Army Aviation Digest - Sep 1958

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Sep 1958

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SEPTEM ER 958


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UNITED ST TESRMY VI TION

DIGESTVolume 4 September, 1958

RTICLES

The Soviet Helicopter ProgramTheodore A. GeorgeHow s Your Proficiency?CWO Gordon L. Coles TCArmy Aircraft Maintenance in the Pentomic ArmyColonel Frank G Forrest, InWhat s the Plan?

DEP RTMENTS

Notes from the PentagonMaster Army A viatorPuzzler.Memo from Flight SurgeonGray Hair Department

COVER

Number 8

4

10

14

19

29

132327

A view familiar to more Army Aviators than any other except OzarkArmy Airfield is this one of Post Army Airfield, Fort Sill, Okla. With amedium (Mojave) helicopter company and Otter company based here, it isthe home of 30 Mojaves, 35 Bird Do,gs, 10 Choctaws, 10 Sioux, 4 Beavers, and 1Seminole. Its tower handles about 5,300 separate flights each month. TheFourth U. S. Army Instrument Pilot Training School is located here, and theRedleg Flying Club also operates from the field. The front cover view, fromsoutheas:t to northwest, shows the one hard surface runway 5,000 feet long.The sod surface will accommodate aircraft up to C-130s or equivalent weight.


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Pros Are Made Not orn

Brigadier General Ernest F Easterbrook USDirector of Army Aviation ODCSOPS

COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL sta-diums across the country arespringing to life. Thousands ofeager young athletes are straining to punt farther, tackle harder and muscle their way intocoveted positions on the firstteam. h e s ~ young men pushthemselves beyond the normallimits of human endurance inhopes a watching coach will tagthem as future All-Americanmaterial: These are amateurs.At the same time groups ofother, slightly older men aretrotting onto the fields of closedstadiurns to begin their practicesessions. Every motion of thesemen is made with deceptive easeappearing almost casual to theuntrained observer. With alltheir accuracy nd precisionthey hold something extra in reserve. No motion is wasted andevery movement has a purpose:These are professionals.

The true stamp of a professional is not limited to the fieldsof sports, medicine law and thearts. t can be found on othersfrom all walks of life. Regardlessof what any man's vocation maybe from the most humble tothe mighty, the real professional2

exhibits abilities that place himfar above the efforts of anyamateur.What makes a professionaltraining? Unfortunately, t h eanswer is no. Schools can onlyprovide training in the fundamentals of any particular subject. To qualify as a professional the graduate must continuehis study until he has learnedeverything there is to knowabout his field. In these days ofrapid advances and changingtechniques this usually appliesuntil retirement, and after.

Does knowledge make a professional? Again the answermust be no. Knowledge withoutapplication is like an enginewithout fuel; it just won't operate Knowledge and application must be combined to produce the professional. Here iswhere the amateurs begin tofall for this is the crucial steptha demands hours hours andmore hours of practice. The trueprofessional who is not completely devoted to his field israre indeed. There are no shortcuts to this result.At no time in its history hasArmy Aviation demanded pro-


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fessional abilities more. Newand more complex equipment,expanded utilization, and allweather concepts combine responsibilities far above the capabilities of amateurs. Army Aviators are challenged to meet thisdemand-meet it in a professional manner.Professional aviators k nowtheir equipment. They know thelimitations of their aircraft andskill. Neither false pride norambition will cause them to exceed these limitations.Why all this talk about professional qualifications? Duringthe first 6 months of calendaryear 1958, 1 major helicopteraccidents and 18 fatalities werecaused by Army Aviators flyinginto weather conditions withwhich they were unable to copeAmid ever-rising costs fo requipment and training, budgetrestrictions require that noncomba t losses be held to a minimum for successful accomplishment of the Army Aviation mission. Accidents of this type areavoidable.Coaching a m t e u r footballteams can be a frustrating oc-cupation. f you doubt this, keepyour eyes on the losing coach atthe next high school or collegegame you attend. You'll see himpacing the sidelines, sending in

NOTES FROM THE PENTAGON

a constantly changing lineup ina desperate effort to find a combination that will stop the opposition. He often cannot predictthe manner in which his playerswill perform, individually or asa team. Successful coaches ofprofessional teams are seldomfaced with this dilemma. Theyknow the capabilities of playersand teams. Game strategy andsubstitutions are based on thisknowledge. Uncertainty is ofminor concern.Army commanders cannot afford to rely on amateur aviators.They must know the operationalcapabilities of individual aviators and units. This implies aresponsibility on the part ofeach commander to provide theaviators of his unit (s) with theknowledge and application necessary to insure professionalstandards. It further implies aresponsibility not to exceed thelimitations of equipment or per-sonnelOnly in this manner can professional standards necessary toArmy Aviation be establishedand maintained.

Only in this manner will ArmyAviation reach maximum operational capability and accomplishits mission without the hindrance and expense of needlessnoncombat losses.

QUOT BLE QUOTESAs those of you who have visited our U. S Army Aviation Centerwell know, we have not been idle in our efforts to provide ourselves with the eyes and vertical mobility we need to stay alive onthe atomic battlefield. - General W. G Wyman (USA, Ret)


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he Soviet Helicopter ProgramTheodore A George

DURING THE PAST few yearsthere has been a noticeableincrease in the number of pressreferences to Soviet helicopters.Brief articles have also appearedfrom time to time on allegedprogress in rotary wing aircrafttechnology which has takenplace in the USSR. In view ofthis apparent activity in helicopter development and the factthat helicopters are currently inuse throughout the Soviet military establishment, it is of considerable importance to the U. SArmy to appreciate fully the extent of helicopter progress in theUSSR and its effect on Sovietmilitary capabilities. The purpose of this article therefore, isto summarize the current andprobable future state of heIi-

copter development behind theiron curtain.HELICOPTER DEVELOPMENTAlthough the current emphasis on helicopter development

in the USSR is recent havingstarted sometime during theKorean War, the Russians areby no means newcomers to thisfield of aeronautics. Research inrotary wing aircraft design canbe traced back to the period1909-12 when B. N. Yurev designed a small helicopter knownas the model I-EA. prototypeof this vehicle was built in theearly thirties and actually flighttested around 1932. Several othersmall helicopters were built during this period. The most notabledesign was that of the Omega,

Hound MI-4) loading 57 mm antitank gun


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which was completed in 1939.The project was shelved duringWorld War II. t was revived in1945 when a prototype of the0 m g a was built and flighttested. However like most othercountries the USSR failed todevelop an efficient helicopteruseful for military transporta-tion until recent years.

