Question for Helicopter pilots

[wdfifteen]

There is an ad on TV with a helicopter holding a huge bag of water. Maybe 500 gallons - 4000 lbs.
They shoot a projectile into the bag to pierce it and let the water out, and it all drops out in a second.
The helicopter doesn't move. Is that possible?
So is this a faked video or is there some kind of instant autocorrect for sudden changes in weight?

Sorry to seem so naive. My experience as an aerospace engineer dealt mostly with things that had fire in one end and explosives in the other.

[masraum]

Interesting. I haven't seen the commercial, but I'd think that a big weight change would cause an impact. But, I can imagine that these days there's probably some sort of "auto-pilot"-like feature that will hold a helicopter at a specific altitude that could react fast enough to something like that.

I'm curious about the answer you get.

[Seahawk]

Without seeing the video you are referencing, it is a hard question to answer: Chinook, H-60, Huey or this thing:



Then: forward air speed or a hover drop...all helos like to drop with forward air speed above translational lift or close to it...meaning the ability to fly one one engine after the jettison.

This video is excellent:



You can see the pilots want forward airspeed and then an escape path should something go wrong.

I would enjoy seeing the commercial...I tried to find it.

[Scott Douglas]

The video is one for a water damage restoration company. They come in and rebuild the place the water is dropped on and make it like it never happened.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

The video is one for a water damage restoration company. They come in and rebuild the place the water is dropped on and make it like it never happened.

Yep. That's the ad. Some kind of helicopter carries a big bag of water, hovers over the "target" and drops it over a structure. The 'copter doesn't move after the drop. The pilot is only able to react to the actual drop - no way as far as I can see to anticipate it. But the helicopter never waivers, doesn't seem to gain altitude after the release of the load.

[Rusty Heap]

...............and then they left me behind................

[avi8torny]

Helo pilot here, have not seen the video but have a comment. Hovering with heavy loads like water, timber or A/C units for rooftops involve a huge amount of skill obviously. Release of the weight is well anticipated so there really shouldn’t be much movement upon release.
Having said that, there is so much AI in the film industry right now so it’s hard to believe what’s real vs fake. So the answer to the question is most likely no, there will not be much movement upon release.

[Sooner or later]

Chinook

Video
https://youtu.be/R83X-gwvh3g?si=BjalODS4iYZv6vEL

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by avi8torny

Having said that, there is so much AI in the film industry right now so it’s hard to believe what’s real vs fake. So the answer to the question is most likely no, there will not be much movement upon release.

Agree. Then there is the projectile being employed in the link above...like THAT would ever happen

I did a lot of UNREP and "rocks and blocks" but the load was always pickled after it was on deck.

I never did a water drop, which I would STILL love to do!

[Tobra]

I watched them take a bunch of trucks off the flight deck at night one time, dropping them off on the beach next to Camp Pendleton. On a kind of windy night, they put that lift hook right in the guy's hand,over and over again. It was uncanny, and loud. I don't think we were supposed to be hanging around on the catwalk like that, if I remember right

[Skytrooper]

While not a pilot, I was a UH-1H crew chief. I have preformed hundreds of fire bucket drops. Yup, hundreds. My best day was 103 drops , that fire was only 1.5 minutes from the mountain pond we dipped out of. I was also the aircrew and fire bucket trainer (FE/SI).

To answer the OP’s question, the release of the water goes through the restricted dump valve on the Bambi Bucket. Therefore it slows the weight decrease. It is not like just punching off (jettisoning) the entire bucket water and all. There was never any perceptible vertical rise of the aircraft. We were also flying forwards ( low and slow) as to make a decent dispersal of the water.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Skytrooper

While not a pilot, I was a UH-1H crew chief. I have preformed hundreds of fire bucket drops. Yup, hundreds. My best day was 103 drops , that fire was only 1.5 minutes from the mountain pond we dipped out of. I was also the aircrew and fire bucket trainer (FE/SI).

That is so great...flying with a purpose is the best flying we ever do.

In the H-60, to answer Toby's post, the aircrewman would lie flat and look through the hook port.

The video below is neat. I can say as an OOD Underway, having done UNREPS like the video, it is much harder to drive the ship and maintain position that it is to VERTREP.

[Seahawk]

BTW, the H-46 pilots ruled this space:

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

...snip...
The video below is neat. I can say as an OOD Underway, having done UNREPS like the video, it is much harder to drive the ship and maintain position that it is to VERTREP.

I drove a Destroyer in the Navy and low speed patrols were the worst at keeping course. The OOD would just glare at me as I oscillated 3-5 degrees off course. Gimme some speed!

Btw, it needs to be stated that contrary to popular belief...

Helo pilots do not actually fly...they BEAT the air into submission!

[Skytrooper]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

That is so great...flying with a purpose is the best flying we ever do.

In the H-60, to answer Toby's post, the aircrewman would lie flat and look through the hook port.

The video below is neat. I can say as an OOD Underway, having done UNREPS like the video, it is much harder to drive the ship and maintain position that it is to VERTREP.

In the UH-1 we would lie on our stomach with our head out the port cargo door. In the Chinook we laid on the floor looking out the hellhole.
Flying missions was always satisfying. You get to put all the training to good use !

[masraum]

Cool videos!

[VINMAN]

I landed an R22 on its tow platform in a light breeze...

Buncha show-offs....

.

[Tobra]

That one video reminds me of something about underway replenishment where they run parallel and move stuff between ships on ropes, you need to get a line across the gap. There were a couple of Boatswain's Mate guys who could put a monkey's fist in a 5 gallon bucket from like 100 yards away. They would practice doing it, which provided another thing to place wagers on, because a week away from anything, you look for entertainment

[Seahawk]

^^^ Fun to watch:

[Tobra]

First try, every time I watched them do it with the rifle

They would do it old school when they practiced in the well deck, spin it in a tight circle and let her fly. You park a truck so it faces you broadside, roll down the window, cover the windshield with something solid, blankets are good enough for the hood and doors, not the glass. You also want to remove the mirror on that side. Idea is to drop it in the open window


I could not hit the truck. Not the right truck anyway. Did not break anything, and that truck was already dented