Control line Aerobatic Autogyro

[PJ Rowland]

Ok So I have been thinking about this for a while. We have all see the standard Autogyros from the mid 50's Ive built and flown 2 of them in recent years. Ive managed to loop one of them from a decent height. These however were underpowered with os 35s and regular blades, and not alot of wing airfoil

Im wondering if you design one with use of carbon fiber proper helicopter blades and power it with a 60+ sized engine made it light weight and gave the stub wings a little more care with 2"root  @ 4 ft wingspan, would you get it to a point where it woul dbe more fun to fly ? more dynamic and be cabale of more than just a loop ?


Im appealing to the designer / engineers out there. Im thinknig of building it for a laugh more than serious compeition 

[Bill Gruby]

 I found something the other day that may interest you. I did not bookmark it but this is how I found it. Google "Slow Rotor Aircraft"

 "Billy G" 

[john e. holliday]

Contact Jim Lee using the member search via a PM.  He has flown Gyros for way too many years.  Lost count on how many rotors he has had to replace.  He has done wing overs, but don't remember a loop.  He is also a terror in balloon burst with the gyro.  Better yet, go to Vendors Corner and PM him  at Lee Machine Shop.

[dennis lipsett]

A gyro does not have any power to the rotor, it's strictly wind driven. Given that and the fact that it is at an angle to the wind I seriously doubt that your going to do inverted flight,remember those blades are fixed pitch.That pretty much precludes any aerobatics with a Gyro. They are fun to watch, and even fly once in awhile, or for a show.I know that they have been used in carrier and balloon bust.
 You have to remember in about 70 years of C/L if the gyro had a future it is in the past.
dennis

[James Lee]

Gyro's and loops are a bit of a trick!!!    I have a repro of a letter form the fella that was the demo pilot for the Pitcairn Co that made aout gyro's in the 1930's....   In it he says that loops are a standard part of his flight demo in the Pitcairn autogyro.....
I've flown the 'Otto the Gyro' of mine since the mid 70's...    various 35 and 40 motors...   It ain't got enough horse to do a loop...   The slightly larger one I did with the big block Fox 45 r/c will go into a wingover from an almost hover without hesitation...      I finally got enought courage to do some loops...   Can be done!!!   Gotta keep positive angle of attack at all times...   don't let it hesitate going over the top!!!   Mine does not have any stub wings....
Hope this answers the question.....
Thanks!
Jim

[Tim Wescott]

1:

I'd like to build an autogyro.  It's definitely on my list of "someday" projects.

2:

A control line autogyro would be even more interesting, although I think I'll wimp out the first time and do RC, if I get to it at all (I want to retire tomorrow, with the income I have today, and live another 100 years -- too bad it ain't gonna happen!)

3:

An autogyro without collective pitch control is a positive-g only craft.  In fact, the classic sort of crash with a Bensen style autogyro involves inadvertently tipping the rotors forward enough that their negative pitch slows them down instead of speeding them up, at which point the aircraft falls out of the sky.

3A:

So it may be physically possible to build an autogyro that'll do negative g's, but it'd take some pretty fancy doing.

3B:

Does anyone make a control line heli?  Three lines, with collective as well as cyclic pitch?

[Steven Kientz]

I don't know if this will help, but I saw a UAV on a website that looked like a heli. The big difference was a prop on the nose and a stub wing on the port side. The rotor was powered as well as the prop. If anyone is interested I can probably find the site again.

Steve

[wwwarbird]

 There was a guy last year at the spring opener Polk City, IA contest flying a beat up old "Otto the Gyro" with throttle control. He was doing a lot of big wingovers (rotorovers?) I think it had an O.S..35-S on it, but I don't remember for sure.

[john e. holliday]

That has to be the one and only Jim Lee.  That Gyro has more flights than a lot of stunt planes.  I thought one of these years Jim would build a new fuse for it, but he just keeps making rotors.  You do realize there is very little glide ratio when the rotor comes off.  Have seen it do it a couple of times.  I had one myself, but someone else made me a monetary offer I couldn't refuse.  Still have plans somewhere.   

[wwwarbird]

 Jim was there Doc, but it wasn't his. It was a younger guy with it but I didn't get his name.

[Steve Scott]

I have the remnants of an "Otto" which previously belonged to John Hall.  It needs minor repairs (well, some not so minor).  I was with John when he flew this and looked like a lot of fun.  It suffered more of a hard landing than a crash but the rotors flexed downward and hit the twin rudders.  Seemed like the entire thing exploded.

K&B .40 #4011 will power it.

[wwwarbird]

 I dare ya Steve.