NARRATOR: They can go
anywhere and see everything. JEFF GIRGLE: You can
run, but you're only going to go to jail tired. NARRATOR: They can
bring death from above. The most devastating killer
for ground force commanders. NARRATOR: Or they can
be an aerial lifeline. PILOT: Roger, looks like
we've found our survivor. NARRATOR: They're heavy
lifters and firefighters. Start your pre-flight checks
and buckle in, because now its helicopters on
"Modern Marvels." [music playing] [helicopter thrumming] Helicopters-- our
skies are full of them. Unlike airplanes, they
offer the unique ability to fly in any direction
or just hover in one spot. And when this ability is
combined with lethal firepower, you get the AH-64D Apache
Longbow, the deadliest helicopter in the world. At the US Army's Fort
Rucker in Alabama, they train pilots to
fly this bird of prey. ROBERT WILSON: The AH-64D, it's
primarily an attack helicopter, or a gunship, as we call it. Its primary mission
is to attack. And what it does is it actually
goes to where the tracers are coming from and actually engages
the enemy that are engaging our friendly forces
on the ground. NARRATOR: With the top
speed of 182 miles per hour, the Apache gets there
fast, ready to unload an array of deadly fire. These are the
19-shot rocket pods. Inside each, we can
fit 19 2.75 inch folding-fin aerial rockets. They come in multiple
configurations. On the inboard pylon, we've
got the Hellfire missile rack. These are laser-guided
anti-tank missiles. [helicopter thrumming] [kaboom] NARRATOR: The Apache
can be configured to hold multiple rocket
pods or missile racks, depending on the mission. [radio chatter] The last of the AH-64'S
weapons is located right underneath the cockpit. If you ask most Apache pilots,
this is their favorite weapon system on the aircraft. This is a 30 millimeter
chain cannon. Gunfire. [gunfire] NARRATOR: Carrying up to
1,200 rounds of ammunition, the chain cannon can fire 600
to 650 anti-personnel rounds a minute. They explode on impact and can
punch through trucks and even light armored vehicles. To control the cannon, the
pilot uses a monocular eyepiece attached to the helmet that
displays targeting information. This connects to
the chain cannon and automatically aims
where the pilot is looking. Sensors track the movement and
direction of the pilot's helmet and direct the cannon
where to point. RONALD E. NILES: So if I happen
to look at a target-- left, right, up and down-- this
gun will move left and right, up and down and follow it. All you gotta do is
pull the trigger. [helicopter thrumming] NARRATOR: The Apache is also
equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, located on top of
the rotor and on the bottom of the nose, that allow pilots
to see any enemies that can see them. RONALD E. NILES: The part
on top of that is a new site for the longbow radar. It's the fire
control radar system. We can look out with a
millimeter wave radar, look for tanks in the open, get
all that data to our computers. That'll transfer to
a firing solution. PILOT: Roger that. NARRATOR: Night combat presents
few problems for the Apache Longbow. RONALD E. NILES: This is
the target acquisition and designating system,
also known as the TADS. It's on the bottom
side of this turret. We have a night
system right here, which is forward-looking
infrared. It uses different temperatures
and heat to detect targets. This side is the day TV
side for day television, also has a laser range
finder and designator for designating targets
for laser-guided munitions. On the top here is the
pilot night vision sensor. That's purely for
flying at nighttime. NARRATOR: These sensors
allow the Apache pilots to see everything, even who
is friend and who is foe. JERRY KROMETIS: We don't
indiscriminately just shoot at people with this aircraft. Because of its
digital capability, we can zero in on
just those people that are doing bad things. NARRATOR: The Apache's
extreme lethality also makes it a threat deterrent. The mere presence of
the Apache in the sky is often enough to dissuade
the enemy from attacking friendly ground forces. JERRY KROMETIS: Sometimes all
it takes is for us to show up and the enemy's stop
shooting and they disappear. NARRATOR: While some Fort Rucker
recruits are learning to master the deadly art of
flying an Apache, others are learning to fly the
UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. Unlike the Apache, it's designed
for the specific purpose of attack. The Black Hawk serves
a multi-purpose role. ROBERT HUTSON: This is a
UH-60 Mike Model Black Hawk. And the UH-60 is a
utility helicopter. The UH-60 is probably one of
the most versatile aircraft in the army. And it can conduct mission
from ranges of air assault operations and combat, which
we can take fully loaded combat soldiers and air assault
missions onto the battlefield. And then we can turn around and
pick up logistical supplies, from sling loading water,
