11 % Combat Exp 33 25 214 Weather 27 31 6 Weather 50 29 06 Accidents 31 42 2 Accidents 38 38 4

4 7 Flying Exp 37 31 5 Flying Exp 42 29 4

April 1977 25


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ehindThe

Hindontinued from page 5effect up to 7,200 feet. No informationregarding the Hind s single engine perform-ance capabilities is yet available.Unlike the United States , the Soviets assignall their land based aerial vehicles to the AirForce. Therefore, in the case of the Hind, itnormally would be found in an autonomoushelicopter regiment as part of a Soviet FrontalAviation Army. The regiment usually contains50 to 55 aircraft of which 40 are in anoperational posture.One Soviet Frontal Aviation Army normallyis assigned to the commander of a Front 2 to 7Armies, each consisting of 3 to 4 divisions) andrepresents the totality of his immediatelyavailable tactical air support. As an example ,the 16th Frontal Aviation Army stationed in theGerman Democratic Republic comprises morethan 1,200 aircraft and contains 2 to 3 helicopterregiments (the exact number is uncertain)equipped with the Hind.The Hind, because of its dual role as both agunship and a troop carrier , represents adeparture in mission design from Westernefforts which have habitually separated thetwo. The advantages of such a consolidationfrom a maintenance and supply standpoint arereadily apparent, but the tactical missionbenefits merit additional comment.

As Colonel M. Belov, one of the Soviet Union smore prolific writers on airmobility , pointedout in a recent article , helicopters with theHind s design characteristics can be used toairlift forces and weapons directly to thebattlefield. They can provide enroute firesupport and , on arrival at the objective , theyare available immediately as an adjunct to thesoldiers other weapons. They may be used todestroy tanks , other armored targets , aircraft(both inflight and on the ground) or for normalutility missions such as resupply, medevac ,command and control, and liaIson.Specific mi ss ions w hi c h are likel ycandidates for airmobile operations employingthe Hind include seizure of critical terrainfeatures such as road junctions , mountainpasses, river crossing sites or bridges. Otherpossible targets include nuclear storage sites,communication facilities and forwardlogistical support facilities. The element ofsurprise employed in conjunction with a smallhighly mobile strike force incorporatingdevastating firepower is a potentially lethalcombination and one very difficult to guardagainst.t should be obvious from the foregoing thatthe Soviets have learned well from theexperiences of others concerning the potentialadvantages of tactical helicopter utilization.With more than 100 Hinds deployed as ofJanuary 1976, and the number steadilyincreasing, there is ample cause for concern. Asquad carrying helicopter with antipersonnel,antitank and antiair gunship capabilities is apotent weapons system and poses a significantthreat in any tactical situation.

.. . he Soviets have devoted great effort to studying the tacticalsuccesses of Western armies and applying those lessons ...


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VR

JEWSROME DERS

Sir:I am gathering material for a storyon the World War II bombing and destruction of the Abbey of Monte Cassino during the Campaign in Italy ,February 15, 1944 and need some in formation .One of the dramatic highlights of thestory is the flight of Generals Eakerand Devers, who flew over the Abbeyin a Piper Cub 2days before the bombing to ascertain whether or not theGermans were inside. (See CravenCate, AAF In WWII volume 3, page362.)I am seeking information not only onthis particular flight but also on the useof light planes in the Battle of Cassinoaround that time - especially in regard to reconnaissance work in andaround the Abbey prior to bombardment.An article in the November 1962 DI-

GEST by Richard K Tierney, TheArmy Aviation story - The WarYears, part VI , pages 34-47 , mentioned (on page 45 a Captain Marinellias II Corps Aviation Officer on theCassino front. Is he still around where lmay contact him?Also , if there is anyone who mayhave had direct knowledge of theAbbey incident or may lead me in obtaining further information on this , Iwould appreciate it.Thank you very much for your kindattention and I look forward to hearingfrom you.

