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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2009 19:21:21 GMT 12
Hi all!
Anyone here had experience flying gyrocopters? One of the guys is bringing in his gyroglider to have a play with, and I'm keen to hear any advice/stories/warnings.
My dad told me to talk to someone. He is NOT a fan. Incidentally, there's a Bensen B-8 on TradeMe at the moment for $3k ;D
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Sept 28, 2009 20:47:23 GMT 12
This clip pretty well sums up autogyro's.....  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 28, 2009 21:21:11 GMT 12
What is a Giroglider Zac? Is it a glider with a rotor that gets towed up in the usual glider way?
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Sept 28, 2009 21:26:19 GMT 12
Its a autogyro without a motor,you tow it along the runway with a car.
I've been in the car towing one ,with the pilot making signals like he's having a ball and wants you to go faster,....only you find out he was actually bricking himself and wanted it down on the ground.
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Sept 28, 2009 22:12:28 GMT 12
Flown a gyro a couple of times, was relatively simple.
Main thing was to not pull to much "G" and get the rotor RPM decaying and the same would apply in the situation from the Youtube clip, engine fails lower the nose, establish a glide to conserve rotor RPM and most importantly flare at the bottom.
Truthfully its more like flying a fixed wing than flying a chopper but just need to preserve rotor RPM.
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Post by philip on Sept 29, 2009 10:00:03 GMT 12
Watched an expert handle a gyrocopter at parakai early this year and it was very impressive.
Not my cup of tea though, i keep seeing gyro gearloose.
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Post by timmo on Sept 29, 2009 13:10:49 GMT 12
This clip pretty well sums up autogyro's..... haha that is like posting a video of an airplane crash and saying that it pretty much sums up planes. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2009 16:39:40 GMT 12
I had a feeling that video would show up here sooner or later  This is the machine in question, the latest resident at NZWU:  There are blades (fibreglass with wooden core) but they are in a box on the ground. The whole job needs a bit of TLC, so a restoration of sorts will start soon. As you can see, the machine has gained a lovely patina due to sitting peacefully under a Taranaki tree for some time  .  It is planned to fit a two-stroke Rotax, however it may be flown unpowered first. My mate hasn't flown this one powered, although he did bring in a four-stroke DAF engine which runs a little rough and is a tad heavy, and thus will not be fitted. But something that IS fitted, and surprised a few of us, was the nosewheel brake!  At this stage I'm just a very enthusiastic bystander, however I hope to pitch in with the reconditioning as it seems a bit of fun and the sort of project I'd personally love to own. Dunno about you, but to me that control grip looks very Fletcherish...  By the way, if any gyro people out there recognise this model, please let me know  It'll make registration etc a lot easier for Liam when the time comes, knowing what make it is! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2009 20:05:40 GMT 12
This clip pretty well sums up autogyro's..... haha that is like posting a video of an airplane crash and saying that it pretty much sums up planes. Or posting this  and saying "This photo pretty well sums up Fletchers"  THREAD DIVERTED BACK TO ORIGINAL TRACK: THE "DEATH MACHINE" OF WHANGANUI AIRPORT |
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Post by Radialicious on Sept 29, 2009 21:07:16 GMT 12
WOW!!! Not quite my cup of tea. I thought coffins were a tad more enclosed. You'd probably get more time in your logbook by tripping over a shoe lace... ;D
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Sept 30, 2009 0:04:29 GMT 12
A mate of mine (a hang-glider pilot called Pete Walsh) built a gyrocopter in Hawke's Bay during the mid-1970s. He purchased the rotor-head from somewhere, then made everything else himself, including putting together and carving to shape a three-blade propellor, manufacturing the rotor blades, and virtually everything else. He used a Hillman Imp motor (yep, you aren't seeing things there) and fitted his own home-made fuel-injection system to it.
Pete talked Peter Kidd (CFI of HB&EC Aero Club) into looking the other way while he spent a day teaching himself to fly it on the large grass area at Bridge Pa, clear of the main runway. The gyrocopter wasn't registered — although Pete painted ZK-H.. registration letters on the tailplane, but they were simply letters he made up in his head. I suppose you could say it was an illegal flying machine.
