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Handbook says, lowering the collective without turning down the throttle automatically splits needles. Then, raising the collective automatically rejoins them.
My training tells me that lowering the collective without reducing throttle will cause an overspeed.
Has anyone tried this?????
When I do intentional autos, I lower collective while turning the throttle down to keep the needles wed. When the collective is on the floor , then I Split the needles.

Fly Safe

I have practiced all of my autos by lowering the collective only -- I have not had to roll off throttle. For a power recovery, I raise the collective and make any necessary throttle adjustments. This is the way that I was taught to do it by Kevin Hynes.

Steve

I read this post the other day and decided to wait a little while to see what other pilots had to say. Mainly to see what technics others employed.

I took my initial traning in an R22 B2. I believe I was fortunate enough to have some pretty good instructors.
I was taught that an engine failure wouldn't be something that one could anticipate. When flying with my instructors we would set up the autos over a possible landing site and at cruise speed the instructor would chop the throttle. We were taught that an immeadiate down collective, some light right peddle input to keep heading and a back pressure on the cyclic to load the rotor RPM, then fly down to the ground flare to slow forward speed, level ship and land.

Now when I do them in my ship I simulate engine failure with a small throttle reduction. just enough to make the nose yaw to the left. This indication means get the collective down now. Then I make sure the needles are split by further reducing throttle. Small back pressure on the cyclic will load the rotor RPM and establish about 65 MPH forwad speed. I check engine RPM to see that it is about 1200 to 1500 and rotor RPM is staying in the green then roll throttle on just enough to take the slack out of the linklage, fly down, then I flare & slow to almost no forward speed level ship and just before touch down gradually pull collective/power and left peddle to keep heading. Slowing forward speed is key to good full down autos.

I am greatful to those instructors for my traning. We were not only taught to save our's & our passengers but also to do our best to save the ship as well.
The only thing I can say is practice, practice, practice. Do your auto rotations often. Get good at them. It will save you life.
One should make an effort to log them in their log book at least every three to four flights or so.

For real treat try them at night on a remote a strip with minimal runway lighting. One of the instructors and I must have done a dozen of these one night. Really tricky finding the ground until landing lights illuminate it.

SAFE FLYING.

Don L.

Regarding doing autos at night in the Brantly, if you do them with both landing lights on, you start your flare at the point where the two beams converge. Kevin Hynes and I also practiced doing them with no lights on, which as Don points out, is always fun.

Please exercise caution if rolling off throttle to start an auto. The Operating Handbook cautions against completely chopping the throttle so as to not risk stalling the engine.

Steve

I was taught to only roll the throttle off to about 1200-1400 RPM so (1) you get total disengagement of the clutch and (2) you aren't going clear down to idle and risking a stalled engine. I've practiced bottoming the collective with the needles together and doing the auto that way (keeping the needles together), rolling the throttle down to 12-1400 after bottoming the collective, and splitting the needles then dropping collective, like you practice in other models. Don't know which is better, but I practice all 3. Perhaps one of the CFIs on the forum could add some more.

When I got my commercial rating many years ago in the Bell 47, we also did autos and run-on landings at night, with and without lights. Really makes you appreciate the experienced guy in the other seat!

Had my BFR today. Had to do it in a R22, but we did a lot of autos. Straight-ins, 90°, straight-down. Geez, those ones are nerve-wracking!

flylow

Ron,

Have you done any straight down autorotations in your Brantly?

Steve

No, haven't been that brave yet. Will most likely go see Gary again this spring before trying anything like that.