pallets, or MRE pallets, or ammunition to help
resupply soldiers. We can do medevac missions,
which is picking up casualties on the battlefield, delivering
to the medical treatment facilities, which has
drastically increased the survivability
on the battlefield. Number one and number two
battery, battery, utility, the circuit breakers are in. NARRATOR: The Black
Hawk helicopter crew includes two pilots. To fly it, the pilots must
use both hands and feet. The helicopter's
superior maneuverability comes with complexity. The key to understanding
how to fly a Black Hawk, or any helicopter,
starts at the hub. The hub is a central
portion of the rotor system. It's the part where all four
rotor blades hook together. NARRATOR: The hub,
or rotor disk, tilts to give the helicopter
directional flight and is controlled by the cyclic. This is the cyclic. This provides us directional
control, either at a hover or in a cruise flight mode. With a cyclic, I'm actually
tilting the rotor disk in the direction that
I'm pushing the cyclic, so therefore, if I'm at a
hover, and I move the cyclic to the right, then the
aircraft rotor disk is going to tilt to
the right, and I'm going to drift to the right. If I push the cyclic
forward, the rotor system is going to tilt
forward, the aircraft is going to go into a descent. And I'll look outside, and
the houses on the ground are actually getting bigger
because I'm getting closer to the ground. NARRATOR: To control the lift
or thrust of the helicopter, the pilot uses the collective. The flight control that
I have in my left hand here is called the collective. And it's called the collective
because it collectively puts blade pitch angle
into all four rotor blades at the same time. The more pitch I want
in the rotor blade, the higher I'll
pull the collective. NARRATOR: The pitch
angle determines how fast the helicopter will
lift off the ground in a hover or how fast it
will fly in flight. A zero angle will
produce zero lift. As the pitch
increases, the blades will push more air downward,
resulting in greater lift. Once in the air, the pilot
pushes the cyclic forward to start the helicopter
in a forward direction. [radio chatter] As the pilot flies the
aircraft, he uses the tail rotor to keep the nose of the
helicopter pointing forward. JEFFERY WOODHAM: The
purpose of that tail rotor is to provide thrust in
the opposite direction of the main rotor turning,
so that we can maintain our directional flight. NARRATOR: Since the main rotor
system turns counterclockwise, there is an equal and
opposite reaction that forces the fuselage clockwise. Tail rotor counters that. It works the same way as the
main rotor, in that its blades increase pitch to gain thrust. To maintain a pitch that will
keep the helicopter moving forward, the pilot uses his
feet to control the tail rotor. JEFFERY WOODHAM: If
I push left pedal, then that causes the nose of
the helicopter to turn left. And then I use counter
pressure on the opposite pedal to stop that motion. [helicopter thrumming] NARRATOR: The Black
Hawk has two crew chiefs who are responsible for
everything that happens from the cockpit back. We have two crew members
who sit-in the back of the aircraft. And they're predominately
crew chiefs and door gunners. And they assist with the loading
and unloading in the aircraft. We're a utility helicopter, so
we want to get in and get out. And the door guns are
predominantly there to assist in the
suppression of the enemy and provide area coverage. NARRATOR: The UH-60M
Black Hawk helicopter is the successor to the old
UH-1 Huey from the Vietnam War. The Huey's became the
workhorses of the military. And much like the Black Hawks,
filled many different roles. They evacuated wounded
soldiers, transported troops, dropped supplies, and were
even used as gunships. But while the Huey pilots flew
using only visual references on the ground and maps,
Black Hawk pilots fly with state-of-the-art instruments. JEFFERY WOODHAM: This aircraft
really takes the technology we have in the civilian
sector and moves Army aviation in the 21st century. It really does two things. It increases our
situational awareness so that when we have
the moving map displays, it's very easy for an
aviator to know where he's at and what's going
on the battlefield, whether it's an enemy situation
that's graphically depicted or the GPS technology of
knowing his exact location at all times. NARRATOR: Along with
modern navigation systems, the Black Hawk incorporates an
onboard autopilot system, known as a flight director. It allows the helicopter
to fly itself. KURT HEIDELBACH: You can
actually control the airspeed, altitude, heading, or course,
make the aircraft fly a flight plan with the flight
director and never touch the conventional
flight controls. That reduces the pilot
workload and allows the pilot to focus his attention
in other areas. [helicopter thrumming] NARRATOR: These
