"The Dream is Alive" - in Denmark

[rcflier]

Hi guys (if there any gals here, howdy to you too).

Found this site a short while ago. I just turned 50, so I have now begun to do the things I wanted to do "later". I think I was hooked already when as a kid I first saw the Wallis autogiro in "You Only Live Twice".

I want to build a Gyrobee. I like the look of open, early ultralight plus I don't think I can afford a more expensive machine (at least the parts I have in stock tells me to build a Gyrobee).

I am by education a Mechanical Engineer (like a B.Sc.) and have been flying R/C planes for a looong time. I was even shortly a member of the Danish EAA chapter and attended a course in composites "the Rutan way".

I live on a small island called Bornholm. It lies in the Baltic Sea, belongs to Denmark but is much closer to Sweden. It's a perfect place to fly around in a small, ultralight gyroplane.

And I already have this:

Skywheels 23 ft. rotor blades with hub. Stored for 18 years, never been used. No damage. I just wish I had bought a 25 foot rotor, though.

Rotax 503 single carb engine, with intake silencer, 2x90 deg. muffler and aftermuffler. Spark plug holes still plugged, engine never started.

Propeller, 62 x 32 mahogany, old 1916 style (rounded leading edge, straight trailing edge).

Some instruments I bought at Oshkosh, altimeter, ASI and EGT.

I believe I can get the usual stuff in Denmark or Sweden like the aluminium tubes and bars, but the exact wheels and special items could be hard to find.
So I'll surely ask around a lot.

I have built a small home shop out in the back, where I have crammed some machine tools in:

Deckel FP2 universal tool mill with (almost) all the accessories there was made for it.
Weiler LZD220 lathe (small).
Boley 5LZ lathe (10" x 20"), which I am now restoring.
Work bench with drill.
Dillon (Henrob) oxyacetylene torch for fine welding.
Migatronic MIG/MAG 180 Amps welder.
Plus the usual collection of hand tools.

Not having much access to aircraft parts in Denmark, I plan on producing as much as possible myself out of 6061-T6 and whatever steel is neccessary. So I'll be a pest asking about where to get parts or if I could make things myself (because I have the lathe and mill). I am looking forward to building a composite tail ;-)

And now to have some fun!:plane:

Cheers
Erik

PS: In the mid-eighties I imported a Rotax 447 intending to build some kind of an ultralight aircraft.At some time I bought "Modern Rotorcraft Design" from Hollman (wanted to use it in a school project) and later discovered the BumbleBe. 1988 I went to the US, trying to meet Hollman and buy a set of drawings, but he brushed me off, which made me miss the start of the Oshkosh week:Cry: . But once there I met someone who had built a Bumblebee (With a Kawa 440). And I called the McCutchin brothers and ordered a set of 23' blades (I saw them on the AirCommand447). I discovered I had gotten the wrong gearbox, so a dealer made a swap, so I ended up with a 503 but with the right gearbox. Eventually I _had_ to stumble over the Gyrobee website, where I instantly downloaded the docs.

[dragonflyerthom]

Welcome Erik.

Sounds like you have it under control. Get going on your build and please don't forget find a good CFI for the training you will need. That will keep you flying many days.

[barnstorm2]

Welcome!!

.

[rcflier]

Oops - I just plain forgot to tell you of my small field.:D

Living in the country (sort of) we have a small field of our own (22000 square meters). So I made a flying field for our R/C model club. But lurking in back was the picture of a gyroplane, hehe. The grass field reserved for planes is just 25 meter x 85 meter, but might be enough for an experienced pilot, I hope.

Cheers
Erik

[automan1223]

Welcome to the group and to gyros again.

The greatest tragedy besides never flying in a gyro or getting to live the dream is getting into it too late in life. Your on the right track and at your age it will give you enough time to have fun.

I warn you now I have another 50 something fixed wing convert and he is obsessed with gyros !!! they are addictive and WILL leave you with little time to think about other things. Gyros are the best kept secret.

Great machines have been built with less tools and hardware so take your time but get training ! These creatures are not forgiving to the inexperienced.

Jonathan

[rcflier]

Hi and thanks.

I certainly plan on getting addicted:hail: . The only thing holding me back is my wallet. Although I have the most expensive parts covered, I still need to dig deep before I'm there. I plan on using a seat tank (transparent with a cover) for a neat installation and some kind of prerotator will be needed for my short field. I have been in contact with the flight chief from the Danish Gyrocopter Union, and he advised me to get a UL license first and then convert to gyros (no, not greek food). In Denmark you can't fly without a license, and UL uses PPL theory and flight lessons. But fortunately it shouldn't be a problem getting an OY tailnumber for the Gyrobee, because it's a proven design. He told me I should use 2 pcs. of 2" x 1" for the mast instead of 2" square for safety(BTW, he has an old AirCommand). I'll build it as safe as it's practically possible within the weight limits. BTW, I believe the UL weight limit is a bit more relaxed here, AFAIR.:cool:

Cheers
Erik

[rcflier]

Hi guys.

My wallet is now holding me back somewhat longer.
I stumbled over a nice little Weiler Primus lathe in Germany.
(took 2 ferrys, one toll bridge and a thousind miles)
So I sold my small Weiler in order to get another small Weiler.
Unfortunately there was quite a difference in price, so the plane
will have to wait some.
Cheers
Erik

[C. Beaty]

Erik, your ferry travels about the Baltic made me recall one of mine.

I worked in Denmark for about a year, living in the town of Virum, a Copenhagen suburb.

On one ferry crossing to Germany from Gedser, automobiles, trains and passengers were locked in a compound to await boarding after clearing customs.

No sooner had the gates to the customs compound swung shut than my wife decided she had a bladder emergency. My suggestion that she use a Coke bottle lying in the floor of our VW Beetle didn’t help her mood in the least. “You’re not a %&#@! bit funny; do something!”

In desperation, she made a dash for one of the train carriages where she was stopped by the conductor. She didn’t speak a word of Danish and the conductor apparently didn’t speak a word of English but with sign language, she made her need known. The conductor was kind enough to allow her to use a toilet on the train.