ERON UTIC L RESE RCHThere is good reason to believe that helicopter development in the USSR enjoys a highpriority only slightly below thatof combat aircraft. Consequently it is not surprising that all ofthe numerous Soviet organizations connected with aeronauti-cal research devote considerableattention to theory and practical

aspects of rotary wing aircraftdesign. The following is a partiallist of the more significant organizations concerned with aeronautical research activities:The Hare lifts more than

Chickasaw

,

The Omega a prewar designa. The Academy of Sciences ofthe USSR exercises a controllinginfluence over almost all scientif

ic effort through the control offunds. Many of the more prom-inent aerodynamicists and air-craft designers are also mem-bers of the Academy and receivemuch of their gnidance from it.b. The Central Aerohydrody-namics Institute is the Russianequivalent of our NACA. Muchof the basic scientific work andexperimentation is conducted bythe Central Institute. This organization operates under theover-all policies prescribed by theMinistry of Aviation Industry.

c The Flight Testing Instituteperforms most of the experimental flying and testing. In addition to testing complete air-craft the Institute tests certainnew components such as communication and navigation equipment before they can be accepted for operational use.d. The Aero Engines Institutedirects the design and testing ofnew powerplants. A number of

Theodore A. Geo1ge, a mathematician and aeronau tical engineer, isthe A viation T echnical onsu ltantOffice of the Assistan t Chie f of S tafffot' In telligence , Depar tm en t of theA rmy. V iews expressed in this articleare the au thor's and are not n ecessarily t hose of th e Department of theArmy or of the U. S. A rmy A v iationS chool.- Th e Edi t0 15


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The Hare in medical evacuationrole

small, but self-sufficient, designteams operate under supervisionof the Institute.e. The Aviation Materials Institute is responsible for air-borne development and metallurgy applicable to aircraftstructures. New alloys and air-

frame construction techniquesare thoroughly tested by this institute before they can be used.Of particular importance inthe Soviet scheme of things isthe maximum utilization of foreign scientific research and newideas developed outside Russia.In order to ensure that foreignsources are used to the utmost,the Soviets have established aso-called Bureau of New Techniques. Among other projects,this organization translates anddisseminates all foreign technicalarticles which may be of inter-est to Soviet aeronautical engineers. The speed of handling isnothing short of phenomenal.Articles from U. S. and otherWestern periodicals are distributed in 10O seleaf format toRussian engineers within a fewdays of their initial publication.In this manner the Soviets hopeto avoid many blind alleys of unproductive research, while at thesame time taking full advantageof promising projects initiatedoutside the Soviet Union.

HELI OPTER DESIGNPRO EDURES

Specifications for the designof a new helicopter may beinitiated in several places. Requirements for a new modelcould and frequently do origi-6

nate in one of the military services. On the other hand, Aeroflot the Soviet civil air organization) may establish the needfor a new helicopter for specialcargo or passenger service. Afterthe requirement has been fullycoordinated with all interestedagencies and received the blessing of the Ministry of AviationIndustry and the Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute, it isassigned as a project to one ofthe helicopter design teams.At the present time the Soviets have two full-time helicopter design teams. One is headedby Nikolai Kamov and the otherby Mikhail Mil. The Kamov teamhas concentrated so far on helicopter designs incorporating thetwin overhead rotors on coaxialm s t s counterrotating forelimination of torque). On theother hand, Mil has been responsible largely for helicopterswhich, in many respects, resemble the Sikorsky design(single overhead main rotor andtail rotor). In addition to thetwo full-time helicopter teams,at least one other aircraft designteam has been assigned to workon helicopters. t is probable thatother teams have also workedon helicopter design when circumstances demanded it. Eachof the de,sign teams may callupon one of the Institutes forassistance involving basic aerodynamic research or advice inthe selection of suitable component parts.

The Horse heavy cargohelicopter


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The Hen

Close liaison is maintained between the team and the agencywhich originated the requirement while work on the design isin progress. When the final design is completed several prototypes are built and tested bothby the Flight Testing Institutefor air worthiness and by theuser agency for performance. Ifaccepted by both, it is assignedfor production to one of the several factories capable of manufacturing helicopters.

PRESENT HELI OPTERDEVELOPMENT

The Soviets now have in service or in prototype stage a complete line of helicopters, rangingall the way from the ultra-lightsingle seater to a very heavycargo type.The smallest helicopter developed in the USSR is knownas the HAT K-10).* It is anopen frame helicopter poweredby a 50 hp reciprocating engine.This helicopter was developedby Kamov and incorporates thetwin overhead rotors typical ofhis design. The HAT is equippedwith floats and can land onground or water with equal ease.It has only limited speed and endurance with negligible payloadcapacity. Its primary use is forshort-range reconnaissance andcourier missions.One of the more recent helicopters to make its appearance

*The N ATO names such as HATare used throughou t this artic le.Soviet nomencla ture such as K-l0is used only occasionally.

on the Soviet scene is the HENK-15). This is also a Kamovdesign and is intended for reconnaissance and liaison employment. The HEN is powered bya small 260 hp radial reciprocating engine nine cylinders). thas a range of about 200 nauticalmiles with a cruising speed of 65knots. No significant payload isattributed to this aircraft; it canaccommodate one passenger orobserver in addition to the pilot.It is probable that the HEN iscurrently in production.Even more recent than theHEN is another Kamov designknown as the HOG K-18). Essentially the HOG is an enlargement of the HEN. It can accommodate a pilot and threepassengers, or 750 pounds payload. The increased gross weightof the HOG, resulting from enlarged fuselage, increased payload, and more fuel required, isprobably made possible by improved rotor efficiency.The HARE. MI-1) is the firsthelicopter to go into mass-production in the Soviet Union.Photographs of this aircraftwere seen for the first time in1951. It has been in continuoususe since that time in both theSoviet military establishmentand civilian e con m y. TheHARE can be classed as a utilityaircraft having a payload capacity of about 500 pounds, or 3

The Hog utility transport


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he Hat reconnaissancehelicopter

passengers. However, the HAREalso has been used for reconnaissance, in the absence of a specialized vehicle for this purpose.The HARE is equipped with arotor blade deicing system andother features considered quiteadvanced for its period of development (1949-1950). Theoriginal HARE design has beenmodified recently and is calledMI-3 by the Russians. The 575hp engine has been replaced byone of 740 hp. A fourth bladehas been added to the mainrotor. The new HARE appearsto have been designed speciallyfor medical evacuation. A litterpod is suspended from each sideof the fuselage.The HQUND (MI-4) has beenthe workhorse of Soviet ArmyAviation. This versatile aircraftresembles our H-19. However, itis considerably larger than theH-19, having a payload of about2 tons with a range of 200 nautical miles. A particularly significant feature of the HOUND isa set of clamshell doors at therear of the fuselage. When open,a two-track ramp is lowered forloading vehicles and other heavyequipment. The HOUND hashe Hook heavy cargo

helicopter

been in service with the SovietArmy since 1953 and is still inlarge scale production.The largest helicopter currently in service with the SovietArmy is the HORSE (YAK-24).This large tandem-rotor helicopter was designed by a teamheaded by General Yakovlev.This is the only time that theYakovlev design team is knownto have been associated withhelicopter development. heHORSE has a payload of nearly5 tons and is equipped with aramp door under the tail sectionfor loading heavy cargo. TheHORSE is equipped with two2,000 hp reciprocating enginesvery similar to that of theHQUND. In fact the en t i r epower train in the HQRSE, isalmost identical to that of theHOUND, with the only majordifference being the interconnecting shaft between rotor systems for safety in the event ofengine failure. The HORSE, alsohas a range of about 200 nauticalmiles.Last year the Soviets unveileda prototype of a very large cargohelicopter designated H 0 0 K(MI-6). This is the latest of theMil designs and is believed to bein the testing stage at the present time. The HQOK is probablythe largest helicopter in theworld at present. Its grossweight is in the order of 70,000pounds; payload is believed toaccount for between 20,000 and25,000 pounds. Power is obtainedfrom two 4,500 ESHP gas turbine engines.Military employment of theHOOK is not clear. It is unlikelyto be used for assault missionsas are the HOUND and HQRSE.However, there is little doubt


