Report blames Afghan RPG for crash killing SEALs
The helicopter crash that killed 6 August Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jesse Daryl Pittman, 27, of Willits, and 37 others in Afghanistan was caused by a rocket-propelled grenade exploded against the back of their rotor Chinook helicopter, according to a report released this month by the U.S. Central Command.
When the grenade exploded against the rotor blade of the helicopter crash in a ball of fire in the creekbed about 150 feet below was less than five seconds, said Brigadier General Jeffrey Colt, who led the survey. "I assess that the injuries sustained by all 38 personnel would have immediately incapacitated them and were most likely rapidly fatal."
"I have determined that this mission, and the tactics and resources employed in its execution, were consistent with previous U.S. special operations missions and the strike forces selected to execute the mission were appropriate," says Colt. "For the families, friends and fellow warriors of the fallen, American and Afghan, the loss of these selfless and courageous men was a tragedy from which this report can provide little comfort. I offer my deepest condolences personally and on behalf of my investigative team, to all of those who mourn the loss of these brave men."
While the report did not fault the use of the Chinook helicopter loaded with troops for this particular mission, it did critique the failure of the task force commander to "reallocate the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to ensure surveillance coverage for ongoing (Ranger-led assault force) and the inbound" SEAL mission. The report also suggested that use of overhead aircraft prior to a helicopter insertion should be better coordinated to avoid giving the enemy an early warning of "imminent ground operations.
History Main Rotor Blades - News
The first grenade missed and the second exploded on a rear rotor blade, blowing off 10 feet of blade. The helicopter spun rapidly with first the rear rotor then the forward rotor separating from the fuselage. The main fuselage dropped into the creek
The helicopter has a six-blade main rotor and four-blade tail rotor, according to the site, and is built to allow the pilot to see the load he's hauling while still maintaining control of the aircraft. Unusual aircraft makes its way to Victoria from
By Mike Marshall, The Huntsville Times Robin Conn/The Huntsville TimesChad Donald, executive vice president of Avion, finalizes work on a Black Hawk main rotor blade in the Avion lab earlier this week. HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Today, the father and the
More than 10 feet of the rotor blade was lost and within seconds, the rear and the "forward rotor blade systems separated from the aircraft, and the main fuselage dropped vertically into a dry creek bed," the report said. The aircraft was engulfed in a
The S-76 is powered by two turboshaft engines, which drive both the main and tail rotors, each with four blades. The S-76 landing gear is retractable. Development of the follow-on S-76D model has been subject to delays due to technical problems in
How a Radio Controlled Helicopter Works | RC Blog by ...
How a remote control helicopter flying? How does it work? Just look at a remote fly to the sky is simply fascinating. How much more captivating is it when you actually take full control of it as it flies and is in the clear blue sky?
The main function and performance of an RC helicopter can be classified into five different parts. The first part would be the main rotor. It is composed of two or more rotor blades. This gives the RC helicopter's lifting force, which makes it fly. Otherwise, the RC helicopter will not lift or take off the ground.They are shaped profiles the planes. Except that they differ in some respects as the width and height. The speed of the rotor blades are what determines how fast the helicopter RC will go.
The second is the tail rotor. This is what stops the RC helicopter around in circles once its comes off the ground. It acts against the force of the main rotor to prevent it from spinning. It has a gyroscope, which measures the difference in strength between the main rotor and tail rotor, and it automatically adjusts so that the RC helicopter is stable.The lateral deflection of the tail rotor that goes against the force, turned around, it remains stable in an upright position.
The third thing that makes working electric RC helicopter and fly the swash plate. This is the part that results in the control of the controller driver in the main rotor blades. It consists of two different disks. Rotation, and a non-rotating disk. The swashplate can be tilted to any direction. This allows the pilot to control the RC helicopter in an area of 3-dimensions.
The fourth is the collective.This is what raises the whole assembly swash plate. The swash plate is up or down, it changes the angle of all rotor blades and adjusts to the same degree. Since it changes the angle of all blades together, the change in the lift remains constant throughout the full rotation of the blade.
