Wheels on a helicopter in snow are as useless as religion. Only practiced in a religious building, and left there after the meeting, only causes problems, doesn't solve any.
But when enough people agree that something useless must make some sense, and do something good, that no one can explain, and you simply are told to take it on faith that there was ever any evidence that there was any proof, for any religion, in any country, just like wheels on a helicopter, they get the stamp of approval and continue to be installed at great expense without ever justifying their existence.
Just my point of view. If you think I want to hear a contrary point of view on religion, you're as crazy as believing in some super power being that exists forever, but can't be seen, can't do anything humans can notice, ignores the prayers (you know, using your telepathic powers to send a one way communication to that super being) that it's believers send, and never has prevented or cured cancer, saved anyone from drying of fire, or drowning, or being murdered, or the misery of children, due to people's need for a father figure, that old men have tapped into to get rich and have many wives.
Most things that have wheels, need them for mobility. A helicopter, well, that's why it has the spinning thing on top. It can relocate itself, without using wheels - which is why a lot of helicopters have skids.
AMEN
ReplyDeleteOk, I will strongly disagree with that. As I recognize somehow complicated relationship between wheels and snow, wheels on heli are not only useless but are in many cases better then skids. I presents my arguments, helicopters when they are not do that spinning thing, need to be moved from place to place on airfields, there are two ways to do that, just like planes are being rolled or towed or put on platforms, sometimes have attached wheels for skids. Having wheels make that process much easier then when you need a tow cart or an actually mobile platform... on wheels. It's eliminating that additional element you need to have. Now to opposite to sometimes popular belief, helicopters do taxiing and when operate on higher altitude with heavy cargo then need to gain speed before rotor create enough lift power (thin air). As example, both Soviets/Russians and US & Allies operations in Afghanistan was such environment, machines did used normal airstrip to gain speed and then climb, just like planes. Lighter helis have less such problems, bigger ones with full combat payload and grunts inside, now that was pretty problematic to them. Mi-24 going in to mission often gain speed on airstrip before they lift, large wings on side was also helpful.
ReplyDeleteLot's of helicopters have skids, but they are as you probably notice mostly light machines (skids are lighter then wheels). Medium and heavy ones, they roll on wheels, they need them to operate efficiency on ground and sometimes in those very high environments. And they need that exactly for that mobility you mention, without them life would be much more strenuous for machines, pilots and mostly ground crews. Try to push a damn Mi-26 if that bastard was on skids. ;)
About your take on religion... yeah, good summary.
Kinda hard to just 'fly' that helicopter into the hanger for maintenance doncha think? Much easier to roll it since the snow skis are designed to allow the aircraft to roll on tarmac.
ReplyDeleteI flew submarines, and not choppers, but I suspect I'd land the silly thing on a nice low trailer, and then use a nice little lawn tractor (like I've posted recently) to pull the helo any where it needs to go around the hanger.
DeleteWhy not push it around on it's own wheels? It turns out I'm old and have damaged my knees enough over the decades, that they do not appreciate pushing heavy equipment, so they inform the brain it needs to look into using machinery to move things around.
That's the extra equipment you need. You just use towing vehicle or simple tractor. Examples:
Deletehttps://api.army.mil/e2/c/-images/2009/05/21/38748/army.mil-38748-2009-05-21-120500.jpg
https://media.defense.gov/2015/Feb/11/2001136716/-1/-1/0/349417-L-KDP97-573.jpg
Got something for you, Mi-24 from Polish Contingent in Afghanistan start from so called "front support", it is done when there is a very high temperature or full payload, high altitude.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IngP0BfCAk&ab_channel=Andrzej%26Gazi
Fantastic video! Thank you a lot!
DeleteObviously, the only viable reason for helicopters to have wheels is to qualify to feature in your blog!
ReplyDeleteCool things with wheels means: To be cool is not sufficient - they need the wheels too...
Beside this reasoning i'm pretty sure, the engineers have valid reasons to take the weight penalty. Just as mentioned here by others, it's about moving the machine on the ground and operation from airports with runways etc. as most helicopters don't operate exclusively from dedicated heliports.