VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot': Revolution Mini-500
MANUAL / POH
SECTION 9. FIRST FLIGHT BRIEFING
Great day today!
Your Mini-500 kit build was finished!
You have just completed the final inspection checklist, and everything seems tight and ready. All flight controls are traveling freely and properly rigged. All instruments and switches seem to work properly, as tested during the kit construction process and the initial engine run-up checks.
It is a dangerous process!
Following the safety study carried by the NTSB during 2012, it was found that the first 50 hours of flight in an Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft are the most challenging ones, as the handling characteristics of the new built, unfamiliar plane are being studied along with other flight test environment factors, un-calibrated/validated instrumentation, un-adjusted flight controls and so forth. According to the FAA Advisory Circular: “the flight test plan is the heart of all professional flight testing...the plan should account for every hour spent in the flight test phase and should be adhered to with the same respect for the unknown that all successful test pilots share.”
Test Pilot:
In real life, once the flight-test plan is completed, a test pilot must be preferred over an inexperienced pilot when carrying out initial flights. Even if you are an experienced helicopter pilot, the dangerous world of unknown is awaiting for the new-built helicopter, and a pilot with a dedicated proficiency must be preferred. Luckily...this manual is intended for use with the VSKYLABS Mini-500 in the simulated environment of X-Plane, so becoming a virtual amateur-built helicopter test pilot may be a very good opportunity!
Know the basics:
Helicopters are highly complex flying machines. Every phase of flight (including just sitting on the ground in a powered helicopter) has its professional highlights and ‘do/don’t’ aspects. The VSKYLABS Mini-500 is designed as a kit-built helicopter, awaiting its first flight, so you must be prepared to react as the theory will meet reality while you are operating it. It is highly recommended to refresh the general knowledge regarding helicopters aerodynamics and flying techniques, so you will be able to recognize the various situations and flying conditions, if or when encountered...
Get prepared:
This fast guide is not intended to serve as a helicopter flying tutorial. The VSKYLABS Mini-500 may be your first helicopter experience...however it is not a trainer helicopter. Furthermore, it may get you into trouble, especially as it is representing a new-built, un-tested amateur kit built helicopter. If you are unfamiliar with helicopter flying, it is recommended to get some experience with helicopter flying before attempting to master the Mini-500 on your own. However, getting initial experience build-up with the Mini-500 is possible and very rewarding. Gaining experience with the Mini-500 may increase your overall helicopter flying skills.
First Flight - First steps:
- OK...if you are reading these lines, it means that you are about to begin your flying relations with the VSKYLABS Mini-500! Once everything is set and ready, different approaches may be used for expanding the flight envelope, depending on your experience as a helicopter pilot. Of course, this brief guide is only a general suggestion for a first flight attempt.
- Warning: The VSKYLABS Mini-500 is not a real helicopter, and none of the following instructions should be considered as recommendations for real-flight situations. These are only to be used with the VSKYLABS Mini-500 in X-Plane flight simulation.
- Learn the operating limitations and the manual instructions for normal and emergency procedures very carefully. They should keep you out of trouble. Never operate the plane with no respect for these limitations unless you are experiencing emergency conditions.
- It is highly recommended to get the environmental flying conditions as ideal as possible; first flight should take place in a perfect VFR weather day, with calm winds conditions, in a well familiar airport/other flying location.
- Choose a smooth, paved runway for your first flight. It will reduce the chances for dynamic rollover and will allow better ground effect performance. Make sure that the surroundings are clear and wide open. Remember: you are about to fly an experimental flying machine for the first time, so your and others safety must be considered.
- Follow the Mini-500 checklists carefully from ‘Before starting’ to ‘Takeoff’.
- First jump: Pick up a runway marking, stain or other close reference and gently apply the required power (throttle/collective) to get airborne. As you do that, try to sense and feel the anti-torque pedals sensitivity and effectiveness. Once airborne and stable, you may lower the collective and get back on the ground...so you could feel and acquire the sitting elevation, as you learn to judge your touchdown and ground contact height.
- Typically, you may find yourself working hard on the controls, as this is an unfamiliar situation with an unfamiliar plane. You can try and get airborne again, while expanding the hovering time, getting familiar with the controls, sitting elevation and ground contact characteristics. Get to know how the collective, pedals and cyclic controls are working together to obtain a stable, controlled hovering.
- Once you are feeling comfortable and having the Mini-500 under your basic control, you may decide to take it for a “real-flight”, and a complete takeoff procedure should be executed.
First Flight - First takeoff:
- Use the following as a complementary action for executing the Normal Takeoff procedure.
- Takeoff could be carried from landing position, powered up, with or without the throttle governor engaged.
- Slowly advance the throttle until the engine's RPM will reach the green zone in the RPM indicator. The Centrifugal clutch will engage once slightly above Idle RPM, and the rotor’s RPM should begin to raise as well. If you are using the throttle governor, the engine's RPM will try to remain stable at full RPM (as long as the throttle is set above 70-70%).
- Once both RPM’s are stable on the green (engine and rotor), firmly and steadily raise the collective, along with corresponding anti-torque pedal input. Use cyclic control to remain horizontal.
- Once a few feet off the ground, apply forward cyclic input along with a mild collective raising, and get the Mini-500 into a forward flight. The Mini-500 will of course skip a steady hovering stage during this course of action.
- The first seconds of forward flight are your first seconds in the unfamiliar territory of flying the Mini-500. Keep the Mini-500 balanced as it is gaining forward speed. You can manage the rate of acceleration by nose attitude (forward cyclic input) and/or collective setting. These should be carried out with a controlled, coordinated and intentional manner.
- Pay close attention to the Height Velocity Envelope, and always try to keep your flight condition within the white area. You don’t want to stay longer than needed in the shaded areas, as they represent the “danger-zones” in which dealing with inflight emergencies such as engine stoppage may be very challenging due to low airspeed or flying altitude.
- Pay close attention to G loads. The Mini-500 is light and quite agile, with quite a low inertia main rotor. High RPM due to excessive maneuvers, especially turns, may get you into severe trouble.
- Pay close attention to initial actions on engine failure (as described in the checklist). The Mini-500 will have a nose-down tendency that can be managed with proper collective and cyclic operations, as advised in the emergency checklist.
- Pay close attention to operation limitations. The Mini-500 may surprise you if mistreated.
- If you encounter engine-stoppage situation, and wish to continue to autorotation, DO NOT raise or lower the collective instantly or add excessive cyclic input until the rotor's RPM will revive (due to its relatively low inertia it will drop RPM instantly, but be patience and let it gain the RPM back while you are trying to "freeze" the nose attitude (and not fighting it). Once the RPM will get back to the "beep" zone, you may regain control. If you fail to do so (wait for the RPM to revive), and instantly try to recover the nose-down "tuck", you may get a severe mast bumping, which is simulated as well.
- Beware of abrupt pull-ups or push-overs while flying fast (above 60 knots), as it may result with a Mast bumping situation as well.
