very interesting helicopter mounted saw.

[NWCS]

a friend just gave me these links for an interesting helicopter mounted saw.
the idea itself is cool. but its one of those things i would have to watch work to really believe it.

http://www.farmshow.com/issues/260305.asp
http://www.bemc.org/nov2002.htm

 

[begleytree]

it's cool to watch, for about 15 minutes, then cleanup time starts! The funny thing is that while you're trimming, you can't brush tips on the line, or anything like that, but the helo bounces some big stuff off the wires.
-Ralph

 

[MacDaddy]

Looks dangerous to me

 

[clearance]

Those things are nothing new, my buddy had to go way out in the bush to get one that was left in a tree. They were using it to trim a transmission line and it got caught so they aborted it, has the same hookup as a logging helicopter. Hey, can you say hack?, I don't think it makes proper cuts, who cares, just saying.

 

[vharrison2]

Jeff (fishuntcutwood) will love this!

 

[Lawn Masters]

thats pretty neat. its the same concept as the forestry tractors with a similar saw setup on them that I saw here recently during construction of a new road.

 

[vharrison2]

I would love to know what they charge per hour.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Jeff (fishuntcutwood) will love this!

Good Lord, G, you wouldn't catch me in that thing! I've flown through some crazy, Perfect Storm type stuff in the Bering and remote Aleutians, but that thing, even with the shear capability just looks too questionable.

Job-oriented aviation is all about mitigating risks and working off of risk vs. gain. Even in my profession. Risk here seems higher than it needs to be for what gets accomplished. But I've never seen them work, and I'm sure they're not the death trap they appear to be.

Jeff

 

[Gark]

How can that thing work? from the view shown here: http://www.bemc.org/nov2002.htm
what keeps it from turning, say, 90 degrees (from north/south to east/west) while dangling below the 'copter and becoming useless? Seems that the circular blades would have to travel 'edge-on' with the 'copter's path to cut along a parallel to the power lines.
Wierd.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I've never seen it work, but I'd imagine it's just slung mounted below the helo. It can be a cable drive, or it could be electrically powered. It's got to have something to orient it left to right though.

Just a guess...

 

[yawning_dog]

Here it is in action

Hi guys. I just stumbled across this and then did a search and found that you had already heard of it! Anyway, it actually works... Amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQgt5YiD0w

 

[STIHL-KID]

Good Lord, G, you wouldn't catch me in that thing! I've flown through some crazy, Perfect Storm type stuff in the Bering and remote Aleutians, but that thing, even with the shear capability just looks too questionable.

Job-oriented aviation is all about mitigating risks and working off of risk vs. gain. Even in my profession. Risk here seems higher than it needs to be for what gets accomplished. But I've never seen them work, and I'm sure they're not the death trap they appear to be.

Jeff

Jeff, nice pic of the USCG Dolphin Helicopter! I really like the way they sound, very unique in the helocopter class. Got to see many neat demos at CGAS PA.

 

[Woodie]

Looks dangerous to me

It was indeed dangerous to the inventor, who apparently died in a crash on the maiden contract voyage:

http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/46063/

 

[whatsnext]

Yikes. I'd hate to be sitting in a tree stand somewhere when that thing went by. How in the heck would they be able to alert the locals to wear their hard hats?

 

[ericjeeper]

I spoke with a man, That said a friend of a friend saw it.

No seriously I spoke with a man, that claims to have watched one in use. and there is a ground man that remotely steers the blades.. to keep them pointed into the work. Sounded logical enough to me, I bought the story.

 

[Lou]

it's cool to watch, for about 15 minutes, then cleanup time starts! The funny thing is that while you're trimming, you can't brush tips on the line, or anything like that, but the helo bounces some big stuff off the wires.
-Ralph

You, your saw, the tree you are in all provide a path for electricity to ground. No ground path with the chopper.

That pilot's balls are bigger than his brain IMO.

 

[Ed*L]

Definately something I don't want anything to do with.

Ed

 

[STIHL-KID]

Helicopter Trimmer sighting........

I have only seen one of these helicopter trimming machines in action once. I got to see it up on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State many years back. At first from ground level it looked like several people were up in the trees cutting down branches. I soon realized that a helicopter was doing the work! Pretty exciting to watch........branches flying everywhere! The purpose for this setup from what I could tell was that along this stretch of HWY 101 road crews wanted to trim the branches away from the power lines. The process did not take very long.

 

[CobraDriver]

Sorry guys, but as an amateur............VERY amateur chainsaw guy, Not sure about this.

As a BlackHawk flight Instructor and 23 yrs flying.....no way.

Many issues as far as this thing getting hung up then I have to deal with a tether to the trees. The power requirements vs available for this maneuver, etc etc.

I could go on and on about the negatives or maybe I'm just chicken????.

Sounds like a great idea but not enough flight pay for me to do

CD

 

[jhellwig]

The one I saw I think was like the one that they had in the james bond movie. They were in alot closer to the lines and other things when they were cutting though. Other areas around here seam to prefer the round up from a helicopter method better.