gyro newbie

[Redbaron]

Hello, I'm new to gyros and to this forum! I've never seen a gyro upclose or flown in one but have always been fascinated by them. I currently fly a skypup ultralight I built from plans and have almost 100 hours on. I have successfully built and flew a model gyrocopter from my own design, so I have a slight level of gyro aerodynamics. The Bee has caught my eye becuase of its simplicity and ability to fly on low power similair to my skypup. My question is the bee capable of flying in midday thermals in reasonable comfort. My skypup can only fly in the morning and evenings unless its an overcast day without feeling like your flying in a washing machine.

[Minnesota_Mike]

Welcome aboard!

I think you'd find that on most days when Ultralights and some fixed wings would rather be grounded due to high winds, you'll find Gyro's still flying around quite easily due to the Gyroscopic stability imparted from to those whirling Blades. Comfort is of course a relative thing...but nothing like the discomfort felt in an Ultralight in high winds.
I was surprised the first time I went off into 20+mph gusting winds....never really even phazed the machine...it actually seemed to "like" all that extra wind..!
Definitely no washing machine though.

[Jamie Cleary]

Hi Jeff,
You will find mid day thermals fun on most days there have been a few days that although it was not a problem I got bounced around quite a bit, but like Mike said nothing like in a fixed wing ultralight.
You should look Ron Awad (GyroRon) and Barry Kroeplin (Ultracruiser) they
are both in your neck of the woods, see if you can get a ride in Ron's two
place and see what you think but beware!!! Gyro's are Horribly Addicting!!

[jcarleto]

Welcome Jeff,

I fly the "GyRonimo," a Bee hybrid as well as a Beech Bonanza FW. There are many days when I "just want to go fly around" that I pick the gyro instead of the Bonanza, because the weather is gusty and choppy and I don't want to be bounced around.

Landings and ground handling is a bit more tedious when there are gusts and crosswinds, but in the air I'd MUCH rather be flying a gyro. I fly a lot in gusty/windy conditions and find it very comfortable once in the air.

*JC*

[barnstorm2]

Welcome to the forum!

.

[fiveboy]

Jeff. I did a TV show featuring the Sky Pup. Its the most amazing airplane around. For those of you who dont know its made from foam and dacron. The total wood involved would add up to kindling on an average evenings campfire. Its an amazing airplane and flown (IMO) by only those who truly really and sincerely, need, to fly!

Welcome here Jeff. You are about to graduate to the next level of flight zaniness.

[All_In]

Yeaaaaaaa Jeff
These things are just way to much fun.

Glad you are going to join in on the adventure of a lifetime!

[Joe Pires]

Welcome to the Forum. To answer your question you need to also tell us
1. How much you weigh?
2. What elevation you will be flying from and to a degree off what surface.
3. Which powerplant your looking at.

Its not so much the thermals but the overall performance of a low power machine which might cause discomfort.

A 165 pound pilot flying a 503 off a hard surface at sea level will have quite a different opinion than a 240 pound pilot flying a 447 off a grass runway at 3000 ft elevation.

Its a good thing, to get these questions answered before you build. Welcome to the forum and enjoy the gryro-experience.

[Redbaron]

Thank you all for the quick replys. I have 2 videos on youtube of my skypup if anyone cares to look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfyprQIvDU&feature=related

Joe, my current weight is 160lbs. Our elevation is 650 ft asl. I currently fly my skypup from a grass strip 2000ft long with trees on both ends "not sure if this is enough for the bee?". If I built a bee I would like to try and keep it 103 legal with the rotax447

[GyroDoug]

Jeff,

Because of your light weight and lower altitude, I think you would be a good candidate for a true ultralight gyro. You need to understand you won't be building a rocket ship and power management will be very important to you, but there are a lot of people that fit your category that have been able to have an incredible amount of fun in a light Gyro. Just be very aware it is HARD to hit legal ultralight weight in a Gyro and you will probably have to be willing to give up some features and options that you would otherwise want to have on your Gyro. (but it can be done and you are a good candidate)

Take your time and learn as much as you can before you make a choice and start building. And enjoy the journey!!! Welcome aboard!!!

Gyro Doug

[Doug Riley]

A gyro has better gust penetration than a light plane. If you calculate the area of a gyro's rotor blades (not the imaginary round "rotor disc," but the actual blades' surface areas), you'll see that even a lightly-loaded gyro like a 'Bee has quite high wing loading compared to a small plane. Our wing loadings are up in the 30, 40 and 50 lb./sq. ft. territory. U.L. planes are typically below 10.

A gyro also lacks the wing-rocking action in turbulence that makes light plane flying in turbulence such an adventure. A gust-induced stall is very nearly impossible in a rotor.

It's important that a gyro be built with a pitch-stable airframe, especially if it's to be flown in rough air. A stock Gyrobee with a Watson tail or equivalent sized H-stab will be pitch-stable.

[Redbaron]

I have a tail Section for a challenger ultralight still in the box, would this be to big for the gyrobee? What would be the lightest tail section you could use that has enough area?

[Dirtydog]

Redbaron :
Take a look here! Oh Welcome:welcome: to the band wagon!:drum:
This is the tail I built for my Gyro Dog!

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19204

[Redbaron]

I bet I could build a skypup style tail, aka wood and foam and be lighter than a built up aluminum tube/fabric or even a fibreglass tail. I know the importance of being light. My skypup weighs around 195 lbs empty

[Dirtydog]

Redbaron :
The tail is foam covered with E/resin yes a little big. I started off building one smaller to keep the weight down , but had a change of mind.:cool:

[ultracruiser41]

HI Jeff, Welcome! GyroRon and I fly out of Goose Creek (28A) just south east of Charlotte. (I-485 to Lawyers Rd). We'll be flying to the Anson County Drive In/Fly In this Saturday. Anson County is in Wadesboro. Off of I-74, past Monroe.

We are leaving Goose Creek around 10:30am and will be back sometime in the afternoon...would really like to have you join us at Anson or Goose Creek to introduce you to Gyros! We'll have 3 there on Sat. Mine, Ron's and Robert Klutz' Soma.

We might even talk Ron into giving you a nice ride. (won't be difficult)

What ya say?..........(my cell 704-506-6909)

Barry K

[Redbaron]

Thanks for the generous offer Barry but I have to hold out, I was in a pretty bad car wreck over a month ago and still recovering from that. I've been to goose creek many years back before I really got into ultralights and took a ride in a flightstar.

A quick question about the landing gear tubes! Can they be bent at home without a tubing bender or would they need to be bent by a professional?

[ultracruiser41]

I bent my gyroBee tubes with a tubing bender.....I later switche to a Bensen type gear...it was much lighter and I believe is still doing well!

[Dirtydog]

Redbaron : On my axle tubes they are not bent. I read somewhere about laying them down and with a block of wood on one end and letting the car tire bend them for you. But like I said mine are not bent. here is a picture!

If you are talking about a gyrobee!

[Redbaron]

Dirtydog, I noticed in a older picture of yours you had bicycle wheels mounted, any reason you switched wheels? I'm guessing the bicycle wheels are alot lighter than the starbeegyros wheels. just as a note I'm using Northern tools 20" plastic bicycle wheels on my pup and I've never had any problems. Even with very agressive turns on the ground and a couple really bouncy landings they hold up fine.

[Dirtydog]

Redbaron : Sorry red that wasn't mine, Starbee's wanted to sell me the wheel but I didn't trust them. As you said your Pup's weight was 190 lbs. But my gyro will be close to 290---300 Lbs. by the time I get finished and I didn't want any problems when I first started flying. They might be the same, I just felt safer using the bigger rubber on mine.