Black Hawks are used for many different operations
and even do a little light lifting. But when the military needs
to do some heavy lifting, they call in the Marines and
their CH-53E Super Stallion. MICHAEL ULSES: It is a
heavy-lift helicopter. CH-53 Echo Super Stallion,
it's the largest helicopter in the military. NARRATOR: It dwarfs some
of its flashier cousins. The Black Hawk weighs just
over 10 and 1/2 thousand pounds and stands 16 feet,
10 inches high. The Apache weighs in at nearly
11 and 1/2 thousand pounds and stands 12 feet,
7 inches high. But the CH-53 weighs
over 33,000 pounds and towers nearly three
stories high at 28 feet. Not only is the CH-53
the largest helicopter in the military, it's
also the strongest. The Super Stallion can
carry internal loads of up to 20,000 pounds in the
cargo hold or external loads at 32,000 pounds hung
underneath the aircraft. They can carry everything
from armed troops to armored vehicles. MICHAEL ULSES: Well, the primary
mission of the helicopter is assault support, carrying
troops and equipment around the theater,
or wherever we're operating at, to make sure
that they get the supplies they need, the equipment,
the ammunition, and basically moving
Marines around. NARRATOR: To complete
these missions, it takes two pilots
and three crew chiefs, who are responsible for
loading up the inside. We call it beans,
band-aids, and bullets. We can take anything
in the back. NARRATOR: Or hooking up
external loads underneath. COREY SHAFER: It's either
a single-point lift or a dual-point lift. Dual-points are usually
for longer, wider loads so that you can keep
the load from spinning. [radio chatter] NARRATOR: The seven rotor blades
that sit on top of this metal monster are the reason
the Super Stallion can carry so much weight. They're so strong and the
blades create downward winds in excess of 85 miles an hour. We're up on the rotor
head on the CH-53 Echo. And from here out
is about 400 pounds. To put things in perspective,
there's seven of them. That adds up to 2,800 pounds. 2,800 pounds can
lift 73,500 pounds. NARRATOR: The mechanical muscles
that move these blades come in the form of three GE engines
that produce 12,000 horsepower. We're not worried
about how much power we have to pull to make a
turn, or climb, or descend. We've got it there
at our fingertips. When you're operating in
environments where it's very difficult to travel
over roads, especially in the environment we've
seen over the last six years where IEDs, explosive
devices, roadside bombs become a major issue, we're able
to move a lot of equipment over the air without that
threat to worry about. NARRATOR: Nevertheless,
in these environments, there's the real threat
of being shot down. If the worst happens
and the engines fail, CH-53 pilots rely on an
arrow dynamic phenomenon common to all helicopters
called auto rotation. As the helicopter
falls, the upward flow of air through the rotor
provides enough force to keep the blades turning,
much like a pinwheel. The pilot will lower the
collective, decreasing the angle of the blades. This creates just enough
lift to slow the descent of the helicopter and
in ideal conditions, allows the pilot to land safely. MICHAEL ULSES: The problem with
this aircraft is, it's, very heavy. It falls like a rock
if the engines are out. And you if you
get that one shot, it's going to be a hard
landing no matter what you do. NARRATOR: While the Super
Stallion carries the heaviest loads, and the Apache can
rain death on to thousands-- [gunfire] PILOT: Survivors coming up. NARRATOR: --other helicopters
save thousands, Thanks in part to their unique capabilities. Whether a Black Hawk or
an Apache, Super Stallion or a civilian model,
all helicopters have an aerodynamic
versatility unmatched by any other aircraft. They can go up, down, sideways,
backwards, and forwards. [helicopter thrumming] But it's the helicopter's
ability to hover over a sinking ship or a survivor floating
in the ocean that makes it an essential rescue instrument
to the men and women of the US Coast Guard. And it's this capability that
sets it apart from the planes and boats the Coast Guard
uses it in conjunction with the helicopter. MATT FURLONG: Well,
the helicopter allows the Coast Guard to
do the rescue part of search and rescue. We can always go find somebody
with some other kind of asset, but the helicopter's really what
lets us go out, get somebody, and bring them home. NARRATOR: At the US Coast
Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama,
pilots and crews learn to fly and operate one
of the most technologically advanced helicopters in the
fleet, the MH-60T Jayhawk. It's a variant of the
Navy's SH-60 Seahawk, with several key
modifications that allow it to fly
in extreme weather to perform water rescues. MATT FURLONG: It's a
very safe aircraft. I know we can go all
in any kind of weather, do any kind of mission. NARRATOR: These
