Villa

First let me point out that I know there is an AutoGyro forum further down. I have been going there often over the past 2 years and have been amazed at the lack of activity in gyrocopters. Since my plane is a SPAD Gyrocopter I hope I am allowed to post it here. To become familiar with gyrocopters I purchased and built a balsa kit from Autogyro Company of Arizona, their model "2-D" Quick-Build Profile Kit. I posted the flight report on 4-18-09 in the AutoGyro forum, below. Since I expected to severely damage my kit gyro during the "learning to fly it" phase, it was my intent to rebuild it as a SPAD, and that is the reason I chose a profile kit in the first place. I have had 5 flights with my SPAD gyrocopter and can tell you that the "loss of orientation" is severe. After rolling it over 4-5 times during the take off and getting into the air a few times, I broke one rotor blade. I made a new blade and took it up again this past Friday. I used a spotter, who also flys gyrocopter, to help me with the orientation problem. I had three great flights. On the last flight I got out further than planned and while turning toward me it ended up in dive to the ground from a very safe altitude. I don't know how I got into the dive, and I'm certain I did everything wrong since I probably tried to recover like a normal plane. My guess is that the rotor immediatley stalled as it dived. Next time, I will never let it dive; if it does dive I will immediately go to full throttle and up elevator to level it if possible. Attached are some photos of my SPAD Gyrocopter. I did not take any "before" photos. What is shown is the wrecked copter; three broken rotor blades and the engine mount ripped out and broken. The last photo shows the balsa kit I built and used as a guide for my SPAD gyrocopter. I'm redesigning the whole thing since it came out one pound too heavy, about 4.5#. I had used 7/8" X 1/16" aluminum channel for the fuselage and 1" X 1/16"square aluminum tubing for the mast. My new design will use 3/4" X 1/16" aluminum angle for the fuselage and mast. I will be able to reduce the number of cutting board blocks I used here and there.

riond

Cool looking aircraft Villa. See you are sticking to your color scheme of yellow and red. Hope you have better luck with the rebuild. Looking forward to updates on this build.

draftman1

thats pretty cool Villa! I have wanted to try one sometime also. are you gona get some plans made up? congrats on the maiden!

Villa

I am just tickled to death. My redesigned SPAD Gyrocopter came out one pound lighter than my first design. That is a 22% reduction. AUW is 3.5#. The fuselage and mast are now 3/4X3/4X1/16 aluminum angle. The fuselage is 36-3/16 lg. The rotor center-line intersects the fuselage at 78 degrees, leaning back, at a point on the fuselage 12-23/32 back from the back of the prop at the prop centerline. The mounting surface of the blades is 12-23/32 up from the fuselage, at 78 degrees. Rotor disc diameter is 54". The blades are balsa covered with Red Coverite. Engine is OS46LA driving a 12X4 APC prop. The engine is mounted with 5 degrees down thrust. I took it out today to make some taxi runs. I wanted to learn at what point it was ready for takeoff. It was NOT my intend to takeoff. It did get off the main gear a few times, at which point I aborted. I still do not know when it is ready for takeoff. It rolled over on me a few times the last time I tried to fly it, when it was one pound heavier, and I still have not learned how to prevent this roll over, but today it did not happen. Tomorrow I do the maiden. Orientation is a severe problem for me so I will have an experience gyro R/C pilot as my spotter. I have a difficult time keeping it flying close enough to me so the orientation problem is not so severe. For those not familiar with the gyro orientation problem, here it is: with no wings it is difficult to know which way it has turned. I am trying to use the main gear as my "wings" to reduce the orientation problem. It is a matter of surviving long enough so the brain can do the required re-wiring. Here are photos of my new design.

mustangman177

Cool design... Any videos ?

Villa

Hi mustangman177
No videos. It is the toughest R/C I have tried to fly. My SPAD Flying Lawnmower had been my toughest R/C to learn to fly. This one is much more difficult. I cannot even trim it myself in the air. I have always maidened and trimmed everything (except my original trainer) myself.

Spadinator

You are an artist!!!!! How about the possibility of plans?

Villa

We took it up for the first flight yesterday. First flight went great. My friend flew it and I did the trimming. The landing was perfect. Fueled it up and we took it up again. On the second 90 degree left turn the nose dropped straight down from about 30 feet in the air and nothing could be done to recover it. It went vertically down all the way. Broke two of the three blades. Am ordering more blades. Since it is a SPAD there was no other damage. If I go through two more sets of blades I will consider scrapping the project. For the next flight I will reduce the aileron, rudder and elevator movements.

Terry Glenn

Hi Villia:
I was wondering if you received the e-mail I sent you regarding your race car?
Thanks
Terry

Villa

Hi Terry Glenn
Yes I did, and I answered you via reply. I have no other plans. If you have a question ask it on the applicable forum and I'll do my best to get you the info. The Indy car did not fly well. The Flying Lawnmower flew great; very responsive, fantastic crowd please. It is an easy build and the plans and instructions are clear. Go for it. The Canard is great also. I have been flying one for about 7 years. Currently I fly a Swept Wing Canard. The straight wing one is better.

Terry Glenn

Thanks for the response. I have not received the reply, or I don't know how to get it, not sure which.
I have a copy of the Lawnmower, and will try and build over the winter.
I kinda thought that the car did not do well, as I have lurcked here, you make some great stuff, and with no plans it says it all.
Keep up the good work.

Where is the mower log, and I will work from there.
thanks again
Terry

Villa

Hi Terry Glenn
Go up to the top of the page, click on SEARCH, and type in Flying Lawnmower. It may take a few pages to find it. This site is using a new search engine and I am not happy with it. I see no way to include the AUTHOR in order to focus the search. Perhaps someone can show me how to do that. Please. On page 2 of the search results you will find it: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_34...tm.htm#8570872 . Once you build a few you will be able to build my other SPADS from the informatuion I have posted, such as the TWIN TAIL and the BIPLANE.

boberos

Villa,
I calculated your disc load at 3.5 oz/ sq ft.
This is good.
Remember, gyros are lazy & slow to respond to stick movements.
Think ahead & give slight stick movements, then wait for a response before adding more stick.
Never nose abruptly down. This will kill lift and gyro may not recover.
Use throttle as your elevator; more to climb & less to descend.
Always keep spare blades on hand.
Hope this helps.
Bob

Villa

Hi boberos
Thanks for your advice and concern. I was ready to order a bunch of new blades but then suddenly changed my mind. I can burn a fortune in new blades for this type of flying device. The nature of the beast is that occasionaly it will roll over and break the rotor blades. Too much weight way up high. I have better things to do with my money than spend it on blades. I scrapped the whole project! I'm too used to building and flying my SPAD planes where the occasional mishap causes no damage. I may even build another Flying Lawnmower. On the rare occasions when that would roll over (I thing once in 5 years) there was zero damage. I don't count a broken blade as damage. Thanks again.

shereckp

Would you know if Arizona Autogyro is still In Business .I Have tried to contact them through several emails but have only received an automated response.My understanding is that the owner is retiring and the company is for sale.

Villa

Hi shereckp
I don't know the status of the company. I do know that about this time of the year they may be on vacation and they state nothing useful on their answering machine. Try again in a few weeks.