Da vid W. Richardson11240 Oak StreetKansas City, MO 64114

Anyone who feels they have informa-tion that may help Mr. Richardson is

I

(

urged to contact him a t 11240 OakStreet, Kansas City, MO 64114.Sir :In the article Crash Helmet orHead Set , which appeared in the February 1977 DIGEST the author refers.to the inspection shop. I am notbeing cynical when I say, what inspection shop? The author in his nar-rative is recommending the correctaction even though the Army doesn'thave life support equipment (LSE)technicians or organized LSE maintenance shops of any quality. All due respect is given to post personal equipment pools. The subject of LSE in theArmy is timely and of great interest toaviators.COL Stanley C. Knapp, M.D.Dir, Bioeng Life Spt Equip DivU.S. Army AeromedicalResearch LabFt. Rucker, AL

viation Training Programs For 977T HERE ARE SOME new wrinkles in training courses for Army aviators at the U. S. ArmyAviation Center, Ft. Rucker, AL, in 1977 , according to Oepartment of the Army (DA) officials.For starters, the initial entry rotary wing(lERW) training program will be revisedstart ing in June. The program will stress nightand combat skill-related training. t will include a dual tracking feature in which about 25percent of the students will be qualified asOH-58 Kiowa aeroscout pilots. Students will receive the self-paced mode of instruction in allphases of the course. Also, greater reliance will. be placed on simulator use. The course is designed to improve battlefield survivability and

April 1977

effectiveness of the combat soldier.DA officials said that in addition to the IREWprogram, Training and Doctrine Command(TRADOC) program planners at Ft. Monroe,VA, also will establish an aviator refreshercourse. This will allow officers to brush up onaviator skills and update their knowledge. Officers returning to flying duty after serving 3ormore years in a nonoperational flying assignment will attend. The first refresher course isset for April.Also, an aviation commander's readinesscourse has been designed for aviation unitcommanders and key staff officers. They willreceive instruction on management and use ofaviation resources.

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adio Silenceontinued from page

revolutions per minute).Extended Idle. If time remains beforetakeoff the lead navigator/crewchief oncommand of flight lead, will signal extendedidle by crossing arms below the waist duringthe day. At night the signal will be twoflashlights turned on above the head andbrought down below the waist, turned off andrepeated.Operating RPM. Two minutes prior totakeoff on command of flight lead thenavigator/crewchief will signal operatingRPM by raising arms above the head. At nightthe signal will be two flashlights turned onbelow the waist and brought up over the head,turned off and repeated. After this has beenaccomplished, the navigator/crewchief willenter the aircraft.Pitch Pull Alert. Fifteen seconds prior totakeoff flight lead will signal by turning on theanticollision light.Pitch Pull. Flight lead will turn theanticollision light off immediately prior totakeoff.Formation h a n ~ e f a change of formationis to be accomplIshed enroute an aerialcheckpoint will be designated to alert crews.When crossing the checkpoint, the flight leadwill turn on the anticollision light for 15 secondsas a warning. Flight lead will turn theanticollision light off when the formation is tochange. f the formation is large and in straighttrail, each aircraft can relay the signal. Moretime must be allowed to compensate for the lagin relay of signals.

Change Of Mission. f for any reason theintended landing point is changed after theformation is airborne and a suitable groundcoordination point is not available, flight leadwill signal by turning the navigation lights to

8

flash bright for 1 minute. This will alert allflight crews to the change in mission and eventhough individual aircraft do not know theexact change, all crewmembers will know thatthe mission is to be modified and will bealerted.Aircraft Unloaded. f the LZ is cold, eachnavigator/crewchief can exit and give athumbs-up signal when the aircraft is unloadedand ready for takeoff during daylight hours. Atnight one flashlight can be waved vertically asthe signal. If the LZ is hot, coordinatedeparture over the radios.One factor affecting the success of radiosilence missions is supporting fires. f artillerysupporting fires are to be used without radiocommunications, coordination is necessary toensure shifting of fires at exact times, and thatall elements of the airmobile adjust enroute tocross checkpoints on time. If helicoptergunships are to be used, they can accompanythe formation in the conventional manner, andremain on call on mission frequencies shouldenemy contact be encountered. f gunships areto provide suppressive fires, it is essential thatpreplanned sectors be assigned which do notconflict with approach and departure paths.Enemy contact in the LZ is sufficient groundsfor breaking radio silence to shift suppressivefires. Preplanned air strikes must becoordinated to end prior to the formation finalapproach. The U S Air Force liaison officermust be supplied with exact checkpoint timesto ensure timely use of high performanceaircraft.Du t ies Of Co mman d And Con t ro l Acommand and control aircraft can be usedeffectively at terrain flight altitudes. Thiselement can coordinate last-minute changes tothe mission with ground and air elements andensure dissemination of these changes atpredesignated ground coordination points.During the test flight phase of these techniques,it was found that when the command andcontrol aircraft was equipped as a smoke ship,

...upon return to visu l conditions i themission is to be continued the form tionshould return to radio s ilence ..

