New Gyro,

Flies great! 56" rotor span, 5 lbs. OS LA 40 for power. Was a Gyrace in an earlier life.

JoelW would you have plans of that model that u would be willing to share.

Joel,
Looks good. Looks like a Baby Kellett. Cute. Lets see some action shots. I started on an Electric convrsion last night.. Not a Gyrace thiught..
You going to make it to Muncie this year,, I plan on a west trip this Spring and sumer.

Jim

Hello Jim,

Yes It does resemble the Kellett, But it's what I would call the Gyrace II. A very much modified Gyrace. I'll post some flight photos as soon as I can get my wife to take some. If you're coming out west let me Know when, maybe we can get together here in Montana. Jim lives about 6 hours away in Spokane. We've got 10 acres, bring your trailer and stay with us for a while. Maybe we could get together with Jim and have a Western fly-in behind my barn/workshop/developement center.
I am defenitely planning a trip to Muncie in September with our Trailer.

Joel

Hi Joel - You are giving me some ideas! Several years ago I built the fuselage and tail of a Gyrace, but then abandoned the project as my interest is in single rotor autogyros. However I could do what you have done as it looks good! I see you have modified the rudder/fin shape to give clearance to the rotor blades and added end plates to the stabiliser to maintain vertical tail area. The elevator I presume does function so only side tilt is required on the rotor?
Four channel I presume, does it take off OK?
Nice to have a flying site at your home, mine is 15 minutes away so that`s not to bad I guess.
Regards from New Zealand, Colin Duthie

Joel,
Just might do that. May be around June to maybe in Mid July on way to Oshkosh. Wasn't going to take many Airplanes on this trip but may take some Electric Stuff. Gyro's of course.
Jim

Hello Hover Dude,

I'm sorry, I haven't got Plans for the Gyrace II. I got the plans for the Gyrace from Bob Holman plan service
about a year and a half ago along with some LASER cut parts. The Gyrace was fun but I wanted a single rotor, so I invented my own custom design using the Gyrace as a starting reference because I liked the classic look. I'm sure you could purchase the plans from Bob Holman and modify them to suit your needs.

Good luck,

Joel

Hello Colin,

Just as you are the only gyro flier down under, I'm sure I'm the only gyro flier in Montana. Your assumptions are all true. Yes the vertical stabilizer, rudder and the horizontal stabilizer have all been modified from the origional plans. The rotor has only lateral tilt and pitch control is controlled via the elevator only. The radio is four channel (not enough room for more). I've never hand launched this model, always ROG.
Good luck with your endevor,

Joel

Hi Joel - Today I have already chopped off the top of the fin, removed the rudder, affixed a new rudder of similar shape to yours, chopped off the stabiliser tips and started making new tip fins, then ran out of balsa! Four servos, plus RX, battery & switch are going to be tight fit, but that matter can be looked into later. I will probably use an old OS .35.
Colin (In NZ where the first taste of winter can be felt!)

Hello Colin,

Looks like you are on your way to building your Gyrace II. Here are a few things that may help you in your efforts. The lateral tilt has a .032" P/P hinge and a HS 645MG servo. The rotor blades are constructed from
1/4 X 3/4 spruce on the leading edge with a 1/4 X 1 1/4 Balsa trailing edge bonded to it. The root end is reinforced with 1/32 Plywood for 2" top and bottom. The rotor rotates on a Master Airscrew Reduction gearbox meant for electric airplanes, available from Tower Hobbies. I've posted four photos that may give you better insight into how my changes to the Gyrace appear up close. Good luck!

Joel

Hi Joel

I am glad to see that you don't hand launch the model. I built a Gyrostick with many problems.

On your model, is the rotor tilted to the left any (toward the reating blade) ?

Wahid

Hello Wahid,

Yes, the rotor is tilted approximately 4 degrees to the left toward the retreating Blade. In addition I had to apply negetive incidence to cure the problem or tendency of the rotor disc to tilt to the right as it increased
RPM while accelerating the speed of the take off roll. I read that you were having a similar situation on your aircraft. Have you had any luck fixing your problem yet?