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w s our ProficiencyCW O Gordon L Coles TC

H OW GOOD A FLIER are you? Areyou satisfied with your performance? Is your Aviation Officer happy with your proficiency?Has the unit IP given you thenod on all you're supposed toknow? Or was the nod halfhearted and modified by Betterclean up those steep turns.Even though your check ridebrought approbation it's yourduty to keep things that way.YOUR DUTY

AR 95-32 makes it plain thatmaintaining your flying proficiency is a military duty. Yourcommander is charged only withproviding the equipment ndtime. It's your responsibility asan a viator to see that you aretrained to cope with any situation.O PRO

A reserve officer on two weeksactive duty with an infantry division after taking a check ridein a Bird Dog decided to go ona local flight. After preflight inspection and runup, the aviatortaxied the aircraft to the takeoffCWO Gordon L. Coles is an instruc-to1 in the Mojave, Department ofRotary Wing Training, U. S. ArmyA viation School, Fort Rucker, Ala. Aformer Marine pilot, he has loggedmore than 1 . 000 hours in both fixedand rotary wing aircraft. Views ex-pressed in this article are the author sand are not necessarily those of theDepartment of the A rmy or of theU. S. Army Aviation School. The Editor

1

position and started the takeoff roll applying abrupt fullthrottle. Shortly after the rollstarted, the aircraft began aturn to the left toward a building and another taxiing aircraft.The aviator applied right brakeand rudder; the i r c r f tstraightened momentarily, thenstarted a turn to the right. Heapplied left brake and rudder,but the aircraft continued turning. It made an abrupt groundloop to the right, skidded backwards approximately 35 feet,and came to rest on the leftwing with the left main gearcollapsed.RUSTY FLI ER

Red-faced explanation revealed a state of rustiness. Any reserve officer who flies rarelyshould have something m 0 r ethan a simple checkout. Butwhat about the officer who takesa turn in the pilot's seat everyfour weeks? Let's face it--even80 hours a year isn't going tokeep him-or you-in top shapewithout a systematic plan.You should face the fact thatyou're being paid for your ability to cope with any emergencythat may arise. To do this, youmust make a determined effortto follow a proficiency programtailored to your needs.Proficiency checks run all theway from the thorough checkout required by Seventh Armyto that of the Aviation Officerwho gets out of the wrong side


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of the sack determined to runhis aviators through check rides.Whatever your setup, when thechips are down, it's your responsibility and your advantageto keep proficient and to improveyour skill to the highest levelpossible.Keeping proficient is safetyinsurance, too. Analysis of 48private pilot accidents indicatesthat 25 percent occurred topilots who had renewed theirC physical during the 30-dayperiod prior to the mishap.CAA's verdict: "A state of rustiness." Don't let this happen toyou.

K P SH RPIt's not a "great big deal to

set up a program that will keepyou sharp enough to take careof ordinary emergencies. A professional minded pilot can set upand carry out a program forhimself. Any successful program, however, must be wellplanned. Nothing can be gaineduntil you know exactly what youwant to accomplish. Set yourobjectives when you know yourneeds.

In filling this first need-anobjective analysis of your flyingability-call on the unit IP orcheck pilot. At the end of acheck ride this man can giveyou a pretty good idea of yourweaknesses. The check p i o twatches you go through maneuvers and applies standards towhat you're doing. If somethingisn't up to scratch, he'll tell youabout it. If necessary, he'll makesuggestions for general flyingimprovement and call attentionto unsafe practices. This ridewill accentuate the negative-

HOW'S YOUR PROFICIENCY?

your shortcomings-and you canbet it'll help you o a better jobof flying.Not every pilot needs the sameamount of practice to maintainproficiency. That makes this firstcheck ride important. You'llknow where to concentrate.Most aviators admit that 80hours annual flight time is justbarely enough to maintain minimum proficiency. It's not enoughto keep instrument proficiencyunless a good plan of attack isfollowed. All Army Aviatorsmust be instrument qualified by1961, so the handwriting on thewall is very plain indeed.

CH RT C N HELPCharts are boring to most ofus, but sometimes they're necessary. A chart is provided foryour convenience at the end ofthis article to help you get theshow on the road. It's up to you.Keep your chart handy andcheck it as you progress.Aviators flying many longnonstop administrative flights

o not ordinarily get much practice on takeoffs, instrument approaches, and landings, so herein such a pilot should watch hisproficiency. Your program mustinclude practice on maneuverswhich you don't regularly perform in daily or weekly flying.

T KE IT H RDYou'll get nowhere if you don't

take your program seriously.Flying boils down to this: If youcan't handle every emergencythat might pop up on any flight,you'd better turn in your wings.f you don't, you might become astatistic A proficiency programwill put you on the road to be-

11


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SEPTEMBER 1958

coming an old pro, although itisn t a magic formula that worksby itself. While it will help or-ganize your effort to the bestadvantage, y u still must furnish the effort.

T ILORED TO FITYour own private programmust have a minimum standard.A regular check ride should betaken at fixed intervals to eval-

uate your progress. The unit IPor someone designated by theAviation Officer will be glad todo this. The check ride measuresyour proficiency; thus, it is veryimportant.The very heart of the pilotproficiency program is the in-strument check. A checkout in anew or later model isn t enough.

Neither will the annual writtenexam keep you up to a satisfactory level. You can t practiceemergency procedures once ayear and still expect to be sharp6 months later. So the entireprogram can be built aroundmaneuvers for an instrumentcheckout.

TH HOW ND WHYThe program should be set up

to practice all maneuvers on thefollowing chart at least onceevery 60 days-preferably moreoften. Except for the emergencyprocedures, most of these can bep r e t i c e d on administrativeflights. Track to a station oncein awhile with ADF instead ofomni; make your climbs, de-scents and headings precise. fINDEX OF MANEUVERS

PILOT PROFICIENCYTakeoffs, normal and crosswindClimbs and climbing turnsManeuvering t low airspeedsStalls.Forced landingsSimulated additional emergenciesGliding spiralsOn-pylon eightsLazy eightsChandellesTraffic Control proceduresSteep and timed turnsRecovery from unusual atti tudesRadio navigation and orientationInstrument flight proceduresAborted landings (Go-Arounds)Rapid descents and climbsSingle engine procedures (multi-engine)Single engine landings (multi-engine)Operation of aircraft emergency equipmentSearch and rescue procedures

2

Power-off spot landingsCAA regulations and rulesShort field landings and takeoffsPassenger briefings and evacuationFirst aid and survival rules

For hooded or instrument flight

1stQtr. 2dQtr. dQtr. 4thQtr.


