Wire strike protection system

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The wire strike protection system (WSPS) (Developed for the

OH-58 / Bell 206 in 1979) is an entire system of components
designed to mitigate the risk of wire strikes while flying helicopters
at Nap-of-the-earth altitudes, as well as takeoffs and landings.
The system is mounted around the front of many U.S Marine Corps,
U.S Navy, U.S Air Force, U.S Army,[1] and some civilian
helicopters. The larger CH-46 and CH-47 tandem rotor helicopters
have no WSPS systems installed.
A Bell 206 shows cutters above and below
cockpit section of WSPS.

The WSPS system generally appears as two guidance swords at the

upper and lower front of the cabin protruding forward 45 above
and below the horizontal. In each of the inner corners to the cabin a
fixed, massive pair of scissors made of hardened steel is mounted, whose opening angle is so small, that a
speedy or forced incoming steel cable is cut through.

(These swords are often mistaken for radio antennas). The entire system may include upper and lower cutter
assemblies, a non-electrically conductive abrasive strip wire scoring device along the center of the divided
windscreen, and windshield wiper protector frames to keep wires from hanging up on wiper motor shafts.[2] The
WSPS is designed to channel a wire or cable into the cable cutter, score and weaken it as it travels into the
cutter assembly, and "cut" a wire before it can entangle the rotor system or cause a crash. The U.S. Army Safety
Center at Fort Rucker, AL, claims that in a single wire strike, 90% survivability is achieved by using WSPS.
The more wires you encounter at a given time, the less likely WSPS will help you survive the encounter.
Some WSPS lower cutters have a break away tip in case of nose low ground impact.

References
1. Verification Tests of an AH-1S Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS) (http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?
AD=ADA123188&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf)
2. WSPS system (http://www.helicopterpage.com/html/unique.html)

See also
Wire cutter (jeep)

External links
www.helicopterpage.com - WSPS system (How Helicopters Work)
(http://www.helicopterpage.com/html/unique.html)
Safety Study of Wire Strike Devices Installed on Civil and Military Helicopters
(http://www.tc.faa.gov/its/worldpac/techrpt/ar0825.pdf)

Wire Strike Accidents in General Aviation: Data Analysis 1994 to 2004

(http://ihst.rotor.com/portals/54/industry_reports/wirestrikes_20050055.pdf) Page 33
Wire Strike Protection System, MDHS 500 Maintenance Manual
(http://www.rotorywing.com/downloads/index.php?file=2&sort=1)
Magellan Aerospace Announces New Bell Helicopter Wire Strike Protection System Development
(http://www.magellan.aero/media/press-releases/Recent/2011%20%20March%208/Magellan%20Aerospace%20Announces%20New%20Bell%20Helicopter%20Wire%20
Strike%20Protection%20System%20Development.pdf)
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Categories: Aircraft components Aviation safety
This page was last modified on 19 September 2015, at 12:08.
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