17. V-107 CERTIFICATION CREW

This is the only photo I have of a New York Airways aircraft.  This group of people are most of the key people in the Certification program.

There are a couple of names I can’t remember, but included in this group are the Manufacturing Manager, Quality Control Manager, a Project Engineer, the Flight test Engineering Manager, three Test Engineers, (Tom Greene to my left), two Boeing pilots, two FAA pilots, an FAA inspector, and two FAA engineers.

This is the same model aircraft, but not the one we had on so many demonstrations. This was the New York  No. 1.

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

   

18. TIED DOWN AIRCRAFT

We frequently had a need to do testing under load and since we did not have a test stand, we put an aircraft in a cradle and cabled it down. This also does not require a pilot to operate the machine. We tied down an HRP-1 and also an HUP-1.  The later one was used for several tests but primarily we had to run 500 hrs at max power to qualify the major components.

A failure of any major component meant starting over.  Some day’s one of us would run six of our 8 hrs. We had a fuel line connected to the aircraft so it was not necessary to have a fuel truck to refuel.       

We had several incidents happen.  I can only remember a few of the important ones. On one occasion, I was running the aircraft and Bill Shisler was sitting in. It was at night and we were churning away at high power when suddenly without warning the engine quit. To go from extremely high noise level to nothing is as startling as a sudden  noise.

To make matters worse, the aircraft filled with smoke.  We were making a rapid departure,  Bill was ahead of me, I was trying to shut things off. We had a battery secured to the floor just inside the cabin door, Bill fell over the battery and I fell over Bill, and we both fell out of the aircraft. No injuries; the engine failure was caused by a sheared accessory drive gear. That shuts off everything instantly.

The engine problem did not affect our test, since we were not testing the engine, it was government furnished, and was a continuing problem throughout the life of the HUP aircraft. It was originally 550 HP but was derated to 475 HP.

We had periodic tear down inspections.  Transmissions were removed, and inspected along with rotor hubs, and other components. During one of the inspections a hairline crack was found in a web, which was part of the aft transmission case.

Engineering labored over this problem for some time, it could mean a start over if replaced. A decision was made to bond four very small wires across the crack and connect  four lights in the cockpit so that if the lights started  to go out it could  mean the crack was progressing.

If  this happened we should shut down immediately. We were running again and watching the lights. It wasn’t long and one light blinked a few times and out.  We shut down immediately. After careful consideration Engineering decided that one light out wasn’t all that important so go ahead and run.  This continued every time another light went out. 

It became something of a joke with some of us. We finished the 500 hours, tore down the transmission, the crack had not progressed even the wires were in tact.

Another incident on the HRP tie down.  I don’t remember the test we were

running but I came in on day shift to take over running from Bill Shisler, he had just shut down. I got in the seat and fired it up. I engaged the rotor, brought it up to power, and suddenly I saw a long piece of rope sucked up into the forward  rotor followed by a large tarp. It wrapped itself around one of the rotor blades and created an unbelievable shake.

I was thrown out of the pilot seat onto the floor of the cockpit. The only thing I could get to was the mixture control, and I was able to pull it to cutoff.  All the tie down cables were stretched, I was lucky it stayed in the cradle.

The one rotor blade was destroyed, due to a bent spar. I wasn’t found at fault since I didn’t stow the tarp under the aircraft. 

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

   

   

19. HRP-1 HELICOPTER

HRP-1

This was Piasecki,s first production helicopter. Twenty of these were built to be used by the Navy, Marine Corp. and the Coast Guard. They were tandem rotor, fabric covered, welded chrome-moly steel tube fuselages. Power was supplied by a 600 HP Pratt & Whitney engine. Rotor blades were wood covered. Design gross weight was 6900 pounds or 2 pilots and 8 passengers.

The shape of the fuselage was designed  to provide clearance for the rotors.  It was commonly called the Banana.  Following an auto-rotation into a farm field in New Jersey, a farmer commented, “Well, you bent her in the middle but you got her down all right”.

HRP-1 Troop Carrier

Since this aircraft, also the later H-21, were single engine, we had a few occasions of engine failure and a need to get the aircraft home.  The nearby Commodore Barry bridge was not built, so the only reasonable way across the river was the Chester Ferry. 

Problem: Either aircraft was to high to pass thru the ferry boat. Solution: Rent the entire ferry, put the aircraft on the stern, turn the boat around in mid stream, pull it back off on the other side.  Cost $90; it worked just fine, but there were some angry truckers who had to wait for the boat to come back. 

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

   

       

20. VERTICAL TAKE OFF & LANDING (VTOL)

The Vertol VTOL aircraft was our first attempt to design and build an aircraft that could hover like a helicopter and fly like an airplane.  The basic  fuselage was a 47 Bell helicopter.  Power was provided by a T-53 Gas Turbine engine. The wing containing the two rotors would tilt from vertical to horizontal. The tail rotor was a ducted  fan.

My association with this program was for a short period when I was a supervisor in the R&D Flight Test shop.  The picture with my crew includes the inspector, electrician, mechanic, and crew chief on the right, who we called Mr. Clean after a TV commercial character. The second from the left committed suicide some  years later, he had an alcohol problem.

