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Community Forum · Est. 2006
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#1
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06-13-2026, 09:42 AM
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 ✝Mudderator from Hell✝ Poster Rank:10 e-mail Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 95,028
Contributions: 817
Mentioned: 472 Post(s) Quoted: 10082 Post(s)
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F-27 Ultralight, Two-seat Civil Helicopter, Low-altitude Test Flight Goes Wrong
China. Last Thursday a Zhonglian F-27 model was undergoing a low-altitude test flight when it suffered a sudden mechanical and structural failure. The aircraft lost directional control, causing the tail section to snap off and triggering a violent, rapid spinning motion on a lawn near Haihu Road in the Wujin District. Both occupants survived the crash landing. They were rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One person has been discharged, while the other remains hospitalized in stable condition with more serious, non-critical injuries.(the head bouncer). Aviation groups told that footage strongly indicates the helicopter may have entered a state known as ground resonance or suffered a terminal tail rotor failure. Ground resonance causes destructive vibrations that can disintegrate an airframe within seconds when a rotorcraft makes contact with the ground. The F-27 is an ultralight, two-seat civil helicopter designed and manufactured by Changzhou Zhonglian Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. in China. It is primarily marketed as an affordable, experimental kit-built aircraft that enthusiasts can assemble themselves and costs around $230.000 USD. The empty weight ranges between 320 kg to 380 kg, with a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 650 kg. It offers a payload capacity of up to 200 kg for passengers and fuel. The base model is frequently configured with a modified Subaru automotive engine. Zhonglian also offers their proprietary Flyben 4-cylinder engine, which weighs just 90 kg and lowers the empty configuration weight to 410 kg. A high-performance 180 hp turbocharged variant is available for high-altitude stabilization. It features a cruising speed of 97–100 mph and a maximum speed of 112 mph. Fitted with a 72-liter fuel tank and burning roughly 25 liters per hour, the F-27 has an flight endurance of 3 hours and a maximum range of 310.69 to 341.75 miles. Its maximum operational altitude is capped at approx. 9,800 feet, 3,000 meters. The Civil Aviation Administration of China Jiangsu Regulatory Bureau has launched an official investigation into Zhonglian Aeronautical Technologies to determine whether the accident stemmed from metal fatigue, a maintenance oversight, or design flaws. |
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#2
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06-13-2026, 10:30 AM
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 My Rank: SECOND LIEUTENANT Poster Rank:251 Male Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,532
Contributions: 25
Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Quoted: 735 Post(s)
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Re: F-27 Ultralight, Two-seat Civil Helicopter, Low-altitude Test Flight Goes Wrong
I'm sorry .. I just laughed  |
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#4
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06-13-2026, 01:57 PM
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 My Rank: SERGEANT MAJOR Poster Rank:298 Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 4,291
Contributions: 1
Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Quoted: 1439 Post(s)
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Re: F-27 Ultralight, Two-seat Civil Helicopter, Low-altitude Test Flight Goes Wrong
Helicopter ground resonance happened in an episode of "MacGyver": |