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instrument rated, file IFR intoand out of high density areas.Follow this program faithfullyand you ll find your proficiencywon t taper off after sweatingout the Annual.The chart will help you locateyour area of need. E.ach time amaneuver is performed well,check it off the list. At the endof two months, you ll k nowwhich maneuvers you ve missedand must practice.Every flight can be a trainingflight. Once each trip, mentallyrun through all the emergencyprocedures for the i r c r f t

HOW S YOUR PROFICIENCY?

you re flying. Get these from theDash-1 Handbook. At least onceevery 60 days take a proficiencyflight and simulate these emergency procedures. On this flight,also go through procedures yourpersonal chart s how s you vemissed.This is a program that hasmany facets. There s self-improvement that is highly satisfying to all of us; your value tothe service is enhanced; and lastly, don t forget the check pilot-he l l be pleasantly surprised tofind you ve really improved yourproficiency.

PUZZL RHE DIVISION G3 has just briefed you on the plan for employmentof the ground elements of the division. As the Division AviationOfficer, it is your responsibility to plan the employment of the Division Aviation Company to support these ground units. The G3 plancalls for two batteries of 105 howitzers from Division Artillery toreinforce the 1st Battle Group. The batteries so employed willrequire as many as three o.bservation airplanes.Indicate by a V the solution or solutions which you think wouldbest fit the situation.

You recommend that:o The Div Arty S3 dire,ct theArtillery Flight Commanderto provide three observationaircraft to support the two105 howitzer batteries in support of the 1st Battle Group.o Three observation aircraftbe attached for an unlimitedperiod to the Combat Support Flight of the battlegroup which the howitzerbatteries are reinforcing.o Three observation aircraftfrom Artillery Flight be at-

tached to the Combat Support Flight for the period thehowitzers are reinforcing thebattle group, after which theaircraft revert to the controlof the Artillery Flight Commander.o The aircraft remain underthe control of the ArtilleryFlight Commander, and theCommander of the CombatSupport Flight of the 1stBattle Group makes a dailyrequest for the number ofaircraft needed.

The recommended solution to the PUZZLER may be fo.und onpage 22.3


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RMY IRCR FT M INTEN NCEIN THE PENTOMIC RMY

Colonel Frank G Forrest Inf

NY PROGRAM AIMED at the fulland logical exploitation ofaircraft as an Army vehiclemust recognize that aviationflies on its maintenance in muchthe same way as an armymarches on its stomach. Inaviation units the s t t e ofmaintenance is particularly significant because aircraft are exceptionally sensitive to mainte-nance. In order to be operationalan aircraft must be mechanicallysound in every respect. Successful accomplishment of the ArmyAviation mission therefore, ispossible only when a system ofmaintenance is employed whichis readily responsive to the needsof the units charged with theexecution of the mission.

CATEGORIESPrior to the advent of thePentomic era Army Aviationgenerally consisted of smallflight detachments called aviation sections which were organicto artillery battalions infantryregiments, signal battalions, engineer groups etc. These sections were equipped with com-

Colonel Frank G Forrest, AviationOfficer, U S. Six th Army, has hadthree previous articles published inthe DIGEST. The most recent wasACCIDENT PREVENTION - ACOMMAND RESPONSIBILITY inthe Nov 1957 issue. Views expressedin this article are the author s and arenot necessarily those of the Depart-ment of the A rmy or of the U. S.A rmy Aviation School.- The Editor14

paratively simple aircraft. Although the function performedby these planes was important,the over-all capability of aviationin the Army was limited. Thegeneral plan for aircraft mainte-nance followed the same patternas maintenance for other Armyequipment. The five echelons ofmaintenance were divided intothree categories. First and second echelons comprised organizational maintenance; third andfourth comprised field mainte-nance ; and fifth was d e p o tmaintenance.

ORGANIZATIONIn each of the various aviationsections mechanics known ascrew chiefs were assigned toperform organizational mainte-nance. By virtue of the relativesimplicity of the aircraft, anacceptable rate of availabilitycould be maintained in the organization. Backup maintenancefor the many different flightelements in the field army areawas performed by field mainte-nancecompanies. These technical service companies were assigned at one per corps with aheavy maintenance and supplycompany in general support atarmy level. Command of thevarious field maintenance companies was vested in a mainte-nance battalion headquartersand headquarters detachment,which was assigned as a fieldarmy unit. The command linebetween the aviation element


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and the field maintenance unitwas from battalion or regiment,through division headquarters,corps headquarters, army headquarters, maintenance battalionheadquarters, to maintenancecompany headquarters.

EXCEPTIONWith the coming of the helicopter company, the Army madean exception to the plan just de

scribed. It was realized that anacceptable rate of availabilitywith the large transport helicopters could not be maintainedby the unit within the scope offirst and second echelon mainte-nance. Therefore, a field mainte-nance detachment capable ofperforming third echelon mainte-nance was activated for eachhelicopter company. Successfuluse of these detachments hasbeen realized when they havebeen in support of or attached tothe helicopter companies.

PENTOMIC GEThe dawn of the PentomicAge has been aecompanied by achange in the general organiza

tion and scope of Army Aviation.To meet the requirements forincreased mobility and for additional missions under pentomicconcepts, the trend is steadilytoward the development of company size or larger aviationunits. Aviation companies existor will exist in the division,corps, corps artillery, and fieldarmy. Also, there will be unitsof the type known as AerialCombat Reconnaissance Co mpanies in the Pentomic FieldArmy. Other types of aviationunits in the field army are helicopter ambulance companies, and

ARMY AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

t ac t i c a I transport battalionsconsisting in the type field armyof three light helicopter companies, one medium helicoptercompany, and one fixed wingcompany. All these units areequipped with complex aircraftrequiring frequent third echelonmaintenance functions to keepthem operational. If the presentaircraft maintenance s y s t e mcontinues to be used in the Pen-tomic Army, it will result in afield maintenance organizationof vertical structure of ratherlarge size (see figure 1 .

DIFFICULT TASKThe task of coordinating theorganization shown in figure 1with the many separate aviationunits in the field army under the

complex chain of command pre-viously described appears to bevery difficult. Dispersion amongunits and the tempo of movement on the modern battlefieldwill create situations which will

Figure

$] O O [ ~ , c i J ~ ~ : ~ , ci i

~ a ~ ~ e [i], ,~ ~ ~ c t J c t J ~000

~ . [1] . ' ~ ~ B ~ ; ~ ~ ~x 0: --: 10 ~ ;0 ' ~ C f . . . , : ; V I I~ ~ ~

x x x xxx x x x

I Ix

I I

xxxx


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SEPTEMBER 1958

require on-the-spot coordinationof maintenance and operationseffort. The present system doesnot facilitate this coordination.Therefore, the aircraft mainte-nance system should be modifiedto meet the situation presentedby the new Army. A new stream-lined system, called the Pentomic Aircraft Maintenance System, should be adopted. Elementary features of this systemshould be:a. Permits aviation organizations to achieve an acceptablerate of aircraft availability withtheir own resources.b Makes economical use ofpersonnel and equipment.c Provides for backup heavymaintenance which is impractical in the forward areas.

