Forum: Rotary Wing Aircraft

I saw a short TV show today about the British Black Cats air demo team flying the Lynx helicopter. Pretty awesome!

I noticed that the main wheels of the Lynx are splayed outward ( I think a NASCAR buff would call it "toe'd way out...") which would render the aircraft incapable of taxiing in a straight line. At the same time, the nosewheel points straight ahead.

Does anybody know why Westland has done this with the wheeled versions of this helicopter? From the pics I've seen, it seems that maybe the toe-out is alleviated somewhat when weight is on the wheels. Perhaps there is a castering capability to enable the thing to taxi straight ahead if the pilot wants to. At all times in the air, the mains are toed out at least 30-45 degrees.

Any input anyone has about this will be greatly appreciated. I've been wondering about this off and on for years and can't seem to find any answers.

F-16.net Sponsor

The non-retractable tricycle-type landing gear is designed for the helicopter to operate from small ships in high sea states. The helicopter has low height and the wheeled landing gear is wide tracked to provide high stability on a rolling and pitching ship's deck.

The landing gear features oleo-pneumatic struts which absorb the shock of a 6 feet per second descent rate. They are fixed at 27° toe-out for deck landing, but can be manually turned into line and locked fore and aft for movement of aircraft into and out of ship's hangar.

ASIF--Thanks for that insight. I have never seen a Lynx in the flesh but have seen many pics of it, every one with the mains toed out. It sort of begs the question, "why have wheels on it if all you can do is turn it in circles on the ground?". Are there ever any scenarios in which the wheels would be locked straight ahead in flight? They have to produce some drag in the toe-out configuration. Maybe the extension of the struts causes them to unlock and toe out? I did notice that on the ground the struts stick up out of the top of the sponsons.

Also, stops the helicopter rolling off the deck Wink

and to manouveur in the tight confines of a deck.

The variants with Wheels are only really the Navy Lynx and the Lynx AH.9; The lynx AH.7 operated by the UK army has skids.

The lynx is the fastest helicopter on the planet; and is also the only helicopter capable of a true loop; many can backflip but its a party piece of the lynx Smile

Andy

So which is faster? Skids or wheels?

I'd love to do aerobatics in a helicopter, but don't think I have balls enough to unload the rotor disc. I've heard that bad things can happen when the disc is unloaded...

Skids are faster; the Black Cats never perform the loop in their HMA.8/HAS.3 machines; however the Army's display team: the Blue Eagles perform it as their party trick. I think the navalised versions aren't loop capable.

The Blue Eagles in the middle of the loop:

The Black Cats specially marked HMA.8

The future: The Future Lynx (development aircraft and production aircraft ordered last year).

Andy

In order to loop the flight computer must be disengaged to allow the pilot 100% unaided control - purely pilot skill.

The wheels on navy lynx are splayed for another reason also i believe - allows pivot turning on small decks with nose wheel turned to 90deg.

Forum: Rotary Wing Aircraft

Westland Lynx Helicopter