Elastomeric damper improves ride and handling.Enstrom Helicopter The Enstrom Helicopter Corp of Menominee, Michigan was founded in 1959 by lumberjack and mechanic Rudy Enstrom, initially as the R J Enstrom Corp. He receiving financial backing after spending some years developing his own helicopters. has received certification for the newly designed elastomeric dampers for the Model 480B. The elastomeric dampers are offered for retrofit of fielded Model 480B helicopters and have been incorporated on new production aircraft. The dampers replace the current hydraulic dampers and are said to have already shown improved ground operation, ride and handling qualities. Further, the dampers are expected to decrease maintenance costs. Enstrom contacted this company in 2000 seeking a main rotor n. 1. (Aviation) The assembly of large rotating airfoils (blades) on a helicopter that produce the lift to support the helicopter in the air. Noun 1. damper damp·er n. 1. One that deadens, restrains, or depresses: Rain put a damper on our picnic plans. 2. An adjustable plate, as in the flue of a furnace or stove, for controlling the draft. with improved damping damping In physics, the restraint of vibratory motion, such as mechanical oscillations, noise, and alternating electric currents, by dissipating energy. Unless a child keeps pumping a swing, the back-and-forth motion decreases; damping by the air's friction opposes the performance characteristics, reduced scheduled maintenance and increased service life. Building on over 80 years of experience designing solutions to manage vibration, motion and noise in aircraft, the company began the improved damper development by reviewing damper load and motion data generated from an instrumented aircraft. An elastomeric damper was designed based on the flight test data and the company's analysis of the 480B aircraft dynamics. The elastomeric damper entered bench and flight test certification in 2002 and achieved FAA certification for use in January 2005. The company's design utilizes a highly damped elastomer elastomer (ĭlăs`təmər), substance having to some extent the elastic properties of natural rubber. The term is sometimes used technically to distinguish synthetic rubbers and rubberlike plastics from natural rubber. specifically formulated for the demanding requirements of helicopter main rotor damping applications. The damper's improved performance, confirmed through bench testing, flight testing at Enstrom, as well as field installations, is said to offer operators the benefits of improved performance with a significant reduction in ground feedback and vibration issues. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Enstrom, positive field reports are starting to come in. The new dampers are said to improve the aircraft's ride and stability in all regions of flights. Most impressive is said to be the way the dampers improve the characteristics near the ground. The aircraft no longer has a feedback issue between the airframe and the ground, according to Enstrom. There is no more ground bounce In electronic engineering, ground bounce is a phenomenon associated with transistor switching where the gate voltage can appear to be less than the local ground potential, causing the unstable operation of a logic gate. , and even on slope landings, the aircraft is said to be incredibly smooth. The company also supplies a surface effect (SE) damper for the cyclic control system of the Model 480B. SE dampers generate damping through relative linear motion between a specially designed plunger installed with interference fit An interference fit (sometimes called a press fit) is a fastening between two parts which is achieved by friction after the parts are pushed together, rather than by any other means of fastening. into an elastomeric sleeve. Proprietary lubricants, surface finishes and coatings are used to achieve very long life on the lightweight damper. Installed in any orientation, the dampers are said to have proven to control the response of the spring in the trim actuator A mechanism that causes a device to be turned on or off, adjusted or moved. The motor and mechanism that moves the head assembly on a disk drive or an arm of a robot is called an actuator. See access arm. . Further, because SE dampers use viscous grease lubricants, they typically do not require seals and do not leak. The company designs, manufactures and markets devices and systems to manage mechanical motion and control noise and vibration; formulates, produces and sells general purpose and specialty adhesives and polyurethane coatings; and develops products and systems utilizing magnetically responsive technologies. Lord Circle 7 on card |
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