sky dancer plans wanted

[gilbo]

i am looking for a set of plans to a sky dancer.

[robertstodaro]

What does a Skydancer look like?

[Dean_Dolph]

What does a Skydancer look like?Scott, shame on you, Danny Whitten owns one of the only three that I know that have flown. Now, don't come back and ask me who Danny Whitten is!

The Sky Dancer is a John Bond creation. I talked to Danny today and it has been several years since he communicated with John. At that time John was doing some updates to the plans. Danny thinks he moved from California to Florida since then. I was going to dig out the last PRA magazine issue with the memership list to see if I could find him but haven't had time today.

[Dean_Dolph]

I pulled my 5/04 issue (member directory issue) of Rotorcraft out and found a John Bond. There is a address, which follows, but no phone number or email address.

If anyone contacts and gets a response from John then please post any info here.

John Bond
811 Wolf Trail
Casselberry, FL. 32707

[gilbo]

thanks for your help. it is a good looking machine.

[robertstodaro]

Excuuuuuse me,

Dean, I was going to go there next.

I knew Danny has "Skydancer" painted on his tail. but he could have christened it with that name.

Doug C. liked the Name too but he used "Cloud Dancer" on his tail since
Danny took "Sky Dancer".

How come you never see "Widow Maker" on anyones tail?

Gilbo, If you call Danny, don't call after 8p.m. , He's a very early riser.

Before you build, consider the gear has a short travel and is uncomfy on a short grass strip. Also the gas tank only holds abut 5 gal. and you need to get very high to fill-er-up.

Then there is the whole CTL thing, with a heavy Blade maybe it is.
Danny has a large horz-stab and I don't know if its original. I can't find any original Bond pics but here's one of Danny.

Find more pics at www.gyrosaway.com click on table contents

[Dean_Dolph]

Excuuuuuse me,

Dean, I was going to go there next.

I knew Danny has "Skydancer" painted on his tail. but he could have christened it with that name.

Doug C. liked the Name too but he used "Cloud Dancer" on his tail since
Danny took "Sky Dancer".

How come you never see "Widow Maker" on anyones tail?

Gilbo, If you call Danny, don't call after 8p.m. , He's a very early riser.

Before you build, consider the gear has a short travel and is uncomfy on a short grass strip. Also the gas tank only holds abut 5 gal. and you need to get very high to fill-er-up.

Then there is the whole CTL thing, with a heavy Blade maybe it is.
Danny has a large horz-stab and I don't know if its original. I can't find any original Bond pics but here's one of Danny.

Find more pics at www.gyrosaway.com click on table contentsActually I believe the gas tank is a little over 6 gallon but what the heck, 5 gal., 6 gal. why quibble over 1 gal. Well maybe Danny would! I believe Danny won the Air Command pod on this machine at some gyro gathering many years ago. The original Bond machine is an open frame.

Some of us have wanted to determine the vert. Cg on this machine for some time because there is suspicion that it is closer to CLT than it looks like. The horizontal stab is Danny's design and is partly in the prop wash. Danny installed it with incidence adjustment but says he has never had to adjust it.

Scott, you have done the vert. Cg determination on a couple of your machines so why not see if Danny will agree to let us perform one on his? That would make for an interesting Chapter 62 exercise.

Oh yeah, Danny retired the first of the year so I'm not sure the early riser is still an early riser! Most of the old time PRA members know who Danny is but for the rest of you here is a little background.

He has been flying gyros for 20+ years and has had several of his in flight photos on the cover of the PRA magazine over the years. He used a remotely triggered gyro mounted camera to take them. He performed in local airshows in a Bensen for many years but has since given that up. He sold the Bensen to Robert Scott Todero which I believ was Scott's first machine. Danny and Scott serve as PRA Chapter 62's test pilots for new chapter machines such as Texas Armadillo's. Danny is one of those that doesn't use the internet so don't expect any input here from him!

Hey, Scott, how is that for an expose?!

[Texas Armadillo]

Posted by Dean,

"Danny and Scott serve as PRA Chapter 62's test pilots for new chapter machines such as Texas Armadillo's."

And a fine job they did. Hats off and thanx to both of you... maybe someday I'll get to fly it! (grin)

js

[gyroman]

I'll participate in the exercise... pick me...pick me...

[Texas Armadillo]

I'll participate in the exercise... pick me...pick me...


Hey there,

Are you finished with your Bee yet? Is it ready for test flights?????

js

[gyroman]

Heck no... Im on the long term building plan...

Should be getting my income tax refund soon so progress should pick up.

My main problem is having a place to keep it stored fully put together. Currently if I want to work on it I have to pull it out of the closet and put it together.

With the refund I should be able to finish my new 20' x 40' building. I can then keep it all together and do some real work. I plan on getting the materials for the tail and cyclic hopefully next month sometime.