Joel

I modified my Gryostick because I already had a good 35" diameter rotor. The weight however was 32 oz which is double what the original plan called for. I built it heavy and used an OS .15 LA. Initially, I kept crashing the model when I hand launched it. I removed the poly head and replaced it with Aerospace composite fiberglass hub plate. I never crashed it since then during launch.

I added more left tilt to solve my trim problem. My Gyrostick is very difficult to control. I can barely mange to fly it and eventually crash it.

I got my hands on set of Gyrostick laser cut parts. I am building a new one exactly like the plan calls for, but with a rudder control for ROG.

Do you think the heavy weight (double in my case) causes the model to be difficult to control?

Thanks

Wahid

Hello Wahid,
In answer to your question, no I don't think the weight is the problem. With the 15 size engine on that gyro you should still be able to fly if your gyro is set up right in all other respects. For example, proper hang angle,
proper down thrust angle on the engine, sufficent lateral and pitch movement on the rotor head, incidence angle on the rotor blades and rotor blades that have a good airfoil that will lift the vehicle. If the rotors are spinning fast enough and everything else is set up per plan, it should fly. Weight is always an issue to consider but with enough power it is not your problem in this case. I think you may have a problem with the flat plate fiberglass hub. You say your having trouble with control? I've been experimenting with fiberglass hub plates for 15 size gyros. I've tried three different designs with no satisfactory results. One was .010" thick, one was .015" thick and the third was .015" with part of the sides removed to provide more flexability.
After flight testing, none worked as well as the Baxter design poly hub with the 15 degree delta. All three made control a full time problem. I've posted three photos of the failed fiberglass hubs that were not satisfactory.
I suggest you might give that poly hub another chance. I hope your Gyrostick built per plans works out for you.

Good Luck!
Joel

Joel,
When I went to Jim Baxters Delta hub it solved a lot of my problems also.. The FG hub
on the Gyro Shtich seemed to flexible.. I am using the Delta hub on the GWS Slow Stick GYro and it is predictible whats going to happen.
Busy at the SUn n'Fun EAA Fly-in this week.. Catch you later.
Jim

The Gyro Shtick original plan does calls for a .020” fiberglass from Aerospace Composite Products. I achieve very good autorotation, but again, very difficult to control. Is it possible that the fiberglass is too thin?

I have a second question Joel. Why did you not make your new Gyrace II single rotor a full DC? I have started construction on the ECDC gyro was actually thinking about making it like yours with only servo lateral tilt control and elevator for pitch. This would make it less complicated.

Thanks.

Hello again Wahid,

Since I haven't had much success with fiberglass hub plates on smaller gyros I'd have to say, I realy don't know if .020" is too thin.
The reason I did not build the Gyrace II with full direct control of the rotor head is simple, there wasn't enough room in the fuselage for all the servos. The Gyrace II was made from an origional Gyrace that at one time had a stub wing and two rotors. I suppose it could be recongigured into full Direct control but there really isn't any need, it flies very good without the cost in dollars and weight to add the pitch control I'm already getting from the elevator.

The guy who built the suitcase minnies with us has the same gyro. Awesome looks! I really love it. The fuse looks a little like a fast racing plane

Hello everyone!

I have been having a problem finding poly sheets and lexan sheets for hubs. Anyone know of an online supplier?

To Iwadmin - I use polypropylene (code 5 plastic) sheet which I find on ice cream containers at the supermarket. Look for the 5 within a triangle. I also use polypropylene that I found in a shop selling table place mats. It was clearly marked `polypropylene` and one placemat is enough for several hubs, - and very cheap too! Thickness - only about 20 thousandths of an inch but I have found this OK, (for up to .40 power) and nice and flexible, stiff hinges are not wanted! However I am interested in comments from others on this subject.
Colin Duthie.
ps - Hope to have photos of my Gyrace 2 tomorrow.

I use .030 Lexan on my Kellet.It is stiffer than poly but I like it because it gives more stability to the rotor.It's available in the hobby store in the race car section The mfg is Bolink R/C Cars INC an 8 by 10 sheet was $3 I believe they have different thicknesses also I am using this on the hinged part of the Kellet pylon.Not for rotor blade attachment.