Tell me about gyrocopters!

[zaitcev]

If one is serious about a gyro, he should heed Ira and perhaps buy his book. And hopefuly you understand that modern gyros are safe (as safe as airplanes). However, here's a couple of short practical notes.

The biggest thing to understand is that gyro requires about twice more power than you're used to. For example, nowadays the rule of thumb is 100 hp for a 2-seater like an LSA or Cub. For a gyro, you want 100 hp on a single seat, unless you live in Florida. Well, something skeletal like Butterfly or Lightning can do with a 65 hp Rotax 2-stroke, but that's really pushing it in my opinion.

I live at 5,000 ft and the only guy who's truly successful with his gyro around here is the guy who has a SS 2-seater with a 2.5L turbo Subaru engine. He says it's about 230 hp. Everyone else buys something with a Rotax 912, learns that performance is abysmal bordering on usafe, then sells.

Here's what a typical underpowered gyro takeoff looks like in practice, filmed by yours truly:

DO NOT SKIMP ON POWER IN YOUR GYRO.

Obviously, in cruise flight, all that power equals a massive fuel burn, so your range is going to be smaller than in comparable airplane, even a STOL one.

 

[zaitcev]

No BRS? Most airplanes don't have a BRS either, and there's little point in having one on a gyroplane when the rotor is essentially a rotating parachute if the engine quits.

You sill want a BRS if a structural or control failure occurs, or a mid-air collision.

 

[paflyer]

Here's something different...
http://www.bulldogautogyro.com/

Now THAT is slick. Neo Art Deco.

 

[DJTorrente]

DO NOT SKIMP ON POWER IN YOUR GYRO.

Obviously, in cruise flight, all that power equals a massive fuel burn, so your range is going to be smaller than in comparable airplane, even a STOL one.

Is all of that power needed for level cruise, or can you throttle back to save fuel?

 

[BiffJ]

If one is serious about a gyro, he should heed Ira and perhaps buy his book. And hopefuly you understand that modern gyros are safe (as safe as airplanes). However, here's a couple of short practical notes.

The biggest thing to understand is that gyro requires about twice more power than you're used to. For example, nowadays the rule of thumb is 100 hp for a 2-seater like an LSA or Cub. For a gyro, you want 100 hp on a single seat, unless you live in Florida. Well, something skeletal like Butterfly or Lightning can do with a 65 hp Rotax 2-stroke, but that's really pushing it in my opinion.

I live at 5,000 ft and the only guy who's truly successful with his gyro around here is the guy who has a SS 2-seater with a 2.5L turbo Subaru engine. He says it's about 230 hp. Everyone else buys something with a Rotax 912, learns that performance is abysmal bordering on usafe, then sells.

Here's what a typical underpowered gyro takeoff looks like in practice, filmed by yours truly:



DO NOT SKIMP ON POWER IN YOUR GYRO.

Obviously, in cruise flight, all that power equals a massive fuel burn, so your range is going to be smaller than in comparable airplane, even a STOL one.

That runway looks familiar.....where is that?


Frank

 

[PW_Plack]

Is all of that power needed for level cruise, or can you throttle back to save fuel?

The euro tandems will fly at 90 knots solo with a 912. It's in takeoff and climb where they're marginal.

I flew the long cross-country requirements for the Private/Gyro in a Sport Copter Lightning (open single-place) with a dual-carb Rotax 503. At our elevation here in Utah, in the summer, with a density altitude of 8,000 feet, that's something like 39 takeoff horsepower if the jetting is perfect.

The rule of thumb for a gyro is 10 pounds per horsepower or less for decent performance, so a 65 HP two-stroke on a 325-pound machine with a 200-pound pilot is actually pretty fun. Nobody was putting 100 HP on single-place machines until pretty recently, and they're rocket ships, well beyond what's needed. But the takeoffs are impressive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQzI0v7WQHE