The aircraft was initially flown by Leonard LaVassar and it was very difficult to hover, although he tried for several weeks.  The control was very difficult until a version of the Stability Augmentation System was installed.  Following that, hover was possible, take off  and landing in airplane mode down the runway was also possible.  No flight beyond the runway was attempted.

                                     

The major test to be accomplished was a conversion from helicopter to airplane.  This was a major event, the plan was to hover at the end of the runway, transition to airplane mode  going down the runway and land as an airplane.  All went well in the transition to airplane but instead of landing he converted back to hover.  This was great, he said it did that because he was going to run out of runway.

The next step would be to fly the aircraft out of the airport as an airplane, that phase would not be attempted until an ejection seat was installed.  It would be impossible to parachute from this aircraft without going into the rotor.  The seat was installed, it would break through the bubble when fired.  La Vassar was ejected on the training device at the Navy Yard. Quite a ride.

Eventually it became  routine to convert and fly out of the airport by La Vassar and some NASA pilots.  Overall it was successful. 

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

   

21. V-107 PROTOTYPE

107 Protoype, 1st water capable helicopter without floation

The H-21 production was coming to an end, we had modified an H-21C into an H-21D with the installation of  two T-58 Gas Turbine engines and another one with two T-53 engines. Components were up- graded to provide for the additional  horse power.  Both were successful but not very practical, we needed a new helicopter.

One million dollars was budgeted to design and build the V-107 Prototype.  It was an entirely new airframe, using two T-53 engines and some of the major components of the H-21D. It was very successful, was demonstrated all over the country, and a European tour.  It was our first water capable aircraft, without flotation devices.  The photo in the water is the only photo I have of this aircraft.

Walt Davis, who later became a member of my group was in charge of the maintenance during the European tour.  Due to an engine problem at that time, the engines had to be removed and inspected every 30 hours.  They had a Lycoming Rep. with them.

We continued to fly this aircraft for years.  I think it’s in a museum someplace.  

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

      

22. BILL COFFEE

Bill was the all around nice guy pilot who did demonstrations and training all over the world. I had access to two, not very good pictures, of Bill that I had to include in this book. 

He was originally a Tennessee farm boy with a desire to fly.  He became a Coast Guard pilot and flew about every thing they had. When he got out of the Coast Guard he returned to the farm and that is when the top picture was taken. 

He joined Piasecki Helicopter as Employee No. 375, I was No. 319. The lower picture was taken a few years later in the cockpit of an HUP.

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.

   

23. HRP-2 HELICOPTER

The HRP-1 helicopter was reasonably successful, the primary objections were the tandem crew seating and the fabric fuselage covering.  The HRP-2 machine was the same dynamic components with an all metal fuselage and side  by side  seating. Only five were built but a structural demonstration at Patuxent River Navy Base was required before it could enter service.

Seth King was in charge of the instrumentation and I had the rest of the aircraft.  Jim Ryan was our pilot.  We were there about 6 weeks, but we came  home  most weekends.  Seth and I swapped rides home.  We lived in the Bachelor Officers Quarters.

Jim Ryan had a tendency to find his way into trouble. On the way down to Patuxent River he flew over the Aberdeen  Proving Grounds and got a citation.  Then he went home for the weekend, fell asleep smoking in bed and his bedroom burned. He enjoyed his nights at Patuxent and would sleep on the sea wall between flights using his helmet for a pillow.

Jim’s next assignment to Patuxent he bailed out of an HUP aircraft and a week later he married one of the secretaries for another company.  He said he jumped into the water twice in one week, once into the Patuxent River and once into the Sea Of  Matrimony.

Our program went well, our last test was structural landing loads. We had quite an elaborate instrumentation set up with flash bulbs at touch down and cameras, etc.  The program was to build up landing loads to the design max.

On the first landing Jim hit really hard so the program was stopped to analyze the data and inspect the aircraft. Some parts of the heat shroud on the engine came off but every thing else was ok. We had exceeded the design Max loads on the first landing.  Program over.

While we were there one of our HUP aircraft was there and was in Navy hands, we had nothing to do with it.  The Navy folks moved the aircraft outside to do a ground  run, it was parked directly in front of us. When they engaged the rotor there was a collision between rotors and plywood flew every were. 

I was standing along side our aircraft and took cover inside. This happened because, when they had the aft vertical shaft out, some one moved the forward rotor and changed the phase relationship.  It should have been checked before they ran it.  Oh well !!

Charles Kessler is a retired flight test engineer for Boeing’s Vertol helicopter division (formerly Piasecki Helicopter Co.). He joined Piesecki in 1947, in the company’s fourth year, and retired from Boeing in 1983. During his 37-year career he took part in the testing of prototypes and alterations of such models as the CH-47 Chinook and Sea Knight, the H-16, HRP-2, and the V-107. He taught the stability augmentation system to the German Luftwaffe. He has written about his experience in a blog called “Early Helicopter Years,” which can be found at http://helicopterstory.blogspot.com/.