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This shot is from the co-pilots chair
which is about three stories high. For such a large aircraft, the area
that the pilots sit is kinda small.
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The wingspan is over 169 feet long and
get a load of the size of those engines!! Each one puts out over 40,000
pounds of thrust each. Truly amazing!! The person walking
under the wing could easily fit into the mouth of the engine with room
to spare.
The cost of one of these bad-boys is a staggering
202 million dollars.
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This was an awesome aircraft that I
was finally able to see and actually get inside. I have a much deeper
respect for it now that I've set foot in it. Is it just me or does it look like a shark with
it's mouth open here.
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| Going from one aircraft that I didn't
know much about to this one that I actually make parts for, all within
about 200 feet of each other. This is a McDonald Douglass 500 series
helicopter that has been flying for 25+ years. Some of the people that
use them are the cops and some corporate guys that might fly them form
roof top to roof top.
The company that I work for, K.S.D. Inc. makes the
"Tension Torsion Strap" assembly and "Tail Rotor
Strap" assembly that goes on this ship. These strap assemblies are
a piece that goes between the rotor blade and the hub that spins in the
middle of the aircraft. In other words, it holds on the main and tail
rotor blades to the helicopter. If one of those straps fails, the ship
crashes. After talking with the pilot for a few minutes, he knows all
about these straps and what a good history that they have. One of the
last things he said to me was "keep on making those good straps for
us".
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Right when I was through talking to
the above pilot and was starting to walk away, I could hear a helicopter flying
about a mile out. When I turned around, this is what was getting closer.
Well the closer it got, the farther I wanted to be from it (I guess I've
watched one to many scary videos on TV). Notice all the people standing
around and a bunch more were walking towards it as I was making my exit.
Also notice the barricades that are on the left.
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