helicopters are made to take off and
fly in winds that can exceed 100 miles per hour. Flying in a hurricane
can be scary. But doing it at night
can be even scarier. PATRICK SHAW: We have a
term, dark and stormy night. You really have to rely on the
capabilities of the helicopter to a certain extent, because
nighttime, over the ocean, if there is no illumination
out there whatsoever, it's like flying in a closet. PILOT: Survivors coming up. NARRATOR: Pilots must rely
on the helicopter's GPS and infrared systems to
show them where they are and how close they
are to surging waves. The typical Jayhawk crew
consists of two pilots, a rescue swimmer, and
a flight mechanic that operates the hoist
during a rescue and maintains the rear
cabin during operations. [radio chatter] The Jayhawk conducts a number
of missions, including security patrols and disaster relief. But it's primarily responsible
for search and rescue missions. Modern Marvels joined
this training exercise in the Gulf of Mexico. Guys, we've been
diverted to go search for a person in the water. You'll want to show up on
scene and do a sector search and stand by to recovery
anybody who's gone in the water. NARRATOR: After the command
center receives a distress call, it dispatches
a rescue helicopter. It will then either give the
helicopter exact coordinates of the ship in danger or
its last known coordinates. The primary job of
myself, as a pilot is to get the aircraft on scene. Once we show up on scene,
the avionics system in the glass cockpit here
in this new helicopter will actually fly the
search pattern for me. And so it gives me the ability
to use my night vision goggles to look out the
window and actually search for the survivor or the
subject vessel that might be looking for. Roger looks like we've
found our survivor there at 2 o'clock. We just got to do rescue
checklist part two for a freefall swim
and the rescue swimmer. NARRATOR: Once the crew spots
the distressed ship or floating survivor, the rescue
swimmer gets the call. OMAR ALBA: First
thing that will happen is they'll survey the scene. If the conditions are met,
then the swimmer will freefall. Swimmer delay. Once the swimmer freefalls,
they'll go down to the victim. And based upon their evaluation,
they'll give hand signals to the flight mech. We're ready for [inaudible]
recovery of the rescue swimmer and survivor NARRATOR: Unlike its
military counterpart, the Jayhawk is equipped with
another modification, a hoist mounted on the right
side of the aircraft to aid in survivor rescues. The Coast Guard's Jayhawk also
lets the flight mechanic fine tune the rescue. This aircraft has the
capability that, if I need to, I can control from the back
small movements, either left, right, forward, or aft. NARRATOR: At this point,
the flight mechanic takes control of the operation
to bring the survivor on board the helicopter. [helicopter thrumming] [radio chatter] JONATHAN AVERY: I'm going to put
the hoist hook to the basket. And then I'm going to
send it out the door. And I'm going to be advising
the pilot, as it's going down, as to whether it's
halfway down or holding five feet above the water. [radio chatter] The pilot's going to tell me
to direct him to that person. And I will give commands, as
far as increments and feet, where to go. [radio chatter] Once we get to that
person, I'm going to set the basket in the water. I'm going to advise the
pilot that they're in and ready for pickup. [radio chatter] At that point, I will
hoist the basket. And they'll be on their way up. [radio chatter] When they get to the
door, I'll bring them inside the helicopter. NARRATOR: The flight mechanic
will then send the basket back down to retrieve the swimmer. [helicopter thrumming] Coast Guard crews are
responsible for hundreds of miles of ocean, so fuel
can be a major consideration. The H-60 Jayhawk helicopter
maximum load of fuel is just over 6,000 pounds. With 6,000 pounds of
fuel, you can probably plan on flying for
about 5 and 1/2 hours. We can go 300 miles off shore,
remain on scene for 30 minutes, and return back to
where we started. Sometimes their missions aren't
far out at sea, but on land. When Hurricane Katrina hit
the Gulf Coast in 2005, the Coast Guard helicopter
crews got the call. BRIAN BAILEY: We showed up
on scene in New Orleans. And we are seeing flickers
of light coming from roofs and windows and stuff. And those were people
that were trapped in their flooded houses. So we immediately went
to a hoisting situation, where we start picking
people up off their roofs. Went to the first people we
saw, put the basket down. They usually climb
in the basket. Got them in the aircraft,
and we took them to the nearest safe place that
they weren't on the ground. We unloaded, went right back to
the neighborhood we them from, and went to the next
town down the line. We did this all
night until daylight. And in one day, we would
