KWpilot58
Active Member
A
At sea level and 20c 165-180 KP/H. It drives me nuts that this damn thing is metric and not imperial.
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TH-73
- Thread starter KWpilot58
- Start date
Maybe this was buried in the thread somewhere, but..."Thrasher"? CNATRA a big skateboard guy or something? 
Brown Thrasher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
It can be tricky to glimpse a Brown Thrasher in a tangled mass of shrubbery, and once you do you may wonder how such a boldly patterned, gangly bird could stay so hidden. Brown Thrashers wear a somewhat severe expression thanks to their heavy, slightly downcurved bill and staring yellow eyes...
www.allaboutbirds.org
Well at least there's something of a resemblance. What other virtue it has, I don't know.View attachment 37700
Brown Thrasher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
It can be tricky to glimpse a Brown Thrasher in a tangled mass of shrubbery, and once you do you may wonder how such a boldly patterned, gangly bird could stay so hidden. Brown Thrashers wear a somewhat severe expression thanks to their heavy, slightly downcurved bill and staring yellow eyes...
"The TH-73A Thrasher is named for the brown thrasher, a bird common to the skies over the Southeastern United States including Northwest Florida. The inconspicuous, yet territorial, bird is a fearless defender known for its low-level flying prowess."
So about 50-55 GPH - standard PT-6 fuel flow. Interesting!!!
I get that, but my point is the majority of HEMS helos that are flying SPIFR right now are -135 P2+s, and they have the same limited AP. It's really not that bad. And I say that having had to fly a Special Use down to mins with my finger about to press the Wave-Off button.
Also keep in mind, no matter how many axises, you still have to hand fly it on the checkrides. Yay!
There should be a software option that you (Mx) can change.
KWpilot58
Active Member
Very true, we had a 135 years ago before I joined my company and from what I heard that it was power limited. Then again I flew 407s in the Army so I don’t think it could get much worse. We went to the BK117. And now to the 119. And after diving in the manuals I don’t think it’s the right aircraft for HEMS. A 145 would have been the best choice in my opinion. But it is what it is.
I’ve. Been VFR my whole career. Even though I hold an ATP and the knowledge is there. My confidence and proficiency level is not. So last spring I went out and got my PPL/INST fixed wing. But I paused my flying over the winter. Once it warms up again I’ll go back out and get my confidence back up.
Like anything else the more you do it, the easier it will become. Luckily our goal is to be SPIFR within the next three years. So every chance I get, I plan on flying IFR, working the systems flying the approaches really getting that deep knowledge in order to make great decisions and to keep my crew and myself safe.
I know that there’s a software update to change it from metric to imperial but, It’s just getting echelons above me to buy off on it.
The earlier -135s seemed to have a lot more power issues. The P2+ is decent in the lowlands, but can quickly fall apart in high DA (or summers in FL). In the summer, we typically have 90 in the main and that gives us in excess of 350# patient weight. In the summer, I wouldn't want to go over 350, even if I have the room for it, as I probably won't clear the Florida pine trees at 90 gallons. We also have a very old engine which doesn't help. The other one is a brand new (refit) engine that was a welcome addition.
The P3s I think have more oomph, but I haven't flown one.
It seems like the 119 gets love out west in higher DA environments. Otherwise, I'm with you...it seems like it's not quite "the" answer.
FWIW, the 407s around us are beasts, and can lift more than us, although I think we have a little more room (girth) for the more rotund patients.
Good deal. I think you may also find that IFR isn't particularly helpful for portions of the year where you are because it's just too cold. It will be interesting to hear what you're seeing in the data.
For an Airbus, it's a setting you can do in the CAD/Display and it's just pushing a couple of buttons to get into the Mx mode to change it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Italians made it more complicated than that. You could probably call them...just not too early, as they had a late night. And don't call too late, as it's time for the afternoon siesta.
Interesting. The Army sold theirs on the surplus market but the Navy is trashing theirs. Is that a decision made by DoN or DoD?
Great question. I think the service gets to call it. About 10+ years ago a number of TH-57C's were transferred to Customs and Border Protection where they remain in service. (I have a GS colleague that flew them).
GroundPounder
Well-Known Member
You would think they could make more money selling them to a prop house.
I think it's about the liability train. The TH-57 never received N numbers, and were never maintained to FAR standards, only to NAVAIR requirements.
Contrast to Army TH-67, which received N numbers, Airworthiness Certificates at factory and Army contractors maintained to FAA standards throughout service life.