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an aircraft down due to enemy fire ormaintenance would require radio silencebe broken to return the crew and air-craft to safety

it could be used very effectively to mark LZsand restrict enemy visibility through smokescreens. Should enemy contact be encounteredand radio silence broken, command andcontrol can be used in the conventional mannerto exercise overall mission control.There are some conditions which requireradio silence to be broken, such as: When unexpected instrument meteorologicalconditions (lMC) are encountered enroute, it isnecessary to exercise positive control of theformation so that breakup procedures can beimplemented. When the formation returns to VFR (visualflight rules) conditions and if the mission is tobe continued, radio silence procedures shouldagain be adhered to. Downed aircraft, either from enemy fire ormaintenance problems, require radio silenceto be broken so that the safe return' of the crewand aircraft to friendly control is assured.Radio transmissions should be kept tominimum essential so that the formationlocation is not compromised. Radio silence inthe LZ once enemy contact is made serves nopurpose. Transmissions must be made to

pinpoint enemy locations and to coordinatecovering fires. t should be stressed, however,that once a flight removes itself from thelocation known to enemy forces, it can denythat enemy knowledge of the flight location byagain practicing radio silence procedures inconjunction with terrain flight altitudes.The planning sequence and many of thesignals mentioned in this article were tested onstudents attending the Initial Entry RotaryWing Program at the U.S. Army AviationCenter at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The studentsdisplayed a surprising ability to grasp thetechniques and function effectively as anairmobile element in radio silence. The realproblem lies in educating experienced aviatorswho have long used the radio as an extension ofthemselves while conducting airmobileoperations.-The basic problems and solutions to radiosilence operations have been presented to helpcreate discussion and exchange of informationabout airmobile operations under radio silentconditions.Individual aviation units should developSOPs which fit their particular mission andpractice these procedures until they becomesecond nature. And they should send theirideas, procedures and comments to theAVIATION DIGEST.

ipelineContinued from page 5ers asked for a larger DI-GEST with more pages andcolor. Also many do not knowhow to get the DIGEST andone of the biggest complaintsis that they cannot getenough copies. The DIGESTis on pinpoint distribution.The inside front cover tellsyou how you can obtain themagazine.In a breakout by jobs, instructors and pilots mostly

want more on instrumeht flying, training and develop-ments. Maintenance personnel 77 percent) want moremaintenance while 77 percentof the commanders wantmore instrument flying.Safety officers 78 percent)want more safety. But, thebreakout by jobs also adds upto individuals wanting thesame or more of every category. Only a few want less ofany category. As with the lastsurvey, combat experience isthe category that drew the

most fewer votes. But eventhat is a minority.The DIGEST is always gladto hear from you. f you haveany questions or suggestions,send them to Editor, U. S.ARMY AVIATION DIGESTP. O. Drawer P, Ft. Rucker,AL 36362 or call AUTOVON558-6680.Also, to the captain whosigned his survey sheet with,Thanks for the opportunityto respond - and to all ofyou who took the time to respond, thank you