pick up over 100 people. And I did that for
the first four days straight over New Orleans. NARRATOR: The Coast
Guard led the way as military and
civilian helicopters saved thousands of lives. BRIAN BAILEY: The sky
was literally filled with helicopter everywhere. NARRATOR: The US Coast Guard
effectively uses helicopters to save people from water. But one helicopter
saves people with water. It's called the
Erickson Aircrane. And with its unique
dragonfly appearance, it's never mistaken for
any other helicopter. The Aircrane is built for
one thing, heavy lifting. It has two turbine engines
that provide 9,000 horsepower to the shaft, allowing
the 19,500 pound helicopter to carry an
additional 20,000 pounds. This capability makes the
Aircrane a perfect tool for fighting large
forest and brushfires. The Aircrane can be fitted
with a 2,650 gallon tank that can be filled with a suctioning
device called a ram scoop hydrofoil. It can fill the tank in
less than 40 seconds. This tank empties over a
265,000 square foot area and can extinguish
fires that might take ground crews precious
hours to control and put out. While the heavy lifting
Erickson Aircrane may dominate our construction
sites and fire lines, another much smaller,
much less expensive helicopter dominates the
skies above our cities. This is the helicopter that
dominated the civilian market for nearly four decades. It's called the Bell Jet Ranger. FRANK ROBINSON:
A Bell Helicopter was the first
helicopter that really was successful in the
commercial market. And the ones that you see on TV,
for instance, in the old movie. NARRATOR: Born in
1967, it soon became a favorite of police
departments, news stations, and wealthy businessmen
all over the world. But these jet turbine
driven helicopters came with a high price tag. By 1971, they cost
nearly $115,000. That's the equivalent of
nearly $600,000 today. Ex Bell engineer,
Frank Robinson, decided he could make
a helicopter that would be cheaper to fly and maintain. In 1979, Robinson
Helicopters started to manufacture the
two-seat R22, selling them for the same price as a high-end
luxury car, about $40,000. They still make the R22 today. Robinson began selling the R44,
a four-seat version, in 1992 for $235,000. While Bell's jet
helicopters still fill a role for many companies,
in 1988 Robinson's helicopters first sold more than Bell. And they've done so
every year since. Robinson started with a
cheaper, more efficient engine. The R22 model uses a
four-cylinder piston engine instead of a jet turbine,
while the larger R44 uses a six-cylinder engine. FRANK ROBINSON: That is by
far the most practical type of engine to use in a small,
light helicopter like ours, because it burns a lot
less fuel than a turbine. NARRATOR: Though less
powerful than turbine engines, they still push the R22 up to a
top speed of 110 miles per hour and the R44 to a top speed
of 135 miles per hour, giving them both a
range of over 350 miles. Along with an economical engine,
Robinson streamlined the design of his helicopters. FRANK ROBINSON: Well, we've kept
the design very simple, very lightweight, and yet
very, very reliable. Features of our helicopters
are designed for efficiency, for speed, to keep
the noise level down, and what you probably recognize,
if you see when flying over, that tells you that it's one
of ours, it has a tall mast. The rotor is up
considerably higher than the rest of the fuselage. And we do that because it allows
us to use a large diameter rotor, which is more efficient
than a smaller diameter rotor. NARRATOR: The larger mast
allows the blades to extend over the aft rotor. But before they fly, they all
start out as nuts and bolts, and sheet metal. FRANK ROBINSON: The raw
materials come in one door and they end up going out
another door as a finished, flying helicopter. [music playing] NARRATOR: Nearly every part
of every Robinson helicopter is made in-house and
entirely built by hand. And that process starts with
cutting and shaping the metal into specific sizes to be
sent to the sub assemblies. This is where all the parts are
constructed before being sent to final assembly. Here, parts like the tail
boom, rotor blades, cabin, and landing skids are assembled
into a complete helicopter shell. FRANK ROBINSON: And
then a helicopter is moved on its landing gear,
on down the assembly line, getting its electrical
harness installed, its gearbox is put in, and
an engine is installed. NARRATOR: After the helicopter
is completely assembled, it's painted, flight-tested,
and ready for the customer to fly it home. Robinson's simple design
allowed the company to produce nearly 900
helicopters in 2008 at its manufacturing facility
in Torrance, California. No helicopter manufacturer
had ever produced that many in a single year. Of course, they cost
a little more now. The R22 sales for $243,000 and
the R44 for nearly $400,000. One agency that realizes the