SIMPLIFIC TIONThe Pentomic MaintenanceSystem is simplified as comparedto the existing system. Withinthe five echelons of maintenance,only two categories are established. The category known asfield maintenance is eliminated,and the scope of organizational

maintenance is increased to include all functions that can beperformed by ground or air-mobile shop equipment. T h i sprobably will include what wasformerly considered first, second, and third echelon mainte-nance. The second category, depot maintenance, includes everything not performed by organizational maintenance, and is accomplished in semimobile orfixed-shop facilities.

GE OF SPECI LISTSThe aircraft maintenance organiza ion in a type field army

16

in the Pentomic System utilizesthree general types of enlistedmaintenance personnel: flightengineers, specialist-repairmen,and general mechanics. Flightengineers are assigned to theflight elements of aviation unitsat a ratio of one per aircraft.They are part of the aircraftcrew and are on flight status.General mechanics may also beassigned to flight elements toassist flight engineers or act ascrew chiefs. Crew chiefs aredesignated for those aircraftwhich do not require or cannotaccommodate the individual onboard during flights. Flight engineers and crew chiefs assist thepilot in his duties as appropriate,and perform inspections, servicing, and adjusting first echelon maintenance . Specialist-repairmen and general mechanicsare assigned to aircraft maintenance units which perform thehigher echelons of maintenance.PL TOONS ND B TT LIONSThe Pentomic Aircraft Maintenance System provides for onlytwo general types of mainte-nance units. They are: mainte-nance platoons which are organic to each aviation companyor equivalent, and maintenancebattalions which are assigned todepots. The maintenance platoons of the various aviationcompanies perform second andthird e c h Ion maintenance.Fourth and fifth echelon mainte-nance for all aircraft in the fieldarmy is accomplished by themaintenance battalions assignedto depots. The allocation ofmaintenance units for a typefield army under this system isshown in figure 2.


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Generally, each maintenanceplatoon is composed of a command, administrative and supply element, and an operatingelement consisting of specialistrepairmen e.g., rotor and propeller repairmen airframe repairmen, and general mechanics.The exact size of a maintenanceplatoon will vary depending onits workload which is measuredby the aircraft equivalents to besupported. In the interest of economic utilization of specialist-repairmen and tools and equipment maintenance platoons areassigned to aviation units having 50 or more aircraft equivalents. Fifty aircraft equivalentshave been selected as the mainte-nance load that warrants assign-ment of the various types ofspecialist-repairmen and tools.Under this system non-divisionalaviation units having less than50 aircraft equivalents will besupported by the corps aviationcompany, field army aviationcompany, or other aviation company for third echelon maintenance as appropriate. As a mat-ter of interest the present division aviation company has 101.2aircraft equivalents. Composition and size of depot mainte-nance battalions will vary depending on the total number ofaircraft in the field army. Depot battalions have maintenanceteams capable of moving forward where practical to assistthe sundry aviation companies.

SEVERAL fEATURESThe Pentomic Aircraft Maintenance System should have several features in consonance with

E 8 BFigure

certain concepts of the PentomicArmy which warrant mentioning. The new Army organizationhas seen an integration of personnel of the various branchesin one unit. The battle group,for example, is composed of infantry artillery engineer, andsignal troops. The assignment ofaircraft maintenance personnelto aviation units is an extensionof this precept.DISPERSED OPER TIONS

This system facilitates operat-ing from dispersed positions andcontributes to depopulation ofthe immediate combat zone. Thenumber of supervisory personnel is comparatively less, thereby fostering the principle of increasing the over-all firepowerto-manpower ratio.Adoption of the Pentomic Aircraft Maintenance System could

:A n aircraf t equiv alent is the m.aintenance equivalent of one observation ai -plane L-19), Ma intenance equivalents of other A rmy airc1 a f t are at present:L-20, 1.E; L-23, 2; H-1 3, 2.5; H-1 9, 3 .5; H-34, 5; etc .7


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SEPTEMBER 1958

be accomplished easily. All aviation companies in the new Armyorganization have ass i g nedmaintenance platoons of a limited third echelon capability. faugmented slightly and appropriately equipped, these platoons could perform third echelon maintenance functions forthe entire -company. The job ofmaintaining aircraft records andstocks of aircraft parts supplywill not change materially, except that the supply inventorywill increase.

N EXISTENCEEs t a b l i s h men t of depotmaintenance battalions will berather simple in that an organ-ization for this type of unit already has been developed. All

that is required is the augmen-tation of these units to accomplish fourth echelon mainte-nance. In adopting this new system the principal w 0 r k l oa dprobably lies in the revision ofregulations and manuals andconvincing interested agenciesin its intrinsic worth.P RTS SUPPLY

Any discussion of aircraftmaintenance should i n v I v eparts supply. Supply of aircraftparts in the Pentomic FieldArmy is complicated by the factthat the storage of parts mustbe accomplished at the depots;yet, those parts required formaintenance in the aviationunits must be readily available.To be mobile, aviation units inthe forward area must not be

18

burdened with tonnages of air-craft parts. Units should keepon hand only those items thatare used daily, and can be trans-ported in the mobile shop. Another factor having a bearing onthe problem is the long procurement lead time that exists onmany aircraft parts. Therefore,economy in the use of thoseitems is necessary.AVAILABILITY CAPABILITY UP

In the Pentomic i r c r a f tMaintenance s.ystem, these problems are solved by the employment of a Transportation Supply Control Office located in eachlogistic command. This agencyacts as a central inventory andsupply control point for all aircraft and aircraft parts for thefield army or armies supportedby a given logistic command.Records of the depot or supplypoint location and the quantityof all aircraft parts are maintained in this office. All requisitions for parts from anyaviation unit are electricallytransmitted directly to the designated Transportation Sup plyControl Office TSCO) whereelectronic data processing machinery provides information asto the availability of the partand its location. Using electricalmeans, TSCO then issues air-shipping instructions to the appropriate depot or supply pointwith information to the aviationunit concerned. Delivery of thepart is made .via the establishedtheater and field army air trans-portation systems.


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What s the PlanT IS 1730 HOURS on a cold win-

ter evening. You look out thewindow at the falling snow andslushy ground. The days are get-ting shorter. You put on yourcoat, turn out the lights, andreach for the door. It's 15 minutes past quitting time, and youreflect that it's no night to beflying. The loud jangle of thephone snaps you back to reality.You turn back and pick up thereceiver."Flight operations. This isCaptain Rogers.""Captain, this is S e r g e n tSmith at the MPs. We just hada call that an Army plane crash-ed and is burning near the railcrossing on route 76. That's allwe got from the fellow whocalled. What shall I do, Captain ?"

hat would you doMaybe this hasn't happened toyou yet. But, if you stay in thisbusiness long e n 0 ugh, thechances are good that somethinglike it will happen. What wouldyou do?Hundreds of questions popinto the mind in this situation.How to get there? Who is in theplane? Whom does it belong to?What about the ambulance?How do we get a doctor? Whatabout fire? Who must know?How about MPs? Do they needa chaplain? How can we keep incommunication? Could a helicopter land there? Who is supposed to investigate this?Whoa, boy Whoa Hold itjust a minute.

