Helicopter blade breakage

[Maurice Harvey]

Sunday, 21st Feb. at a model flying site in Spain.

The helicopter boys turned up in force. Usually there are a couple of copters but they out-numbered the fixed wings today, some NIB and one chappie with a new set of carbon fibre blades on his model. No idea what make it was but it had a rotor diameter of about a metre. Out to the runway with it for a run-up and power check for, I presumed a lift off. As I was inspecting my friends new S/H model at the time this, to me, was something that was happening in the background until, with this copter winding up, the blades let go with what"s best described as an explosive twump! One blade headed off up the runway but the other came through the pits at gut height passing me by about a foot into the car park where it struck, would you believe, the boot of the copter owners car. When I recovered my senses I recovered the "bling" blade for inspection and found that the blade had sheared off at the mounting hole. No sign of carbon fibre, just a greeny cream resin. Where, you may ask, was carbon fibre then? It was printed on the plastic shrink wrap that covered the blade! Next time I hear or see a copter run up I will take cover in my truck as I have no intention of being maimed, or killed, by fake carbon.

[Robin Colbourne]

A very nasty accident averted purely by luck.

I realize that this isn't your helicopter, but the club need to make sure the owner highlights this failure to the appropriate bodies, as the next blade to let go might result in a fatal accident inquest.

If the blades are from a UK manufacturer or importer, they and trading standards need to be made aware.

**LINK**

If the blades have been imported directly, then at the very least contact the seller, manufacturer, BMFA / Association of Helicopter Aerosports (AHA) need to be contacted with photos and description of what occurred.

[Robin Colbourne]

Hi Maurice, I just read the first line again, '....at a model flying site in Spain.'

Doh!!! Even so the advice still applies, with your local equivalent organizations of course.

If you can get photos and more details of the blades in question (Make, model, when and where bought), I'm sure there are plenty of helicopter fliers worldwide who would be grateful.

[J D 8]

On a Coastguard exercise with an RAF Seaking I remember been given a stern briefing by the winchman that things were much more dangerous in an incident with a helicopter than an aeroplane such as a heavy or tilted landing and we were to remain in our seats until HE gave the order to evacuate as there was likely to be a lot of bits flying around outside for a while. I guess it is much the same with model one's.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Sounds like you and your clubmates are lucky to have escaped serious injury or worse. The energy within helicopter rotors is very significant. I had a Moskito helicopter powered by a 46 engine which experienced a tail rotor blade failure while I was learning to hover. There was a loud bang and I somehow managed to put the model on the ground without further damage. When I checked, the lightweight plastic tail rotor blade had taken a large lump out of one of the main (carbon fibre) rotor blades. I never found the tail blade!

Edited By Martin Harris on 24/02/2016 21:31:37