ENSTROM 280FX Series Manual

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 1
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
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Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 2
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Aircraft Description & Construction Details 4
Aircraft servicing 18
Aircraft Systems 20
Electrical 20
Caution and Warning 24
Instruments 29
FuelSystem 32
PowerTrain 34
FlightControls 39
PowerPlant 42
Operation Procedures 48
Airframe 48
Powerplant 55
Weight&Balance 61
Performance 63
Emergency 69
Prefight 78
PilotNotes 84

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 3
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
INTRODUCTION
Enstrom 280FX and F28-F series Helicopter Pilot Training
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to prepare an experienced helicopter pilot for a
smooth transition into the Enstrom Piston powered helicopters.
This course includes descriptions and theory of operation for the systems, and
the location of the system components.
The course also includes the description of the pilot pre-flight procedures and the
pilots are expected to perform these pre-flight Inspections.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 4
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
AIRCRAFT DESCRIPTON & CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Enstrom 280FX and F28-F helicopters are 3 bladed, single engine
helicopters manufactured by the Enstrom Helicopter Corporation and certified by
the FAA under part 6 of the Civil Air Regulations.
Turning Radius
The turning radius is about 23 feet when pivoted on the wheels about the mast.
Principal Dimensions

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 5
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
CHARACTERISTICS
Helicopter description
The Enstrom 280FX and F28 F helicopters are a single engine, piston powered
helicopter certified for day and night VFR flight and that can be equipped for IFR
flight training. The F28 F helicopter was originally certified in 1980 and the 280
FX in 1985 to the CAR 6 regulations.
Early F28 F and 280F helicopters were certified to 2350 lb maximum gross
weight and can be changed to 2600 lb gross weight by incorporating the
appropriate modifications.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 6
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Beginning in 1984, F28 F and 280FX helicopters were produced with the gross
weight limitation of 2600 pounds.
Enstroms are relatively quiet helicopters due to the installation of the turbo-
charger, and the slow turning main and tail rotors. They can be equipped with an
optional secondary muffler that lowers the noise signature significantly.
All Enstrom helicopters feature a three bladed, fully articulated main rotor system
which has over 4,000,000 flight hours and which has never had a catastrophic
failure or thrown a blade. The tail rotor is two bladed and completely unblocked
for exceptional effectiveness. Due to the high inertia rotor design, the helicopter
possesses out-standing auto-rotational capabilities.
In addition to being a versatile and crashworthy helicopter, the 280FX and F28 F
helicopters were designed to be procured and operated for minimum costs. The
helicopter does not require hydraulic boost or stability augmentation systems.
The limited number of fatigue critical parts, the long overhaul intervals, and the
low hour/flight ratio resulting from high reliability and easy maintenance combine
to yield low operation and support costs.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 7
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
CONSTRUTION DETAILS
Fuselage
The fuselage is the forward section of the airframe extending from the nose to
the forward end of the tailcone. The cabin shell is molded out of fiberglass and
the aluminum seat and floor structure is fabricated and then bonded into the
fiberglass shell.
The pylon structure is welded up out of high carbon molybdenum steel. The
landing gear, cabin and tail cone are bolted on to the pylon structure. The engine
and main rotor transmission are also attached to the pylon.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 8
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Tailcone
The tail cone is bolted to the aft end of the pylon. It is a tapered semi-
monocoque structure comprised of skins, bulkheads, longerons and stringers.
The tailcone supports the tail rotor, tail-rotor transmission, horizontal and vertical
stabilizers, and the tail-rotor guard. It houses the tail rotor drive shaft and can be
used to mount some of the helicopter electrical equipment.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 9
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Landing Gear
Main Landing Gear: The main landing gear consists of two tubular
aluminum skids attached to the airframe by means of the forward and aft cross
tubes through four air-oil oleo struts. The struts cushion ground contact during
landing.
Drag struts give the gear stability and strength and prevent fore and aft
movement during ground contact maneuvers. Due to their design, the drag struts
will sustain landings with significant forward movement of the helicopter;
however, landing with rearward movement may overload the structure and cause
its collapse.
Replaceable hardened steel skid shoes are installed on each skid to resist
skid wear on hard surfaces.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 10
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Crew Compartment
The crew compartment consists of pilot and
passenger/co-pilot seating, Instrument
panel, radio console and pilot and co-pilot
flight controls mounted to the aluminum floor
structure and enclosed in the fiberglass
cabin shell.
The co-pilot controls are removable and a
seat cushion for the third passenger is
inserted into the space vacated when the
co-pilot collective is removed.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 11
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Engine
The piston powered Enstrom helicopters are powered by a Lycoming built HIO-
360-FIAD four cylinder, air cooled engine that produces 225 Shaft Horse Power.
The maximum horsepower is achieved with the aid of a Kelley Aerospace
turbocharger that incorporates an adjustable waste gate that is controlled by a
breakaway control rod.
The engine is cooled by a large fan that is installed between the crankshaft and
the lower belt pulley. Cooling air for the engine is drawn in from the overhead
scoop mounted behind the main rotor mast, through the fan and then around the
cylinders and through the oil coolers.
There are clean out traps mounted adjacent to the two oil coolers to facilitate
cleaning out debris.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 12
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Power Train
The power train includes the main rotor transmission, an upper pulley assembly
incorporating the overrunning clutch, jack strut, drive belt, lower pulley, drive
shaft and tail rotor gearbox.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 13
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Flight Controls
The flight controls include three primary systems: the collective, cyclic, and anti-
torque or directional controls. There is no hydraulic system installed on Enstrom
Helicopters, cyclic forces are relieved using electric mechanical trim motor
operated spring capsules. Collective forces are managed using a spring capsule
assembly.
The helicopters also have fixed horizontal and vertical stabilizers that are
mounted on the tail cone to help provide stability and attitude control during
forward flight.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 14
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Main Rotor System
The main rotor system is a three bladed, high inertia, fully articulated rotor
system. The main rotor hub assembly is composed of two opposing forged
aluminum hub plates separated by an aluminum cylindrical spacer. Through
bolts hold these items together along with steel spline adapters.
Three steel universal blocks are mounted on roller bearing units that permit
flapping and lead-lag motions. Laminated phenolic pads are used to limit blade
travel in both the lead-lag and flapping axes. A thrust nut on the bottom of each
universal block transfers vertical blade forces to both hub plates through the
universal block.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 15
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
The rotor blades are
secured to each universal
block on the hub through a
forged aluminum grip which
is in turn secured to a steel
spindle assembly through an
elastomeric feather bearing
(Lamiflex Bearing) and a
retention nut.
Closed circuit hydraulic dampers are incorporated between each flapping pin and
the rotor hub to limit the lead-lag velocity of the blades. Because the hydraulic
dampers have no centering spring, they are quite limber; this, coupled with the
large heavy blades causes the ground rock that is often experienced while the
helicopter rotor system is spooling up.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 16
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
The main rotor blades are of hollow construction consisting of an extruded
leading edge spar, with a 7 degree twist, to which is bonded upper and lower
aluminum skins. The blade root is composed of a bonded doubler assembly.
A single retention pin connects the blade root to the grip and a non-adjustable
drag brace connects the trailing edge of the blade to the grip.
A cap is bonded to the tip of each blade in which there are provisions for
spanwise and cordwise balance weights. Two tracking tabs are riveted to the
trailing edge of each blade.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 17
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Tail Rotor Assembly
The tail rotor assembly is a two
bladed, wide cord, teetering, delta hinged
rotor assembly.
The fly-weights on the blade
retention plates unload the tail rotor
twisting forces in flight so that the pilot
does not need to carry left pedal at cruse
power settings. They are weighted so
that when the aircraft is being flown at
approximately 29 in mp, the pedals are
neutralized and the slip ball centered.
For this reason, the aircraft requires very
little left pedal in hover and in climb, and
significant right pedal in low power
situations.
Tail Rotor Guard: A tubular
aluminum tail rotor guard is installed on
the aft end of the tailcone. It aids in
ground handling and protecting the tail
rotor from damage while the helicopter
is on the ground.
IMPORTANT!
The tail rotor guard will not prevent damage to the tail rotor in the event
of a hard landing.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 18
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
SERVICING
Fuel
100/130 Aviation Grade Mil-G-5572
100LL Aviation Grade
Engine Lubrication Oils
Oil, Ashless Dispersant MIL-L-22851
Flight Control Lubricants
Grease, MIL-G-81322 (Mobil 28, Shell 22)
Landing Gear Oleos
Oil, MIL-H-5606
Nitrogen
Main Rotor Dampers
Oil, L-45 Silicone Oil (GE Silicone L-45-20)
Main and Tail Transmissions
Oil, MIL-PRF-2105 (Mobil 1 Gear Oil (Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear
Lubricant (75W-90)

