umathompson•24d agoMost Upvoted

That spin test I skipped cost me a rotor overhaul

Used to just balance blades by feel and call it good, but last year I got lazy on a Bell 206 and skipped the track and balance check after a blade swap. Three weeks later the vibration was so bad it cracked the grip bushing and I had to send the whole head out to Airtech in Tulsa. Does anyone else run a portable balancer like the Chadwick after every install now?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_taylor24d ago

Airtech is in Tulsa, but they do the rotor work out of their Oklahoma City shop now. I still run a Chadwick after every blade change, learned that lesson on an Astar a few years back.

kim81923d agoTop Commenter

Yeah the "learned that lesson" part hits hard, I did the same thing on a 206 a while back. Skipped the Chadwick once because I was in a hurry, ended up chasing a vibe for two whole days before I bit the bullet and ran the track. Never again. Now I just make it part of the routine, pain in the ass but saves way more time in the long run.

alicecooper23d ago

Three years in a 412 with the old style dampers and I never once ran a Chadwick after a blade change. @riley_taylor I know that sounds crazy to you but we had good luck just doing a ground run and a careful track adjustment by hand. I think sometimes these tools become a crutch that masks the need to really understand the system you're working on. Not saying they don't help, but skipping one never cost me a vibe issue.