Alright, you guys are really good at the identification game. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture. What just flew over my house?
it was a helicopter that sounded like a Huey, had 4 wheel landing gear and had a narrow but tall fuselage.
I wish i got a picture. The landing gear had a wide stance, almost skycrane-ish - but the fuselage was too narrow.
If it helps, I'm in Manchester, CT and it was at about 2:30. I don't know how to pull recent history from Flightradar24.com.
Only has three legs but when I think of narrow I think of the Kaman K-Max
In reply to Brotus7 :
You didn't mention how many rotors, so I'm guessing it's not a Chinook?
In reply to RX Reven' :
That's a weird-looking chopper!
In reply to RX Reven' :
Did they just double the number of catastrophic failure points, or can that thing fly with one rotor disabled?
Kaman K-max looks like it! That silhouette looks dead on! Dual rotor may explain why it was so loud, and Kaman is a local company.
This is about the same vantage that I saw.
Just had a pair of F15s fly by low too. Busy sky today!
RX Reven' said:
Only has three legs but when I think of narrow I think of the Kaman K-Max
8 minutes from question to answer. Thanks!
We have helicopters lately that are flying over in the late evening. Wife acts annoyed all the time.
I told her it's those black helicopters that have sensors that track the strip in $100 bills that people are stacking up in their houses. To find drug dealers or those end-of-the-world guys. Government is watching you.
CrustyRedXpress said:In reply to RX Reven' :
Did they just double the number of catastrophic failure points, or can that thing fly with one rotor disabled?
Main rotors pretty much never fail on helicopters. The tail rotor is a far bigger weak point, which this does not have. This design has been around for a while, here is a Kaman HH-43F from the 50's. I am not sure what the disadvantage of this design is (a slightly reduced rotor clearance seems to be a minor one).
The Russians had a few tail rotor-less helicopters, but they tended to prefer contra-rotating rather than intermeshing:
Intermeshing rotors have been around since the beginning.
All your power goes into lift without the bulk of a tandem arrangement, and without the complexity of coaxial rotors.
Datsun310Guy said:We have helicopters lately that are flying over in the late evening. Wife acts annoyed all the time.
I told her it's those black helicopters that have sensors that track the strip in $100 bills that people are stacking up in their houses. To find drug dealers or those end-of-the-world guys. Government is watching you.
Remember, just 'cause you're paranoid, don't mean nobody's watching ya!
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Brotus7 :
You didn't mention how many rotors, so I'm guessing it's not a Chinook?
We get Chinooks flying over our house during Summer, usually in groups of three. Certainly no sneaking up on people in a Chinook, you start to hear them, and 30 minutes later they are overhead.
Possible a Sikorsky S-55t?
Not sure if any are still flying...
Sidewayze said:
Not sure if any are still flying...
I tried to post that and the similar H-19 from my phone, but I suck at technology.
Intermeshing rotors make my brain hurt. It feels like they're inches from disaster every half revolution.
We get a lot of stuff flying into Flagstaff Puliam due to its refueling location as a high altitude training area for Luke and others.
In order of loudness:
Normal Sikorsky medivac helis that fly over us rather frequently.
Apache
Blackhawk (lower and slower, these usually pique my interest with a "something big is coming in!")
Skycrane (much quieter when empty)
Chinook (sounds like multiple blackhawks)
Osprey (sounds like a Chinook combined with a jet)
Sea Stallion/Super Stallion (Ch-53) - only had this flyover once and each "chop" of the rotor rattled the windows. It's as big as a Chinook but single rotor, and a much heavier unloaded weight, and because the Chinooks flying into Flag are usually empty, I think this is why it was so much louder.
APEowner said:Intermeshing rotors make my brain hurt. It feels like they're inches from disaster every half revolution.
Better than a conventional system. No tail rotor for the pilot to bash into things.
The rotors are synchronised in the gearbox.
If it makes you feel better, guns are timed to fire between propeller blades too.
Also the Kaman's "Approach From Front" seems like a pretty shallow warning considering the consquences.
pheller said:We get a lot of stuff flying into Flagstaff Puliam due to its refueling location as a high altitude training area for Luke and others.
