That was Sith and I. And it was probably the only good landing I ever did with him as a 2P. Luckily, it was also the only one that I took a picture of.
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Stupid questions about Naval Aviation (Pt 2)
- Thread starter mo7stanley
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That was Sith and I. And it was probably the only good landing I ever did with him as a 2P. Luckily, it was also the only one that I took a picture of.
Yeah, there was just an article about it in Rotor Review. They made a big deal about having to move the bird by hand, but that's SOP for USNS dets. I work next to an HSL guy now, and I like to shock him with stories of manual aircraft moves.
My point was that the 60S was originally procured to replace HC's aging 46 fleet, so they were originally only supposed to go on USNS and Gators. Now the aircraft has crept into other areas such as CRU/DES and LCS.
I think those guys used the RAST to get out of the hanger and then started up...if not, their AW needs to actually look outside the helo when making calls :icon_smil
That picture yields another question/comment:
I don't know if RAST was ever even considered for the 60S, but judging by that pic, it wouldn't be possible with our t/w.
Yup, exactly what I was getting at. I don't think you could even do it on a FFG, which is super long, because you come back so far aft when you straighten.
As mentioned in another thread, the 60S was a replacement for the Phrog. Phrogs didn't have RAST. The ships they deployed on (USNS, Gators) didn't have RAST gear. No point in having it if you're not going to use it.
That being said, now that people have started sending Sierras to smallboys, there is talk of adding something like a RAST.
Which is what brought about that question. Thanks for the clarification.
O.K. ... I gotta' ask:
WTF is RAST ???
A winch ... a cable ... and possibly a hook/horsecollar ???
WTF is RAST ???
A winch ... a cable ... and possibly a hook/horsecollar ???
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Here's a good site, with a video too: http://indaltech.cwfc.com/products/spokes/01a_RAST.htm
Thanks for asking, I didn't want to be the one to ask but was curious as well.
Thanks for the info phrogpilot73, looks like something handy for rough seas.
That's a great link, Phrog.
Don't believe the hype. In 1982, I'm sure it was a great tool. Nowadays, it doesn't work half the time and even if it did, it's really sketchy having three guys on deck in the bad weather trying to hook it up. It's a great idea and if you need it (and know it will work), it will get you aboard in crappy weather, but usually (barring any HAC board/SAR scenario), you probably shouldn't be taking off in that weather to begin with.
What we do use it for is the straightening and traversing of the aircraft. The tolerances are pretty small for getting the bird in the hangar that having a bunch of hydraulics do it for you (w/ human interaction, of course) is much easier than using a tilly bar like Pags was talking about.
The actual straightening evolution is really painful to watch sometimes. The sideloads on the tailwheel are crazy, but hey, that's the way it was designed.
Don't believe the hype. In 1982, I'm sure it was a great tool. Nowadays, it doesn't work half the time and even if it did, it's really sketchy having three guys on deck in the bad weather trying to hook it up. It's a great idea and if you need it (and know it will work), it will get you aboard in crappy weather, but usually (barring any HAC board/SAR scenario), you probably shouldn't be taking off in that weather to begin with.
What we do use it for is the straightening and traversing of the aircraft. The tolerances are pretty small for getting the bird in the hangar that having a bunch of hydraulics do it for you (w/ human interaction, of course) is much easier than using a tilly bar like Pags was talking about.
The actual straightening evolution is really painful to watch sometimes. The sideloads on the tailwheel are crazy, but hey, that's the way it was designed.
The Sierra can not have a RAST probe install because the fuselage is not designed to accomodate it. It's more than just having the hole in the floor, the airframe needs to be strenghted around it.
Unless the Navy is prepared to drop a sh!t-ton of $$ on rebuilding airframes, the 60S will never have RAST.
That being said, you don't need it. RAST is needed mainly to get the aircraft in and out of the hangar. The LAMPS guys may fight me on this, but after doing two months on a CG, my opinion is that you need it to get the helo in and out of the hangar; you don't NEED it for anything else. (I do realize the landing evelope using the RA cable is larger than freedeck with is larger still than cleardeck)
There is a tractor device being developed for the 60S to help get the helo in and out of the hangar; a system similair to what the 46's used on the USNS ships.
Unless the Navy is prepared to drop a sh!t-ton of $$ on rebuilding airframes, the 60S will never have RAST.
That being said, you don't need it. RAST is needed mainly to get the aircraft in and out of the hangar. The LAMPS guys may fight me on this, but after doing two months on a CG, my opinion is that you need it to get the helo in and out of the hangar; you don't NEED it for anything else. (I do realize the landing evelope using the RA cable is larger than freedeck with is larger still than cleardeck)
There is a tractor device being developed for the 60S to help get the helo in and out of the hangar; a system similair to what the 46's used on the USNS ships.
I think PJ O'Rourke said it best in one of his books. "It's like reeling in an enormous air bass."
I've heard that the RAST isn't completely 100% safe for traversing the helo into the hangar, as the helo can still tilt while hooked up in rough seas, and this tolerance that allows the tilt is enough for the helo to hit the hangar edge as it's moving.
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