value of a Robinson helicopter is the El Monte California
Police Department. They maintain a fleet of three
R44 helicopters that have been converted for police use. JEFF GIRGLE: You have a high
candle power search light, which is used to illuminate
ground person at night. We also have the FLIR, which is
the forward-looking infrared, which enables the
observer to see heat signatures on the ground at
night and even during the day. We also have a
different radio package which allows us to talk to a
wide variety of police agencies within the Los Angeles County. And there's other equipment,
such as LoJack, which is a vehicle locating device. NARRATOR: Even with
these extra add-ons, Robinson helicopters operate for
a third of the cost of larger, more expensive
police helicopters. JEFF GIRGLE: That
allows us to have three and allows us to
stay in business and do what we do best,
and that's providing a safe aerial platform
and a safe environment for the citizens we serve. NARRATOR: Having that
helicopter in the sky is equivalent to having anywhere
from five to eight ground officers in the area and
also gives the police a significant advantage. [music playing] The police pilot relies
on ground communication to get the helicopter
into the right position. Once he locates the
fleeing suspect, the co-pilot or
tactical flight officer directs the ground forces. He will also monitor the
FLIR system and search light at night until the
suspect is apprehended. JEFF GIRGLE: Regardless of how
much time and effort is put forth in trying to escape
from the police officers, they already know that
the helicopter is there, they're going to go
to jail eventually. You can run, but you're only
going to go to jail tired. NARRATOR: The police departments
aren't the only organizations taking advantage of Robinson
Helicopter's low costs. We have other versions of
that same basic helicopter which are used for TV broadcasts,
so the TV stations can buy that particular
model and all the equipment for their gyro
stabilized cameras. And microwave transmissions
are all built right into the basic helicopter. NARRATOR: These helicopters
end up flying for industries all over the world. About 70% of all
the helicopters that we manufacture
are exported-- exported all over the world. And some of our
most active markets right now are in places like
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and of course, all
of the European countries. NARRATOR: The Robinson
fills an important niche in an economically
cautious world. But if you've got the
money, you might prefer one of these tricked out choppers. Helicopters aren't just for
police forces and the military, some individuals and
corporations like the luxury of commuting as the crow flies. For that, many people
turn to Bell helicopters. We offer any helicopter,
for any need, whether that's corporate or VIP travel,
to and from the golf course and the boardroom. Any of our products in
our line, currently, can suit any of those needs. Once you decide on a helicopter,
Edwards and Associates is Bell's completion
house of choice. NARRATOR: Edwards and Associates
takes a Bell Helicopter, like this, right off the
line and customize it from the inside out. When a customer wants
to buy an aircraft, the first thing we need to know
is what kind of configuration do they need. Is it corporate? Is it utility, VIP? Just what type of
equipment do they need? We figure out what would
best suit their mission requirements. And then we build the
aircraft from that proposal. NARRATOR: And that can be
costly, up to $2 million just for customizing. It starts with an
800 mile flight from Bell's manufacturing plant. Using only a basic
instrument panel, the helicopters make their
way from Mirabel, Canada to a facility in Piney
Flats, Tennessee. This is what we start with
when we begin our completion. It's what we call
a green aircraft. It has no avionics,
nothing installed, just the bare bones aircraft. NARRATOR: Edwards
disassembled the helicopter to start the
customizing process. The helicopter then goes into
the completions hangar, where workers install the wiring
and flight instruments. MICHAEL MILHORN:
Avionics installation is done in this facility. This aircraft is
probably about 30% into the customizing
at this point. We have begun to install all the
wiring and all the equipment. NARRATOR: One piece
of high tech equipment going into this
helicopter is what's known as a glass cockpit. This puts about five
gauges into these two panels. And they're redundant,
so if one fails, you have the backup
on the bottom. NARRATOR: The glass
cockpit, as opposed to the traditional
analog instruments, is just one of the
avionics options that customers can choose. Their choices also include
GPS, 3D map displays, and even an advanced warning system. Gives you warnings if you're
getting close to aircraft or antennas. NARRATOR: Workers run wiring