Let's get a plan. If your out-fit is on the ball, you alreadyhave a plan. You call it the PRE-ACCIDENT PLAN. Look in the

file under that title, pull out thefolder, and watch things fallinto place.Naturally, we all want to prevent accidents. But, no matterhow carefully we plan, they willhappen occasionally. The nextbest thing is to be prepared foraccidents that do happen. Thepreaccident plan should containspecific instructions for eachperson involved. He will thenknow how and when to get tothe accident scene and what todo when he gets there. The air-craft population and facilitiesavailable will determine h o welaborate the plan should be.Even a two-plane field will usea preaccident plan based on partof the following:

1. Crash rescue plan.2. An investigation board.3. Working agreements withengineers, signal officer, PIO,surgeon, chaplain, transporta-tion officer, and provost marshal.4 Ready investigation kit andtransportation to the accidents c en e for the investigationboard.5 Authority for the investigation board to call in technicalassistance as needed.6 Pilot briefing.The two most important itemsare taking care of the injuredand getting the investigationboard to the accident scene assoon as possible. To accomplishThis article was prepared by theU S A rmy Board fo r Aviation Acci-dent Research staff with informationfrom its files. Views expressed in thisarticle are not necessarily those ofthe Department of the Army or of theU S. Army Aviation School.The Editor

19


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SEPTEMBER 1958

these, a preaccident plan is justas necessary as a fire extinguish-er in a building, a first-aid kit inan aircraft, or an ambulance atthe hospital.Let s take a closer look at theelements basic to a good plan.CR SH RES UE PL N

Crash rescue is the key toyour preaccident plan. rm yregulations require a crash res-cue plan which involves manyitems. The regulation is toolengthy to be discussed in detailhere. Covered in the crash planare the preparatory measures,duties, and operating proceduresessential to activate all emergen-cy crash fire fighting and rescueservices and associated support-ing activities in a rapid andorderly manner. An alarm typesystem is used because preser-vation of life is the primary consideration. The regulation coverseverything from crash c r e wtraining to necessary grid mapsand authorized equipment. Manynew developments have takenplace since the writing of thisregulation, especially in the roleof helicopters as standby crashrescue vehicles. The other serv-ices have used helicopters thisway for some time. SeveralArmy airfields are now doingthe same.Locating downed or overdueaircraft can be expedited througha communications search. Thisis generally done by Air TrafficControl or Military Flight Service when an aircraft is reported missing, but may fall onyour shoulders under certain circumstances. Many agencies areSR 9.5 .50 1 Pr ocedure for ircraftFire Fighting and R escue

2 0

available to aid in locating orverifying a downed aircraft.Among these are: CAA communications stations, G r un dObserver Corps, Civil Air Patrol,state and county police, radioand television sta ions, newspapers, public utility companies,U. S. and state forestry services,and adjoining military facilities.

INVESTIG TION BO RDInvestigating officers shouldarrive at the accident scene assoon as possible. At a well runairfield, it is not unusual for theaircraft accident investigatorsto arrive while rescue and firefighting teams are still at work.This means that the investigators must be alert and readyto go on short notice. Aircraft

accident investigation boa r d sshould be appointed ahead oftime and enough officers shouldbe on the board to assure theavailability of the required number. t is desired that a meetingplace be prearranged and trans-portation waiting there to takeboard members to the accidentscene. Care should be taken toappoint the most capable inves-tigative personnel to the board

SSIST NCEWorking agreements concerning duties and areas of responsibility should be made with thefollowing.Engineers - For surveyingand mapping the debris pattern

and preparing sketches.Signal Office - For photographic and communication ass i s t a n c e. The photographershould arrive at the scene withthe investigators. He must becapable of taking all necessary


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SEPTEMBER 1958

Anticipate - Pilots shouldknow all emergency proceduresbe familiar with lost communication bail-out over water, andsurvival procedures.

Communicate - PHots shouldknow all possible means to attract attention from the groundor water. This also applies torescuers who should know themethods and have the means tocommunicate with survivors.Prepare for a Wait-Survivors should know to prepare fora wait at all crash scenes. Evenwhen the position is known oran aircraft is overhead it maytake hours or days to effect therescue.Cooperate Sounds silly thatthere's a need for cooperation

from a downed pilot. But, it isnecessary The pilot shouldhave a thorough knowledge ofrescue procedures. For example:the downed pilot must be aware

of certain helicopter rescue techniques in order to aid his ownhoist rescue. Or he may have toprepare a helicopter landingarea.There you have the essentialsfor a good preaccident plan.Your installation may find itsuitable to add or take awayfrom this plan but the basis isthere.All the plans in the worldwon't help if filed away and forgotten. Review it for adequacyand bring it up to date at regularintervals. Keep all personnelcompletely informed of the planand any subsequent changes.Test all parts of it from time totime. Dry runs will bring out errors or omissions and may savea life at some later date.

If we cannot prevent an accident let's at least be preparedfor those that do happen. Havea plan - A PREACCIDENTPLAN.

~ t PUZZL ROn the basis of the factual information contained in the PUZ-ZLER on page 13 the recommended solution is as follows:Three observation aircraft from Artillery Flight be attached to the Combat Support Flight for the period thehowitzers are reinforcing the battle group, after whichthe aircraft revert to the control of the Artillery FlightCommander.

NOTE: You are encouraged to submit comments to the Editor in-Chief of the U S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST on the contents ofthe problem or any of the material appearing in the magazine.

A midair collision can spoil your whole day. Follow the rules; quadrantalseparation is better than none. - FSF


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SEPTEMBER 1958

of these drugs is inadvisable.ASPIRIN and APC preparations. These drugs are coal tarderivatives and in the suscepti-ble individual or in prolongedusage will produce a depressingeffect on certain blood formingelements which leads to abnor-mal white blood cell activity anda decrease in resistance to in-fections. You should not take

more than two tablets of aspirinor APC per day for more thantwo successive days unless undertreatment by a physician.ANTIBIOTICS. These p re p-arations such as penicillin terramycin etc. _ offer no determent to flying unless there is animmediate reaction within 15

minutes or a delayed reactionafter many days or weeks. Thelatter reaction is usually mani-fested by intense itching of theskin as well as pain and swellingof joints.BARBITURATES. This groupcontains such prominent drugsas phenobarbital amy al nem-

butal and seconal. In the absenceof severe pain the principal re-actions are relaxation sedationand sleep. Furthermore thesedrugs are habit forming. The re-sulting decrease in reaction timeand quality of judgment shouldpreclude their use by flying per-sonnel. Do not pilot an aircraftwithin 12 hours of a single doseof the above drugs.

BENZEDRINE. The inhalerform of this drug has been re-moved from the open market be-cause of its habit-forming quali-ties. Benzedrine is a powerfulstimulant and with a reserve4

power in the body it will coun-teract sedation and sleep. In theabsence of this body reservebenzedrine produces a depres-sing effect similar to the barbiturates. t also produces ashrinking of the mucous membranes in the nose and sinuseswhich is the primary desirableeffect in aviation medicine. Thisproperty has been incorporatedin Benzedrex a preparationwhich is not habit forming. tis permissible to use a Benzedrexinhaler occasionally d ur i n gflight.

DIARRHEA M I X TU RES.These mixtures usually containan opium preparation combinedwith one of the barbiturates.The ill effects of diarrhea plusthe decrease in reaction timeand judgment preclude flyingwhile under treatment wi t hthese drugs. You should not pilotan aircraft within 8 hours of asingle dose of a diarrhea mix-ture.