April 1977 9


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WHAT CAN a helicopter do with nine millionfoot-pounds of energy when the engine quits?Nine million foot -pounds is approximately thetotal energy possessed by a Huey helicopter at1,000 feet agl. By taking a different look athelicopter flIght , we will find some interestinganswers. That is, we will look at the machinerather than the pilot. Manuals, schools, andboards tell the pilot how to fly the machine.However, Isaac Newton stated the p h y s ~ c a llaws for the machine, and the machine, unlikethe man, cannot stretch or break these laws.The question of aircraft performance duringunpowered autorotation receives continualattention from both pilots and aircraftdesigners. Too many accident reports containthe phrase while attempting to stretch theglide, the main rotor rpm bled off and thehelicopter fell to the ground or w hileattempting to stretch the glide the airplanestalled and impacted in a nose-low attitude.This artic le looks at the energy requirementsfor flight after engine failure and at the sourceand limits of the energy supply. The questioncan the glide be stretched, and if so, at whatcost is also considered. First, the powerrequirements are described, the energy levelof the aircraft defined, and the energy-powerrelationship illustrated. This is then applied tounpowered flight in order to look at capabilitiesand limitations of this flight condition.The terms work, energy, and power firstrequire definition. These terms have definitemeanings in engineering and physics andshould not be used loosely in discussinghelicopter flight. Work is the product of a forcetimes a distance. Power is the rate at whichwork is done. As an example, drag is a force.Therefore, if a body (rotor blade or fuselage) isin motion and drag is present, work is beingdone and power is required. Finally, energy is ameasure of a body's (a helicopter) capacity todo work. The two important types are chemicalenergy (fuel) and mechanical energy(potential and kinetic). Since work is done inApril 1977

changing energy, the rate at which energy ischanged can be defined as power. Perhaps thisis easier to understand if one thinks of anengine expending fuel (chemical energy) inorder to produce power.The power required for level flight conditionsis given by the sum of the parasite power,induced power, and rotor blade profile power.The parasite and profile powers represent theenergy required to propel the fuselage andnonlifting rotor through the air. The inducedpower represents the energy expended tomaintain lift. The total power requirement fora utility helicopter is illustrated in figure lFor any airspeed-altitude flight condition, anenergy level c an be defined. The energy level ofan aircraft at any given flight condition is thesum of the potential, kinetic, and rotorrotational energies. The energy level is afunction of altitude, airspeed, rotor speed,gross weight, and rotor inertia. Technically theexpression is described by:ENERGY = (Gross Weight) * h + V GW V2+~ I A rIn pilot's terminology the energy expressed is111 re simply:ENERGY = Altitude (agl) + (Airspeed)2 +(rpm)2What is the relationship between power andenergy level during powered flight? The engine

owa =:: lawa =a =wo~ ~ ~IRSPEED

FIGURE l . Shaf t horsepower required as a ;function of airspeed

31


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AFTER THE ENGINE FAILS WHAT?provides power for flight. Therefore , theenergy level can be increased only if the engineis capable of producing more power than isrequired during any flight condition. That is, ifa helicopter can hover at 9 percent power, itcan also accelerate into forward flight. Also, ahelicopter possesse9 energy by virtue of itsaltitude and airspeed, and this energy is notunavailable. f the engine cannot supply thepower necessary for a maneuver , additionalpower is gained from a reduction of t ~helicopter s total energy level. That is , i ahelicopter operating at its maximum grossweight is placed into a steep, banked turn, itmust be decelerating, losing altitude , or losingmain rotor rpm to supply the necessary PQwerLet s look one more time at the powersources available to a pilot. The total poweravailable for a flight condition is the sum of thepower supplied by the engine and the powerresulting from a decrease of the energy level.Thjs can be expressed by:PAvailable = PSupplied by EnginePSupplied from decrease in energy levelWe may now remove the engine , due to32

failure , from the picture. However, we cannotremove the power requirement for flight. Ahelicopter in steady-state , unpoweredautorotation has almost the same pO,werrequirement as it does in level, powered flightat the same airspeed. The pilot can only reducethe power requirement so as to conserve alimited resource - energy. The total power forunpowered flight is supplied by decreasing thetotal energy level. This may be done byreducing main rotor rpm a bad choice) ,reducing airspeed , or by descending. Sincepower is supplied only while the energy level isdecreasing, descending and thus continuallydecreasing the potential energy of the aircraftis the best choice. Rate of descent can easily beexpressed as a rate of decrease of potentialenergy ; and, therefore, a source of power. Therelation between the rate of descent and powersupplied is illustrated in figure 2The power supplied by decreasing the rotorspeed and airspeed is more difficult toillustrate. Also, it is limited to the time duringwhich the decrease is taking place. There islimited benefit, however, in the fact that lowerrotor speeds and lower airspeeds require less