through the helicopter to connect the instrument panel,
in the front, to the computer systems that control it,
placed in a rear compartment. MICHAEL MILHORN: After we
finish the installation of the avionics
and all the wiring and we button up
all the panels, this is when we start to
install the interior. NARRATOR: Customizing
the interior starts with a plastic trim kit
that will cover any wiring or equipment that was
previously installed. Next, comes carpet. MICHAEL MILHORN: And if you
don't want a solid color, we can have something
such as this or this. All we've got to do
is get your design that you want, have a
computer rendering done of it and sent to the carpet company,
where they can manufacture it, whatever your logo is,
however you want it to look. NARRATOR: The seat covers
come with the same options. Once the customer has chosen
the colors and materials for the seats, they're
handmade and installed. MICHAEL MILHORN: The
next step is plating. We have several examples
here of some plating. Here is some door trim. This goes around where
you open the door. There's hundreds of colors
of plating, different styles of brushed aluminum,
brushed gold, whatever you would like to have. We put reclining seats in, have
cabinets up where they can talk on the phone or work
on their laptop, have monitors that
actually would rise up. The sky is the limit,
anything you want to do. NARRATOR: But they
aren't finished yet. The last step is the paint. And this is where the
customer can really make the helicopter his or her own. [music playing] In just four months, the workers
at Edwards and Associates take a helicopter
straight off the line and turn it into a
hovering luxury suite. For those that can't afford
an Edwards conversion, there's still hope. RotorWay International
in Chandler, Arizona manufactures experimental
helicopter kits that deliver to your door. MARK PORTER: An
experimental helicopter is a helicopter that is
within easy reach of anybody to purchase. And it allows them to build
the helicopter themselves. It also allows them
to invest their time and save exponential dollars. NARRATOR: RotorWay's
two-seat A600 Talon is just over $100,000,
some assembly required. MARK PORTER: It can fly as
fast as 100 miles per hour. It can reach a ceiling height
of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 feet. And it is designed to give
everyone the satisfaction of flying in a helicopter. We think that anybody
can build a helicopter. NARRATOR: RotorWay tries to make
it easy on the garage mechanic. They assemble some of the
more complex components for the customer, including
the drive assembly, tail boom, and most importantly,
the engine. MARK PORTER: We will send
you a proven dyno tested, ready-to-install engine
for your helicopter. [rumbling] NARRATOR: One man that knows
all about building a RotorWay helicopter is flight instructor
Chris Strachan, who's building his third A600 Talon at his
hangar in Van Nuys, California. CHRIS STRACHAN: It's a very
simple process they do most of the difficult stuff in it. It's this 49%, 51% rule. The 49% that they do, is
all the difficult stuff. And then the other 51% is you
just putting bolts together, and brackets, and actually
putting it together. It's almost like you just
need your normal tools that you have in your backyard. That's pretty much all you need. ELYSIA HALL: Here
at the factory, we make the parts cards, where
we take each part that you need, put it on the
parts card, laminate it, put it in your crate. And you're good to go. Each parts card has a
specific label on them-- on your blueprints, that explain
to you exactly where each part needs to go. CHRIS STRACHAN:
What I really like is, rather than
getting a box of bolts, they kind of shrink
wrap them onto the card, each bolt with a number,
exactly where it goes. As a first time
builder, we supply you with construction manuals and
videos, which take you step by step through each phase. NARRATOR: Then it's
up to the customer. The first step, order stage one
of four shipments of crates. The customer then decides when
to receive the next shipment. MARK PORTER: When you
are ready for stage two of your helicopter kit,
it will include some very high-end components, which
are the drive and main drive systems and the body. The main drive system
is a very intricate part of the helicopter. And that is the second
step you will take. NARRATOR: The drive assembly
is what links the engine to the rotor blades. The helicopter begins to
take shape at this stage. Once you receive
group three, that will include your tail rotor
system, some of your main drive pulleys, your oil system, and
your engine cooling system. Four will include your
engine, your rotor blades, and your ignition system. Once you receive
this final stage, you will pretty much be able
to complete your helicopter. NARRATOR: RotorWay says
the average builder takes 400 to 650 hours to
