Skysix
Sr. Member
- Reaction score
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The HH60M would be better for SAR, that is pretty much its design mission and Canada doesn't have enough C130 refuelling capable tankers to scatter around the SAR bases to make a MH variant with a refuelling probe worthwhile. And no navy to speak of so the naval versions would be overkill for SAR (and unnecessary extra weight) although would be fine for heli-dets, vert-rep and ASW.
Just don't get the UR designed medical interior. Super heavy and the powered stretcher lift can kill people. So stick with a double stack of stretchers on one or both sides with 1 or 2 LSTAT's for patient care and the OBOGS system. Then add a full Lonseal aviation grade removeable 'rubber' floor so it can be hosed out easily. Blood corrodes aluminum quickly and always seems to find seams and cracks to squeeze through.
As a side note, I flew MEDEVAC's all over the NWT and western Nunavut in DHC-6-300's and CC-138's with 440SQN including NPS (the Air Tindi ski bird linked above). FW helmets are almost a must for snow or esker/tundra landings - you can get knocked around a bit. Floats are so much smoother although full 45-17.00x16 tundra tires are not too bad. Often operators only use a main gear wheel on all 3 ("intermediate nose gear and fork") as tundra tires have both a weight and performance penalty.
Spring skiis are only good if you have a dedicated ice/snow runway at your larger destination airports but do save weight and air resistance. Wheel-skiis are more common since they can kand in pavement well. Similarly amphibious floats vs pure floats.
All that said you still need 1000'x50' of pavement/gravel/dirt runway although 1500' is better for skiis. So while it may meet the speed and range and load requirements it does not meet the VTOL requirement.
And I do not want to be on a V280 tactical assault at night - the chances of a collision in that sort of multiship and confined space (let alone under fire) is huge. The footprint is larger than a CH47 with a higher risk of blade-blade strikes. Give me a hungover VanDoo jumpmaster and even a T10 from 500' anyday.
Just don't get the UR designed medical interior. Super heavy and the powered stretcher lift can kill people. So stick with a double stack of stretchers on one or both sides with 1 or 2 LSTAT's for patient care and the OBOGS system. Then add a full Lonseal aviation grade removeable 'rubber' floor so it can be hosed out easily. Blood corrodes aluminum quickly and always seems to find seams and cracks to squeeze through.
As a side note, I flew MEDEVAC's all over the NWT and western Nunavut in DHC-6-300's and CC-138's with 440SQN including NPS (the Air Tindi ski bird linked above). FW helmets are almost a must for snow or esker/tundra landings - you can get knocked around a bit. Floats are so much smoother although full 45-17.00x16 tundra tires are not too bad. Often operators only use a main gear wheel on all 3 ("intermediate nose gear and fork") as tundra tires have both a weight and performance penalty.
Spring skiis are only good if you have a dedicated ice/snow runway at your larger destination airports but do save weight and air resistance. Wheel-skiis are more common since they can kand in pavement well. Similarly amphibious floats vs pure floats.
All that said you still need 1000'x50' of pavement/gravel/dirt runway although 1500' is better for skiis. So while it may meet the speed and range and load requirements it does not meet the VTOL requirement.
And I do not want to be on a V280 tactical assault at night - the chances of a collision in that sort of multiship and confined space (let alone under fire) is huge. The footprint is larger than a CH47 with a higher risk of blade-blade strikes. Give me a hungover VanDoo jumpmaster and even a T10 from 500' anyday.
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