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power , but even this benefit lies in a verylimited range . Remember the increasingpower requirements on tp.e back side of thepower curve. The relation between airspeedand rate of descent is illustrated in figure 3.Note the rapid buildup in rate of descent atairspeeds lower than that for minimum rate ofdescent. The general shape of both figure 1 andfigure 3 applies to all helicopters. The curvemay shift up or down and the sides may not beas steep as illustrated, but the shape is thesame.At the moment the engine ceases to function ,the energy level cannot be increased since onlyexcess power can increase it. The power forflight is supplied by the continual drawdown ofpotential energy. Therefore , there must be, byphysical law , a maximum di s tance thehelicopter can fly . Slipping , changingdirection , S-turning, or other control inputsonly shorten this distance , since each of theseactions requires additional power . Theconsequences of attempting to stretch the glideare well known to accident investigators . Anaccident usually results , with injury to crew orpassengers.The real world fact is that the capabilities ofa helicopter are finite; that is, they have limitsand these limits cannot be extended. I t is true

Qw::iQ0::,enawo

Q ~ R TE OF DESCENTFIGURE 2 Shaft horsepower supplied as afunction ot rote of descent

x - 4 W ~ : : ;

IRSPEEDFIGURE 3. Rate of descent as a function ofairspeed

April 1977

that some aviators can get more out of a ship.However, this is due to technique alone. Theycan fly with fewer control inputs or at a nearlyzero sideslip angle. I t is definitely not a case ofgetting the helicopter to perform in excess of itscapability . That is impossible. Since the sourceof power to perform is limited , theperformance is limited. At this point you maystill be thinking that you can stretch your glidedistance.So fa r , only steady-state autorotation hasbeen discussed , and this is only one of fourphases of a successful autorotation. Thefactors from the entry into autorotation, theautorotation, and finally touchdown are manyand their interrelationships are complicated. I tcan be assumed that tradeoffs have been madebetween the four phases to increase thechances of a favorable outcome. Thesetradeoffs show up in the emergency proceduresof the operators manual and represent theoptimal compromise . Time in the airminimum rate of descent a irspeed) , or rangebest range airspeed ), is traded for somethingelse . The trade is made for simpler procedures,larger margins of safety at critical points in themaneuver , etc. A good example may be thatrange has been traded for increased rotorspeed at the deceleration and touchdownphases.Simply stated, flight testing has verified theoptimal compromise between helicoptercapability and desired safety margin. Thiscompromise appears as the emergencyprocedures for autorota tional flight ; and i f thepilot is to benefit from this testing , he mustaccept and follow these procedures.As a pilot there is nothing you can do toincrease the capability of the unpoweredhelicopter , so why bend the procedures in anattempt to get just a little bit further. You canmake your own tradeoffs, but consider whatyou are trading . You trade your margin ofsafety for a few more feet across the ground. Isthis a fair trade ?

To answer the initial question , nine millionfoot-pounds of energy can be used for twothings . I t can be a supply for the powerrequired to perform a safe autorotation , or itcan be expended in a futile attempt to movenine million pounds of earth one foot i.e . acrash . The choice is yours.By the way , fixed wing types , there is a moralhere for you, too, i f you substitute fixed wingaircraft for helicopters.33


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OLLOWING IS a fictitious account of anactual accident involving a CH-47 on a nighttroop rotation mission in marginal weatherThe principal characters are:CPT Persist - the platoon leader aninexperienced aviator with less than 5 hoursCW3 Hightime - a pilot with lots of experienceand com mon sense1LT New - another inexperienced aviator withless than300 hours and as green as his NOMEXWe open with CPT Persist and CW3 Hightimetalking to the weather forecasterForecaster: The weather here is good

enough for you to get outspecial VFR, but I won'tguarantee it will stay that wayor what it'll be like at yourdestination.

CPT Persist:

CW3 H ightime:

CPT Persist:

CPT Persist: What do you mean? CW3 Hightime:Forecaster:

CW3 Hightime :

4

You've got 3 miles visibilitynow, but we just receivednotification from the gr

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Army Aviation Digest - Apr 1977

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