complete his helicopter. RotorWay monitors each stage. MARK PORTER: We will not allow
you to go to the next stage of your build until we feel
confident that you've reached the goal or accomplished what
we are asking you to accomplish before the next
stage is taken on. NARRATOR: Once the helicopter
is completely built, it still can't be flown. The customer must contact
a local FAA representative and have them look
over the helicopter. They will take you through a
sign-off procedure where they will inspect your helicopter,
be sure it's built correctly. NARRATOR: Finally, it's given
an air worthiness certificate. Then the owner is free to
fly his brand new helicopter. Most people don't
realize that for the price of a good Corvette, they can
have a helicopter they can fly pretty much anywhere. Why even drive somewhere,
when you can fly. NARRATOR: So
perhaps you too will be flying a helicopter soon. But don't try this. For your close-ups,
you'll want one of these. Today, not all helicopters
have a pilot inside. Take the Fire Scout
from Northrop Grumman. It's linked to a ground
control facility that will give it coordinates. Once programmed, it can
fly to an assigned area, perform its mission,
and return home. It can even autonomously take
off from and land on a moving aircraft carrier. Northrop Grumman modified
a full sized Schweitzer 333 to create the Fire Scout. It has a top speed of
145 miles per hour. Although the original
intent was to use the Fire Scout to provide
reconnaissance, it can be outfitted
with rocket launchers and laser-guided missiles. The Fire Scout is certainly
a successful pilotless helicopter. But in the future, perhaps
pilotless helicopters will look and behave
more like this one. It's called the Dragonflyer X6. It's an intelligence
self flying helicopter that changes all the rules
of how a helicopter flies. It's called the
Dragonflyer X6. It's a six-rotor VTOL
helicopter that we designed in our factory. NARRATOR: Dragonfly Innovations
in Saskatoon, Canada develop the X6 to be a
new breed of helicopter. Winning "Popular
Science's" Best. of What's New award in the aviation
and space category in 2008. ZENON DRAGAN: It can be
controlled via the computer or via a pilot on the ground. NARRATOR: The secret
behind this high tech flyer is the carefully calibrated
computer calculates every move the Dragonflyer makes. ZENON DRAGAN: It's
virtually a flying computer. There is very
complicated software onboard to make it fly very
stable that typical helicopters don't have. Flying a full size
helicopter, it's like balancing a
ball on a needle. Now, this helicopter is unique
in that it senses acceleration and angles. And it always wants
to keep level. So right now, we have full
control of the helicopter. We have yaw, which
is this movement. We have pitch forward,
pitch backward, and roll left, and roll right. So what I'm going to do here is,
I'm going to take these sticks and smash them around. And you'll notice how the
helicopter always levels itself. If you ever get confused or in
trouble, let go of the stick. NARRATOR: The way the
Dragonflyer uses its six rotors to move is revolutionary. ZENON DRAGAN: The
helicopter changes direction by speeding and slowing up
the rpm the individual motors. So if you wanted
to go forward, you would speed up their rear motors
to push the helicopter forward. NARRATOR: To yaw
helicopter right, you would speed up
all the top motors and slow down all
the bottom motors. On the contrary,
to yaw left, you would speed up the bottom
motors and slow down the top. ZENON DRAGAN: So
just the varying rpm of the individual motors
will make this helicopter go in a different direction. NARRATOR: A typical helicopter
uses the pitch of the rotor blades to increase speed. This helicopter
has a fixed pitch. Speed is controlled
by simply increasing the power of the motors. This smart helicopter
can make anyone a pilot in a matter of hours. It's even outfitted with safety
features that allow it to auto land if anything goes wrong. The Dragonflyer was
designed to record still and video photography. It has a special mount
built into the frame to hold a camera. ZENON DRAGAN: The helicopter can
lift approximately 500 to 600 grams. That's more than enough
weight to carry most consumer digital and video cameras. NARRATOR: But the
Dragonflyer's size and mobility give it many different
photographic applications. The civil applications
are anywhere between aerial photography,
aerial videography, police work, fire
inspection, archeology. So there's a huge range
of civil applications. We've even done studies on
bird nests with the helicopter. So you can actually fly
the helicopter up to a tree and take photographs of birds. The Dragonflyer X6 may
not have the size of some of its big brothers, but like
them, it has the versatility to serve in multiple roles. They're a unique
type of aircraft that our civilization
now finds indispensable. [helicopter thrumming]
