| Message ID |
0000409 |
| Subject |
Re: Re: Airwolf?? |
| Added / Updated |
5 years ago (March 02, 2003 10:57 PM) |
| Email |
Stevec167@aol.com |
| Reg / Tailnum |
no information |
| Name |
Steve |
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| Text |
> Airwolf was a bell 222A it just had a bunch of cool shit |
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<br>> added to it. its the same as the current bell 430 |
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except <br>> the bell 430 is a 4 blade helicopter rather |
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than a 2 bladed <br>> helicopter.<br>> <br>To say the |
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current Bell 430 is the the same as the Bell 222A except |
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with a 4 bladed rotor system is like saying a Ford Escort is |
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the same as a Ford Mustang. Both helicopters are |
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magnificant machines however they only similarities lie in |
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the airframe, underneath they are two totally different |
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machines. The Triple Duce was plauged with problems steming |
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from Bell's choice to use Avco Lycoming LTS 101 turbines as |
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opposed to the Allison 250-C-30 series or Turbomeca Arriel |
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series of engines. The U.S. Coast Guard unfortunately chose |
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the LTS 101 in a patriotic decision to use an American |
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engine in the French SA 366 (HH-65A). This decision led to |
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one of the biggest lawsuits in American history against |
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Lycoming. The LTS 101 had a number of reliability problems. |
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The 222 never was a big success mostly due to the engine |
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problems and production ceased in 1986. An American company |
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began to offer retrofits for the 222 with a powerplant |
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upgrade to the Allison 250-C30 which improved engine |
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reliability problems making this new retrofit disignation |
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the 222SP. But by then it was already too late. I've seen |
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222's selling on the market for less than $1 million. Bell |
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revived the 222 program in the early 90's with the 230 which |
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came factory equiped with the Allison engines. The 230 |
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first flew on August 12, 1991 and was esentially a 222 |
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converted by Bell to 230 standards. A few dozen 230 were |
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produced from 1991 to 1995 before being replaced by the 430 |
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in 1996. The 430 features an all new glass cockpit, a |
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stretched airframe, new Rolls-Royce (formally Allison) |
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250-C40 engines giving a 10% power increase a two additional |
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seating places from 8 in the 222 to 10 in the 430. On |
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August 17th to September 3rd, 1996, Americans Ron Bower and |
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John Williams flew around the world from England in the 430. |