My wife is really a medical disaster so most of my extra money and time goes to the hospital, let alone having 3 little ones, two of which are into sports pretty heavily. Hopefully she will stay well now but you never know.

Man I really envy you guys that get to fly.

Jeff, when you getting more training? That would kill me to have such a nice gyro sitting in the hangar and not be able to go for a ride.

I was planning on making the meeting this month but the wife had a surgery that week and I couldn't leave her at home. Hopefully I'll make it to the next one...

[Texas Armadillo]

I guess we kinda hijacked this thread huh? Sorry folks, I hope Dean can find the plans for ya gilbo.

Sorry to hear about your wife Toby.

Oh man it IS killing me. I should have went last fall but money was too tight. Now I have funds but no trainer near by.

Greg Bradley lives in Missouri and flies down to Caddo mills to use Air Commands gyro to train people. But that gyro is having engines problems so I have to wait until it's repaired. So I either have to wait for them to get back on line or fly out of state... argh.

js

[Alan Coats]

Toby,

Your situation sounds similar to mine. I have my Bee mostly built, but don't have a place to work on it in bad weather, and my wife is a "medical disaster" also. My kids are grown, but it seems that being grandpa is almost as expensive as raising your own kids (but a lot more fun).

I hope to have enough money saved up by spring to be able to spend several days getting training, and it won't take long to get my machine ready to fly once the weather is nice.

I see that there is a lot of gyro activity in the Dallas area. I plan on getting down there this summer to check it out.

Alan

[Dean_Dolph]

Here is a picture of John Bond's Sky Dancer taken at the PRA 1980 Convention in Frederick OK.

Please forgive the quality of the picture but it is 25 years old and it wasn't taken with the best of cameras!

[gilbo]

no thks that a great picture. i haven't seen one without a pod. i hope some one can dig up a set plans.

[Dean_Dolph]

....... i hope some one can dig up a set plans.Kent, join us again at the Chapter 62 meeting on 2/15 and talk to Danny Whitten and see if he still has them.

[Texas Armadillo]

no thks that a great picture. i haven't seen one without a pod. i hope some one can dig up a set plans.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you set on a Dancer?

[gilbo]

i like the construction used in the design. i known very little regarding gyrocopter and have no flight hours. i can tig weld so that type of constructio n i could do. i dont want to spend a lot of money on a pre fab kit. i like this type of project. i think that i would like to learn more regarding center line thrust and how determine its location on the the aircraft. i would possible change the design a little regarding center line thrust. i have already been told that my first gyro should one that has been tested. when one at the right price comes availible, i will possible buy it. my first problem is to get the right training and before that i have to loss 40 pound to local training. the sky dancer is the best looking gyro i have seen, but i sold on the centerline thrust.

[Brent_Brown]

With the MAC or VW it should be like a old Bensen as far as CLT. Just put the seat up about 12" from the keel. If you can use a tall tail with HS.

[GyroRon]

If you can weld and work steel, then buy a set of Dominator plans. should be no harder to build than this thing and it is about as safe of a gyro as you could get without going to a tractor type gyro. I don't think it would be much more expensive to build either other than the cost of the shock absorbers.... Everything else you can make with 2x2 aluminum tube, Aluminum plate and chrome moly steel.

Look into it pretty good and I think you will agree the Dominator would be a much better choice in the long run.

[gilbo]

i was thinking of ordering the plans to build the dominator. what about using dominator dimensions, but use the tubeing and material used in the sky dancer. i think it would come out stronger and lighter. question regarding rotor heads. i like the information on the sport rotors. Will that head interchange with the dragon blades? Are the sport rotors any good. Every one talk about the dragon rotors blades. i can't find informatioin regarding the dominator head assy.

[GyroRon]

It might come out stronger, but it would also come out stiffer which would cause alot more rotor shakes and engine vibrations. The Aluminum structure is a natural harmonic dampener. Look do what you want, my advise is to build a known, proven gyro. One that won't make you the test pilot dummy and one that will hold it's resale value. A used Dominator - or any other modern CLT gyro - is going to be worth a lot more money than a one off, even if both gyros cost the exact same to build.

[gilbo]

see i am learning. didn't know that was a design aluminum structure is a natural harmonic dampener. i all thought that aluminum was stiff. thks for the information.

[gilbo]

dose any one that fly a little wing have problem with rotor shakes and engine vibrations. there known to be great flyer and very safe. they are constructed of 4130. :confused:

[Brian Jackson]

dose any one that fly a little wing have problem with rotor shakes and engine vibrations. there known to be great flyer and very safe. they are constructed of 4130. :confused:
You might want to post that question on the "Tractor Designs" section of this forum.