In order of loudness:
Normal Sikorsky medivac helis that fly over us rather frequently.
Apache
Blackhawk (lower and slower, these usually pique my interest with a "something big is coming in!")
Skycrane (much quieter when empty)
Chinook (sounds like multiple blackhawks)
Osprey (sounds like a Chinook combined with a jet)
Sea Stallion/Super Stallion (Ch-53) - only had this flyover once and each "chop" of the rotor rattled the windows. It's as big as a Chinook but single rotor, and a much heavier unloaded weight, and because the Chinooks flying into Flag are usually empty, I think this is why it was so much louder
No Heuy's? (UH-1 Iroquois). We have a local rescue version. I would guess they fall above the Osprey, but below the Stallion. Same single rotor heavy setup, but less power. They make you think of the absurdity of 20 or 30 of these doing "surprise" attacks in Vietnam.... you can hear those things miles away!
Cobras (basically a cut down Iroquois) are definitely a quieter than the Iroquois. The quietest is probably the Hughs 500 NOTAR. I don't think you can even hear the rotors, just turbine noise. I hear the NOTARs may have some issues (they certainly don't reduce complexity)
ShawnG said:APEowner said:Intermeshing rotors make my brain hurt. It feels like they're inches from disaster every half revolution.
Better than a conventional system. No tail rotor for the pilot to bash into things.
The rotors are synchronised in the gearbox.
If it makes you feel better, guns are timed to fire between propeller blades too.
Yeah, I understand the mechanism and it's benefits but that doesn't help the unease. Actually more traditional helicopters feel sketchy to me as well. It doesn't help that I witnessed a helicopter crash once. This one -> Schenectady Air Show Helicopter Crash
Helicopters - It's how I make my living. Was a Chinook crewmember for 20 years in the army. Couple thousand flight hours on them. Still working on them albeit from a desk now. 45 years now. They are a bit complex with 5 gearboxes and intermeshing blades. I've seen them mesh when they weren't supposed to, not a pretty site. Started on Hueys a long time ago. Cobras were quieter because it used rotor blades that narrowed at the tip. Blackhawks and Apaches use similar rotor blade tech. Blackhawk rotor blades are swept back at the tip and Apache rotor blades have a curl down. The Kamen twin rotor is really pretty simple. One gearbox that powers both rotors. Pretty high payload for the size of helicopter, often used for fire support. Chinooks are quieter now than they used to be, which isn't really saying much. Blades were redesigned 30 years ago and currently undergoing another redesign. Not really many NOTAR Hughes 500 series out there, the complexity and issues out-weighed the benefit but even with a tail rotor isn't very loud. Especially compared to all the other helicopters. Don't be surprised in the future you will see more stacked rotor systems and Osprey-like aircraft. Technology is getting to the point where these are more feasible.
In reply to wlkelley3 :
I've heard that an additional advantage with the twin rotor intermeshing configuration is less downwash directly below the aircraft.
Better visibility in dusty / sandy conditions...people being rescued get tossed around less...better precision when dropping water...etc.
In reply to Brotus7 :
https://patch.com/connecticut/northhaven/heres-why-you-might-see-helicopter-north-haven
Here's Why You Might See A Helicopter In North Haven
Officials are advising residents of why they might see a low-flying helicopter in North Haven on Thursday.
NORTH HAVEN, CT — Officials are advising residents of a low-flying helicopter that might be seen carrying large equipment on Thursday morning in North Haven.
"All permits have been secured and clearances issued to allow for a helicopter to lift several large HVAC equipment and other large mechanical machinery onto the roof of a building in the 400 block of Washington Ave.," officials wrote in a post on the North Haven Fire Department's Facebook page. "Please refrain from calling 911 or the fire and police non-emergency number as both departments are already aware."
You are sort-of in between Kaman and North Haven, so this seems plausible.
I've seen Sikorsky helicopters almost daily for my entire life. The first time I saw a Kaman, it freaked me out, which is surprising as they are also based in Connecticut.
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