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 19
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
Overrunning Clutch
Oil, MIL-L-23699 (Mobil Jet II, Shell Turbine Oil 500 or equivalent)
Tach Drive Cables
Grease, 2701-109 (S.S. White CO, LPS 2)
Notes:
Landing gear oleos should be serviced with the weight of the helicopter off of the
landing gear, and should be all serviced at the same time or at the very least, in
pairs, front and back.

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 20
Post Office Box 490
Menominee, Michigan 49858-0490 U.S.A.
Phone [phone]
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Most helicopters manufactured after
the mid 1990’s have 24 volt electrical
systems with the battery mounted
under the baggage compartment. On
earlier 12 volt helicopters, the battery
is installed under the co-pilot seat.
Description – Starter / Generator Systems
The starter on current production Enstrom 280FX and F28-F helicopters consists
of a Skytech manufactured high-speed starter mounted on the engine, behind the
main oil cooler driving on a ring gear that is mounted on the outside of the
engine flywheel.
A 24 volt battery is mounted just aft of the engine and below the baggage
compartment on the right side of the aircraft. The starter solenoid is mounted on
the battery tray, and the master switch solenoid is mounted on the firewall just
inboard of the engine air cleaner. The aux power plug is mounted above the oil
cooler, inside the right engine cowl door.
Master Solenoid