An old Auto gyro, 1967

[Ty Marcucci]

 Here is an Auto Gyro that I watched "fly" at a contest in 1967 in New Bedford, MA.

[frank carlisle]

There is interest in the auto-gyro ...Blahk Hawk is kitting one in 1/2A form. A buddy here in Michigan has one he got from somewhere.

[Steve Helmick]

We've got at least 3 guys that have Autogiros in the NW Skyraiders. Bill Darkow, Walter Russell and Mike Potter. Darkow is the throwback that had the nerve to enter one in a Navy Carrier contest and cause a rule change. They are generally illegal, but can be entered if the CD grants a pardon. I really don't like such a ruling, because not everybody is guaranteed of the same deal of the cards.
Steve

[L0U CRANE]

Steve,

I just checked the current on-line AMA CL Navy Carrier Rules. The relevant paragraph follows:

"3. Aircraft Requirements. Model must have a fixed
or retractable landing gear. If a retractable gear is
used, it must be lowered for landing. The model must
be equipped with an arresting hook which when
extended may not be longer than a one-third (1/3) the
length of the fuselage. The model wingspan shall be
44 inches maximum for Class I and Class II and 50
inches maximum for the Profile Class. It is
permissible to change the position of any control
surface during flight. The model shall be rigged for
counterclockwise flight. Models shall not exceed four
(4) pounds weight in flight configuration, but without
fuel. Autogiros and helicopters, or aircraft which
rotate their propellers to a horizontal plane to act as
rotors for hovering flight, are prohibited. ..."

(Emphasis added)

Of course, if a local meet wants to fly a variant event, as I've been heard, and read, as saying a few times before: PLEASE spell it out in your publicity!

Not agin it, just want potential meet entrants to know what they'll find when they get there.

Also, I seem to recall Jim Lee flying a gyro in Carrier at a meet in Omaha, in 1975. That was before B. Darkow 'encouraged' a rule change... Jim (if t'was indeed he...) had a GREAT low time, but his hi-speed run wasn't much faster...

[James Lee]

Hi Lou!!
I'm still flying that Gyro....   It was probably being flown in Balloon Bust, not carrier since it has no hook or throttle...
But who knows, I could have done that just for the fun of it!!  Of course, its ALL fun...   I think that was the year I did one flight in AMA Dive Bombing and then packed the gyro...  Found out later the score was the total of two officials....  Still came in second with one flight   
If I could figure out how to reduce my picture sizes, I would post a pic of the old beastie, It won Balloon Bust in Tulsa this fall.....   
Later
Jim 

[Keith Spriggs]

Hi Lou!!

If I could figure out how to reduce my picture sizes, I would post a pic of the old beastieJim 

Jim, email me the picture and I will reduce it down and send it back to you.

[Elwyn Aud]

I was digging through my pictures files while listening to the sleet bounce off of the heater vent and finally found some photos I had misplaced. Here are a couple of Jim's autogyro. I think the two photos were taken almost a decade apart.

[john e. holliday]

Looks like the first one is at new field and the second must have been at the church yard that I never made it to.  DOC Holliday

[Elwyn Aud]

The first shot was taken at the original Gluedobber field sometime in the early to mid 1990's.

[minnesotamodeler]

That's what I call a well-used airplane...battle scars and all.  Note the chewed-up right rudder in the second pic, intact in the first. Looks like he got his money's worth out of that plane!

--Ray