Grant Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) Well here we are in high, sunny Colorado, at the start of a high altitude test session with the AW101. Just to prove how high you can get, here is a shot of me at the CottonWood pass, all 12126ft of it - and it is a tarmac road all the way to the top (on the East side anyway). You should see the size of the rigs the Americans were driving up and down the narrow mountains roads! And here is the aircraft arriving at Leadville, at a lowly 9927ft. Now don't expect a flood of detailed pictures. I have to be careful with what I put up, so this is a shot from a public area, that anybody could have taken. They get some interesting stuff in here. Early one morning I spotted a K-Max, a rare sight indeed. Apparently there are only 8 in the US, out of the 38 built. cheers Grant von OutofBreath Edited July 22, 2008 by Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) Bump, photos fixed! Edited July 22, 2008 by Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Nice photos,I cannot wait to see what the final AW-101 will look like. Also is it me or the K-Max uglier than a love child of Prince Charles and Camilla (now there is a scary thought). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 I think it is a fantastic machine. Designed for a purpose, with no compromise. Brilliant. As it flew away all you could see of the rotor was the high pitched retreating blades so it looked like it was flapping. And is was very quiet aswell, light I know, but still quiet. A cool lifting machine. Cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Is this the for the presidential variant, or just a general high altitude test? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Well here we are in high, sunny Colorado, at the start of a high altitude test session with the AW101.Just to prove how high you can get, here is a shot of me at the CottonWood pass, all 12126ft of it - and it is a tarmac road all the way to the top (on the East side anyway). You should see the size of the rigs the Americans were driving up and down the narrow mountains roads! cheers Grant von OutofBreath Big butterfly wing is i say so myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin101 Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 made it one piece then!! looks cold, nice 'n warm here for a change! see you on your return, enjoy next week to! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Is this the for the presidential variant, or just a general high altitude test? Not specifically for the VH-71. We have a new tailrotor and a new set of main rotor blades to test. It is more of a general product improvement and we are here to gather the certification data. It is quite spectacular here, watching thunderstorms rumble up the valley. How often do you get to step outside and see a 10000ftish cloud base just a few hundered feet above you?!! cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Heyup Grant... you don't look very happy in that first pic! Cheer up lad Cool pics... what the HELL is the K-Max when it's at home? Never seen or heard of it before. It looks like a renault Berlingo van with rotors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Heyup Grant... you don't look very happy in that first pic! Cheer up lad Cool pics... what the HELL is the K-Max when it's at home? Never seen or heard of it before. It looks like a renault Berlingo van with rotors! IIRC it's a utility helicopter from the same stable as the Seasprite and the Husky, with which it shares the characteristic intermeshing rotor concept. Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Heyup Grant... you don't look very happy in that first pic! Cheer up lad Cool pics... what the HELL is the K-Max when it's at home? Never seen or heard of it before. It looks like a renault Berlingo van with rotors! What the camera doesn't show is the wind and the rain - and the lack of Oxygen - oh and the jet lag. Having said that some would say that was my normal expression! We are now into data gathering, which means early starts, so that is an 05:00hrs lift from the hotel . I didn't spot that in the job description when I signed up. And now at 22:00hrs mountain time (what a great phrase that is) it is way past my bed time. cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 cool pics Grant. looks like you've got a cracking job with AW. i'm very jealous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 cool pics Grant. looks like you've got a cracking job with AW. i'm very jealous! It's fun for a little while, and then the alarm goes off at 0 dark 30, 6 days a week for 2 months!! Luckily I am only here for one of those months. But I must admit I have been lucky and been sent to lots of places I didn't ever expect to get too, and got paid for it to boot. cheers Grant (getting flooded out by rain again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Ah well, think of the poor boys and girls who'll be taking your birds to places hot and high, working worse hours, and getting shot at to boot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) Ah well, think of the poor boys and girls who'll be taking your birds to places hot and high, working worse hours, and getting shot at to boot! lol, that'll be me, and that'll be why i'm jealous of Grant! Edited July 26, 2008 by paul_c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolja Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Little over a week or so ago I hiked to the second highest peak in the state of Nevada, Wheeler Peak at 13,055' The physiologists were right - there really ISN'T a lot of air up there !! I think it took me three days or so to catch my breath again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels49 Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Cool pix; Thanx...it would be super if you could wander over to Pike's Peak and very the scenery from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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