IMMUNIZATION. Biologicalimmunizing ge n t s producevarying degrees of local tissuereaction and generalized sys-temic reactions such as fevermalaise muscle aches and head-ache. Headache definitely re-duces reaction time and judgment. The individual should notpilot an aircraft within 24 hoursof receiving any single immuni-zation either the basic series ora booster shot. Smallpox vacci-nations should be checked everyother day until the individual isreleased by the physician.

MOTION SICKNESS DRUGS.All such drugs produce some de-gree of sedation which is not


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compatible with flying. Pilotingan aircraft within 8 hours oftaking a single dose of any motion sickness drug ( MotherSills included) is not recommended.LOCAL OR BLOCK ANESTHESIA for tooth extractionor minor surgery. When the anesthesia wears off, pain returnsor develops which is distractingin varying degrees. As a general rule, do not pilot an aircraftwithin 12 hours of the abovetreatment.SULFONAMIDES. All sulfad r ug s produce similar unfavorable reactions to the humanbody which differ only in degree. The principal reaction isdepression of the blood formingelements, resulting in anemia orlowered white blood cell activity.This leads to visual disturbances, vertigo, impaired coordination and reaction time, weakness, and lowered resistances toinfection. These manifestationsare definitely no t compatiblewith flying. A minimum of 48hours should elapse after thelast dose of any sulfa drug priorto any flying duty. One of themost important steps to be takenduring sulfa administration isthe consumption of at leastthree quarts of fluids daily. Absolute abstinence from alcoholmust be observed.TRANQUILIZERS. The usof these drugs by flying personnel is discouraged because of effects upon neuromuscular coordination, reaction time, concentration, and division of attention. Change 4 AR 40-110,dated 13 September 1956, im-

MEMO FROM FLIGHT SURGEON

poses suspension from flying forfour weeks after the last doseof any tranquilizer.S LF MEDIC TION

An unfit physical condition ofthe pilot constitutes a compromise of flying safety and an unnecessary risk to the lives ofhimself and his passengers. Despite this danger, flights aremade daily by pilots who arephysically unfit to fly. Subconscious fears may prevent a manfrom seeing his Flight Surgeon.Also, many pilots fear beinggrounded with loss of flight payfor any period of time. Thesefears result in failure to reportminor ailments such as colds,hearing difficulties, and s 0 r ethroats. The individual whoseeks to cure himself with dosesof aspirin, lozenges, and patentcure-aIls takes an unnecessarychance. All too often, these attempts at self-medication areharmful. Insure your flight payand stop avoiding the FlightSurgeon, who is one of your bestfriends.

P TENT MEDICINESThe do-it-yourself practitioner has thousands of proprietarycompounds available in storesfor his disposal. They are advertised by mass communicationsmedia to heal ailments f ro mathlete's foot to baldness. To theuninitiated, the promise to cureliver irregularities as well astired blood is more attractivethan the possible consequencesof reporting to th FlightSurgeon. Most of these compounds and patent-pills are notharmful by themselves; a fewmay even be beneficial. Some

25


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SEPTEMBER 1958

ease and relieve (without curing)the symptoms of an illness. Theyneither heal nor touch upon thecauses of sickness. They becomedangerous when the user is lulledinto a false sense of security ashe begins to feel better.When used steadily over along period, some become habit-forming; others which act ascumulative poisons on continuous intake may seriously damage the body.The use of cathartics and laxatives is as bad a habit as it iscommon. An occasional catharsismay give relief, but the habitualuse of salts, laxative chewinggums and chocolates, milk ofmagnesia, aperient waters, bromo-quinine, or any other regu-lator is decidedly harmful.The pilot who dodges the issue of sickness for economicalreasons should realize that themajority of patent medicinesare a waste of his money. Atbest, they relieve painful discomfort and irregularities inbody functions for short periods;they do not bring about a finalcure. At worst, some drugs maykill you.

The claims of relief and curemade in public media may be impossible to deliver in your case.Advertising can be fraudulent,designed to deceive. A few, welladvertised indigestion cure-aIlsconsist of sodium and calciumcarbonates in fairly equal proportions. If you insist on thistreatment for gastric disorders,these ingredients (soda ndchalk) may be purchased, for afew cents a pound. In pill form,with a trade name, they costmore than 50 cents for 4 ounces.The pilot with a health problem should consult the FlightSurgeon rather than the patentmedicine counter. The FlightSurgeon's expert knowledge andfriendly advise very often canprevent serious complications, ifhe is given the chance to treatminor illnesses in their earlystages. Remember to check inwith him when you have beentreated by a physician who is notnormally concerned with aviationmedicine. It is better to begrounded for a few days whenmedically advisable than to riskcrashing Or being permanentlygrounded later.

Flying both rotary and fixed wing aircraft and more than 300 missions,aviators of the 502d Aviation Company, 2d Armored Division logged more than100,000 passenger miles during Exercise Strong Arm without an injury to apassenger or an aircraft accident, according to Capt Richard T. Heard, 502dCommander.

6


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SEPTEMBER 1958

One look might have prevented this accidentwere thrown in all directionswith tremendous velocity. Sections landed as far as 400 yardsaway from the impact area. Apiece of a rotor blade from theChoctaw struck a soldier stand-ing 509 feet from the collisionand completely severed one leg.This accident is the result ofthree important facts:1. The Sioux pilot did notmake a dearing turn prior totakeoff and apparently did notsee the Choctaw until a momentbefore collision.

2 The Choctaw pilot continuedon a flight path over the Siouxalthough he had seen it on theground with the rotor turning.3. The location of the twolanding areas, the surroundingobstacles and w n d directionmade the landing and takeoffpaths from both landing padscorrespond.Had either of these pilots exercised the very basic fundamentals that are taught and em-28

phasized in training, this accident could not have happened.Had the takeoff and landingpaths of the two pads not converged the accident very probably would not have happened.Certainly the Sioux pilot shouldhave made a clearing turn before takeoff and the Choctawpilot erred in making his approach over another helicopterespecially when he saw its rotorturning. t is clear that all possible safety measures at anylanding site cannot fully protectpilots who fail to LOOK.Though the cost of a look issmall its value cannot be measured. Think of this the next time

y u get in a hurry.MURPHY S LAW: IF AN AIRCRAFT PARTCAN E INSTALLED INCORRECTLY SOME-ONE WILL INSTALL IT THAT WAY.

