Old Vancraft...anyone have any information?

[thesultanofscud]

I got a glimpse of a great looking old Vancraft in a photo at this link:

http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Helicopters/Vancraft.htm

Is there anyone out there with some experience with this make/model?

I'm curious about what you have to say about handling, performance, construction, etc.

I really like the look of the old Vancraft airframes, but I fear they may suffer from the aerodynamic problems that most people are trying to design out of gyros these days...

Anyone able to shoot me some insight?

[Earthboundmisft]

Hey Sultan, you drive a 63 Rambler by chance? Same deal man.

[Timchick]

Here's the info from the FAA registry: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N2841

[Arnie Madsen]

Thanks for the picture Sultan .

I have never seen one of them before now , does anyone know if that is supposed to be some type of a leading edge weight fastened to each rotor? They do not look like tiedowns to me.



Hey Earthbound ... I had a 1965 Rambler when I was 18 .... . My girlfriend loved it because she knew there was no way I would ever be able to pick up any other girls with a car that was so ugly. :)

[thesultanofscud]

Here's the info from the FAA registry: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N2841

Thanks for that, Chick...I had previously looked it up on the Fed-site and I am considering contacting the owner just to shoot the breeze about it. The actual manufacturer/make/model info is rather cryptic, eh?

Arnie,

That's a good catch...very observant of you. I didn't take a good enough look at the rotors to consider that point right off the bat. Hopefully a Vancraft driver will chime in here on that...

The questions still stand...anyone out there with some old Vancraft time?

[scottessex]

Yes that is a nose weight, it balances the blade and keeps them from pitching up.
Most of the old wooden blades used them.

[Spaans]

Why not contact SPORTCOPTER Jim's FATHER designed and sold plans for that bird?

[PW_Plack]

When I lived in the Portland area, I talked to a few guys who'd owned and flown these machines. They flew well, but were easily bent if landed hard. The airframes were built of welded mild steel, so not as strong as chromoly, and many people who bought them pre-built as ultralights didn't probably didn't have the welding skills to fix them when they bent.

They still come up for sale from time to time in the Portland area, as barns and garages are cleaned out for estate sales. At its peak in the mid-80s, Vancraft was briefly selling 30 a month. Chuck closed down over liability concerns.