Pete flew it for about a year, mostly in country areas miles from anywhere so it wouldn't come to the attention of CAA. I got offered a chance to fly it, but decided it looked a bit too dicey for me, so declined. A couple of my friends (who like Pete were hang-glider pilots) flew it though. Eventually, it got written off when Pete had a few engine problems just after take-off one day and crashed into a tree. Fortunately, he walked away from the crash with only a few minor cuts, scratches and bruises. The gyrocopter was in a bit of a sad state though and never flew again.
Somewhere, I've got some photographs of it, both on the ground and in the air. I'll see if I can locate them sometime and scan them. It was very similar in layout to the gyrocopter in the photos posted by ZacYates.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 30, 2009 12:33:43 GMT 12
I met the cvhap who photographed that Fletcher crash last year, he's a fireman. He was just at the right place, right time. He had an amazing display of photos from other incidents he's been called to too, but this one was share fluke, he happened to be there and it happened right in front of him.
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Post by chewy on Sept 30, 2009 16:59:57 GMT 12
I saw a gyro copter crash at Fielding. The pilot was doing some taxiing practice when it got airborne and he tried to force it back onto the ground. The pilot wasn't hurt but the crash looked like a dying blow fly. Lots of dust and it spinning upside down.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2009 20:12:55 GMT 12
After perusing various gyro and rotorcraft sites I believe the yellow peril to be a Bensen B8M, the most popular homebuilt gyroplane ever. Six are currently on the CAA register, including one nearby in Palmerston North. Anyone got any Kiwi Bensen photos? Didn't see Liam today but will keep you all posted of any developments in the project  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 17, 2009 19:40:30 GMT 12
Anyone got any Kiwi Bensen photos? During my time in Wellington/Naterton last weekend I picked up a couple of early Bensen photos from Peter Layne. ZK-GBL Bensen B.7M 15/10/1957 Trevor V Laugesen, Turakina F/f under power 7Jun59. McCulloch drone motor of 72hp. 1st Bensen to receive PtoF, in 1962. Became ZK-HAM Jan1963.  ZK-GBP Bensen B.7 23/1/1958 A B Crowe, Foxton F/f under power 27Feb59, white o/all, blue trim & dayglo fin strips. Cancelled 11Jan1960 as Registration not required. Used by ATC Feilding as '01' Still active in 1962.  Alf Crowe seems to have quite a fleet of Bensens which were extensively used by the ATC at Fielding for some years. I'm sure that there is a fascinating little research project there for somebody. |
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Post by Naki on Nov 18, 2009 15:13:41 GMT 12
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2009 6:30:43 GMT 12
Great photos Peter!
Paul, I saw that listed and immediately regretted not having the right number of dollars on hand. In the meantime, Liam is investigating aluminium for a new rotor head, so methinks the Yellow Peril Project will soon be underway.
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Post by Chris F on Sept 11, 2010 19:29:26 GMT 12
Does anyone know where I could get a gyroglider like the ones at the ATC in Fielding.
I am looking for a project so happy to consider anything really.
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Post by Dave.K on Sept 12, 2010 13:52:53 GMT 12
years ago at Taieri, late 70s some guy built a gyro and was testing it along the runway, it was way down the other end when it ended up a twisted dustball, from the club house they saw the helmet fly through the air and presumed it still had a head in it, but the rotor blade grazed past the chaps chin and took the helmet off his head.
The ones who fly them love them, but I prefer a solid wing sticking out each side.
It says a lot for them when Bill Black can do 30,000 plus hours in a squirrel and start flying one.
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Post by gyrocopter on Apr 14, 2013 13:39:52 GMT 12
There's a gyrocopter on trademe at the moment $15000.00 subaru EA81 . approx 95 hp. s/s valves. proformance cam. 9.5-1 compression. weber carb 26 ft petroni blades 68" warp drive prop electric pre rotator vertex radio 800x6 tyres trailer with folding hoist for fitting blades log books and records. this is a well proven gyro payment preferred by bank credit. reasonable offers considered images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/88/225860088_full.jpgContact Jock 03 7555049 |
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It'll make registration etc a lot easier for Liam when the time comes, knowing what make it is! 
