helicopters in sand storms???

[madrchsod]

let me see--mr peabody! fire up the "way back machine"! go to the april 1980-iranian desert...jimmy carter got savaged for sending copters into iranian that were disabled by the sand. bush`s military flies copters in sand storms and nothing is said.

[TxRoadHawg]

1. so you dont think we learned anything in 25 years?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. It crashed..no?

The facts would argue against you

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Oh, please. We haven't learn anything in 40 years. Remember

Vietnam?

[arcane1]

10. if we had learned anything, we wouldn't be in Iraq at all

obviously there is a learning disability at work here

[mistertrickster]

2. You forgot, IYRIDM.

If You're Republican, It Doesn't Matter.

Mainstream Media have gone IYRIDM for years.

[jdj]

3. you forgot IYMYR

it's the rule not the exception, if you're media, you're republican.

[aden_nak]

4. A valid point, good sir, but if I might offer a seasoned counter-argument:

TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR! TERROR!

And in closing, why DO you hate America so much?

*This message was brought to you by the Project for the New American Century.

[tubbacheez]

7. rotary-wing aircraft are better now, but not perfect. nt

[xultar]

8. 2 copters down in 2 days. Something is up...it ain't no sandstorm..

if that's the case then we'd hear about it more than we have.

[Liberal In Texas]

9. Filters and sand

Modern helicopters can be equipped with filtration systems for dusty/sandy environments, which helps, but it does not appear to be a perfect solution:

The Aerospace Filtration system includes a single filter design optimized for both hover and forward flight, improving engine performance over the entire airspeed envelope in comparison to the use of inlet particle separators. It is also designed to filter out more than 99 percent of dust and sand, giving more engine temperature margins, thus more load carrying capacity, according to the manufacturer. Scimone said the company has delivery more than 3,500 filters to military and civilian customers. They are particularly showing great success on U.S. Army OH-58Ds and AH/MH-6Js flying in Iraq, filtering out the extra-fine desert sand, allowing turbine blades to make it to TBO rather than having to be removed after only a few hours.
http://www.aviationtoday.com/cgi/rw/show_mag.cgi?pub=rw&mon=0604&file=rotorcraftreport.htm

Also, sandy environments require engine cleaning more often. It's not a perfect system.

CH-53s operate with an engine air particle separator to filter sand, but the device can't keep up with the large amounts ingested in operations here(Iraq). Technicians have begun using a pressure washer and water to clean the engines after each mission. Some Marine Corps officials have voiced frustration that engine maker General Electric over the past decade hasn't devised a better system to deal with the sand.
http://www.acq.osd.mil/log/logistics_materiel_readiness/organizations/mppr/assetts/articles/
aviation_week_space_tech.pdf