The Sioux required a testflight because of the removaland replacement of the main


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rotor assembly and blades. Thetest pilot performed a thoroughpreflight inspection, with specialattention given to the main rotorassembly. He then started thehelicopter, made the normal pretakeoff checks, and brought theSioux to a hover. Finding cycliccontrol vibration present, thepilot elected to have the mainrotor blades tracked.Tracking proved that the mainrotor blade track was withinlimits, and the pilot again raisedthe aircraft to a hover for aperiod of 15 to 20 minutes. Dur-ing this time, the cyclic controlvibration ceased. Several hovering autorotations were perform-ed and reaction appeared normal. The pilot next made a take-off and began a traffic pattern.At an altitude of 500 feet, hedecided to perform an autorota-tion. Slight abnormal vibrationswere felt at the beginning ofthe autorotation, so the pilot immediately aborted and continuedin a normal power-on landing.Following the landing, thepilot reduced power and pitchpreparatory to stopping the engine. This was the signal for ap r a c t i ca l demonstration ofMurphy s Law. Severe vibra-tions threw the pilot from sideto-side in the cockpit, and hishand was battered by the collective pitch lever. The enginewas immediately shut down.The Sioux presented a sadpicture with its main rotor assembly resting on the stabilizerbar assembly. Investigation revealed that the split cone washerassembly had slipped from placeduring the landing, allowing themain rotor assembly to slidedown the mast when the weightof the main rotor blades exceed-

GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT

CAPMJT0 - C P tlUT LCCK W SHER

SPLIT W SHER SSE :IIILY n I ~ ' T I J . E D nACCClUl SCE WITH ~ U R P I l Y uu

ed lift during the engine shut-down.A series of small marks evident around the top of the splitcone washer assembly, made bycontact with the mast splines,proved conclusively t h a t thewasher assembly was incorrectlyinstalled. To wit: U PS I EDOWNA Chickasaw pilot was practicing autorotations from pinnacle takeoffs. Shortly after entering autorotation, a vibrationwas felt in the cyclic control,and the nose of the aircraftpitched up and to the left. Thepilot overrode the servos, reduced airspeed, and added powerin an attempt to rejoin the

needles and effect a power recovery. The engine rpm wentpast the rotor rpm and a loudchattering noise was heard. Thepilot realized he could neithermake a power recovery n o rreach the cleared area ahead.He made a moderate flare to29


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~ t r Ing minaste IIIA ND THERE CHANCED to be a

Knight of the Stirrup, SirHeffie Foote, assigned to theBird Dog Brigade of His Majesty's winged forces.Sir H e f f iwas a warriorof great stature, k now nthroughout thekingdom f o rhis p ro w e s swi t h all theweapons of the royal arsenal.Alas, he was a terror to theLadies of the Court. And whenthe fiddler played, these damsels fled in horror. For theyknew full well the pain oftrampled toes occasioned by theexuberant but clumsy dancing

of the mighty knight.Sir Heffie soared forth on awindy morning and whirled hisBird Dog through the sky, jousting merrily with a group ofpuffy cumuli. And when he hadtired of the sport, he descendedto alight. He dove the Dog beside the green turf and chokedits roar, whistling softly to theearth.The Bird Dog met the turf ingood fashion; then it swerved tothe right, back to the left, againto the right, and repeated to theleft. A scream of pain issuedfrom the Dog. Its forelegs lockedinto the sod, and the Dog bit itsspinning nose into the grass,kicked its heels high into theair, and pivoted over on its back.

,stop all forward motion of theaircraft. The Chickasaw settledinto the trees, fell to the ground,rolled down a slope and came torest on its right side. The aircraft burst into flames as thepilot leaped out.Detailed investigation revealed that the ring gear (part= S14-35-4371) and s p ro c k e t(part S14-35-4079) had beeninstalled with the wrong tolerance. Tl1e lower end of th

3

sprocket splines and the upperend of the ring gear splines wereheavily gouged for approximately 180, showing a slippage ofthe gear teeth. The lip on theupper end of the ring gear wascompletely worn away by abrasion from the sprocket teeth.Inspection of the other Chickasaws at this pilot's unit revealed many improper ring gearand sprocket tolerances. Moreaccidents waiting for a place tohappenNo person who comes withinwalking distance of an aircraftis immune to Murphy's Law.Those pilots muttering in their

beards about poor maintenancemay now proceed to deflate theiregos. "Quoth the Raven-"The pilot calculated that theweight to be carried in theRaven exceeded 480 pounds anddetermined that the ballast bar


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And those who observed thecrash clanged the bell ndbrought forth the gray beards.These learned scholars examined the scars of the alightingpath and regarded the injuredDog, listening the while to theangered roar from Sir Heffie. Heswore loudly of locking brakes,until the youngest of the graybeards reached up and set theDog s wheels spinning with agentle touch.The leader of the gray beardsaffixed his seal to a scroll andturned to the silent knight.

The ways of thy feet areknown, and the scars of thepath tell the cause of this injuryto thy craft.Thou hast trampled thy stir-

should be installed in the aftposition. He instructed the mechanic to install the ballast barand watched closely as the workwas accomplished. The mechanicfinished, and the pilot inspectedthe safety on the two bolts thatwere used to secure the ballastbar.Satisfied that all was in order,the pilot took off. He proceededto a large field and practicedtakeoffs, approaches, and hovering maneuvers. Experiencing asudden vibration during a hover,the pilot landed immediately. Inspection of the aircraft showedtha the ballast bar had comeloose and swung into the pathof the tail rotor. Only 8 inchesof each tail rotor blade remainedon the aircraft.

If this pilot had been familiarwith the Pilot's Handbook, heshould have known that the bal-

GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT

rups without mercy to correctthe errors of thy direction. Andwhen thy direction was lost tothee, thou didst stand on thystirrups and force thy Dog tobite this turf.

Woe betide him whose heavyfeet shall tramp the brakes ofhis craft in this fashion. It werea far better thing that thouhadst gently pressured t h ybrakes or used thy spur to soarforth and return again.

I t shall be recommended thatthou dance on a bed of coals toteach thee a gentle touch withbrakes and toes.And the gray beards departedfor they had been long awayfrom their cups.

ack of two olts3


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SEPTEMBER 1958last bar is designed to be in-stalled with our bolts. Thoseother two holes are not for ven-tilation

The cost of these three acci-dents, $155,476.38, is a good in-dication of how serious Murphy'sLaw is to Army Aviation.Unfortunately, the law was ineffect for a good many yearsbefore aircraft designers be-came aware of it. As a result,aircraft that are in current usehave many parts subject to im-proper installation or adjustment. Present-day designers use

Murphy's Law as a factor in thedesign of aircraft parts and com-ponents. Replacement parts forcurrent aircraft are constantlybeing redesigned or modified toreduce and eliminate the chancesof improper installation.Until Murphy's Law is re-pealed, pilots, mechanics, in-spectors, and all others who aresubject to the law must THINK,C H E C K RECHECK, ANDKNOW before installing or ad-justing any aircraft part. Theanswers are in the OperatingHandbooks and Technical Or-ders. It's up to us to use them

WEATHER RADAR FOR ARMYA standard model U. S Army Seminole L.23D), equipped witha lightweight AVQ-50 airborne radar system, is the first Army aircraftto be equipped with a weather avoidance radar system.Mounted behind a plastic radome inside the nose of the Seminole,the system detects and displays a picture of turbulent weather as

far away as 80 miles which enables the pilot to avoid storm areaswith a minimum of detouring. The information may also be usedfor navigational terrain mapping further aiding the pilot to checkhis position and identify landfalls.The radar-equipped Seminole will be evaluated by the U S ArmyAviation Board at Fort Rucker, Alabama to determine its potentialall-weather capabilities and operational suitability.


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Army Aviation Digest - Sep 1958

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