www.brantly.info

Hi,
In the hopes of generating interest in the Brantly product, I posted a poll about the upper bubble on the Brantly. All the people I have spoken with say it looks too old and ugly. I think just an upper bubble change with the new IP and cyclic grips installed would help, either one would be fine, and would make a better impression with new lookers.

Also I have spoken with a few pilots who have said the tailrotor system is too weak and thats another reason schools won't use them in a training environment. Is there any truth to that statement? I fly R22's only, haven't been in a Brantly yet. Hope to soon.

I was thinking the B2B could possibly be a good IFR trainer. I have seen average estimates that the B2B has a slightly higher Usefull load. What do you think about the IFR idea? I would love to see the Brantly come back and be another training/personnel ship contender in todays market.

http://verticalreference.com/helicopter ... topic=6695

So far they seem to be voting on a upper bubble like this one I did on MS Paint. Its just a rough idea.

http://verticalreference.com/helicopter ... id=469_url

The other Paint image.
http://verticalreference.com/helicopter ... id=461_url

I would appreciate it if you would go and vote in the poll. You have to be a Vertical Reference Member, its free.

Any comments???

Thanks,
Brad

A few years ago I looked at a Brantly outside of St. Louis. The owner had gotten a pair of tailrotor blades off of a five-seat Brantly 305, then obtained approval (Form 337) to install them on his B-2B. I flew it, and it had plenty of authority (as far as I could tell from a brief flight). The interesting thing is that the blades are already certified by the FAA. It's just a matter of finding a pair and getting approval to install them on a B-2B.

I agree the B-2B would be an excellent trainer.

Tom

Tom,
Thanks for the info. I would be interested in more info on the 305 to B2 tailrotor blade swap! Does the factory condone this? Is the gearbox the same on both ships? Seems like Brantly would offer the blades as an option.

I have been looking at many photo's that I can find online of the B2B. I have been enlarging canopy areas to get a closer look at the upper bubbles. I think I am seeing a difference in B2B bubbles?? Is there already 2 different versions of upper bubble available on the B2B? Or, is it just the angle of the camera/photo that is making the bubbles look more sloped/angled?

Even in the photo up at the top of this page, there looks to be at least 2 different bubbles.

I would like to hear comments, please. Any, in favor or not, does not matter. I just would like to see the Brantly come back on the market.

Later,
Brad

Brad,

The factory gave informal info to the owner, but neither supported nor resisted the modification in any formal manner. Since the factory is no longer manufacturing the 305, and there weren't that many 305 TR blades made, I suppose such a modification is not a high priority. They are focused on selling the B-2Bs that they have.

As for the bubble, the differences you noted are probably just variations from one bubble to the next. The process for manufacturing the bubble is rather rudimentary, yet difficult to describe. The closest thing I can think of is the children's 8" plastic ring that you dip in soap and then swish it through the air to make a giant bubble.

The B-2B is a great design. Brantly just lacked the marketing finesse of Frank Robinson.

Tom

Brad,

Also, it was the same gearbox. The only thing changed was the TR blades themselves.

Tom

Tom,
Thanks again for more good info. I can see where a B2B if it did have 30-50 more pounds of useful load that it could possibly make a very stable IFR or Cross Country time builder over the R22! And also at a very reasonable price.

The school in Houston that I train at uses Robinson now. In the past they used the B2A I think, because the owner said they had over heating/power issues in a hover in the hot and humid Houston climate. The school also used schewizer, but said they needed alot of maint to keep them in the air. He said the R22 gives him the best balance and profit over the other models used in the past. The schools hanger is on the outer skirts of the field with a short taxi way. The prevailing winds are nearly always coming from the short side of the taxiway. So, to take off you do a short running then climb over some power wires going to other hangers, the R22 handles it fine. I get the feeling the Brantly had some trouble on a high DA day?

I have a few friends that want a heli. We have looked at the Brantly. They don't like how old it looks. They also don't like the SFAR 73 and 2200 hr rebuild on the R22. I would like to get a B2B config'd in an IFR Training Package and rent it for IFR training and Cross Country time building. I don't know if I can get everyone on the same page to make it happen, though. And, I can't afford a heli by myself yet.

Thanks again,
Brad

Brad,

I've had the same idea about the canopy myself. I played around on Paint with some ideas but its hard to convey what's in my mind with such a rudimentary program. I've always thought the Lockheed 286 looked like a distant cousin to the Brantly and would love to see a bubble more like it or perhaps the 500E. Someday if I can get my hands on a old airframe I'd love to play around with some foam to see what could be had.

I'll see if I can't post some pics of my ideas...

http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=ylhuyb& ... quality=70
http://images4.fotopic.net/?iid=ypbtcf& ... quality=70
http://images5.fotopic.net/?iid=ypbtc5& ... quality=70

Some other mods I'd love to see from Brantly:

1. Full transparent doors
2. Certify that upper bubble window on the doors
3. Add more vertical fin area
4. Get more power, maybe a diesel, or some of those Lycoming mods the RV builders are using to get better power from the engine. What a kick if Brantly was first to market with a diesel!
5. Harold tells me the woodruff key in the T/R driveshaft set up wears after about 100 hours and should be replaced(find a fix for this)
6. Carson has new blades for the Sikorsky S-61 that enhance lift and speed from a new airfoil design. Perhaps Brantly could pursue this for main and tail rotor blades
7. New higher landing gear (I have an idea for this maybe I'll draw it up and post it)
8. Extend the mast perhaps 12" or so (I hear Don Hillberg did this a while back)
9. Design a new panel with a glareshield somewhat more modern looking like an R-22
10. Better method of attaching tip weights to blades (main and tail) and updated track and balance data for modern systems

I'm sure there are more, I can't think of them at the moment.

I'm working on making mine into an instrument trainer too. I'll try to post pics as it progresses

Regards,
Jeff

Jeff,
I guess I don't understand #2 and #5? Also, I can't seem to get your links to open???

The MS Paint drawing of the B2B from the Brantly site I played with.
http://verticalreference.com/helicopter ... ost&id=461

Matt,

#2 is the new door window Brantly has been working on getting certified. When I was by the factory last summer Doyle show it to me. Pretty slick, it's bulged out a bit and looks nice and gives a bit more room. Bulged door windows have been an option on a lot of the certfied helis like the Hughes 500 or Jetranger. Last summer he told me they just didn't have the money to get it certfied. I hope they do now that they seem to be getting more money from the parent company

#5 is something Harold told me when I picked up my parts from hime last fall. He tells me it's in between the upper and lower T/R gearboxes but I'm not sure where.

The links should work now. Looks we have pretty much the same idea.

Jeff,
Forgot to ask, did you get your Brantly going and using it Commercially?

Thanks for all the info.

Brad