New kit helicopter

[Rando]

Anyone been following this?

http://www.pawneeaviation.com/

[Brent_Brown]

The cabin looks like it would make a nice for a two seat side x side gyro.

[krew]

Why such a long tail boom?

[gyropilot]

Why such a long tail boom?It appears the tail boom length is correct to give adequate clearance for the tail rotor.

BTW, nice choice for an avitar. :)

John L.

[RobO]

They have been working on this since at least before 1998. They were originally located in Longmont, Colorado and I visited their (second?) work area probably about six or seven years ago. Their designs have grown bigger with each iteration. There have been at least three different iterations where the design was significantly or completely redesigned.

They originally started out with an Adams/Wilson derivative design that was hardly flyable (especially at Longmont’s altitude). Their test pilot at the time was a Vietnam-era UH-1 pilot. They soon progressed past two-stroke engines and one-place designs. The last design I had seen was based on a V-6.

I see now they are up to a V-8. The current model looks pretty different from what I saw with the V-6. They are also now apparently located in Nebraska instead of Colorado.

[Hognose]

I guess I missed these guys at Oshkosh.

The engine they are using appears to be the Chevy ZZ-4 crate motor in its lowest HP variant. I have one of the 385 HP versions in my Corvette, which is currently in the shop (AGAIN) for reasons that I do not believe are due to the crate motor.

I wonder how much inertia in those beefy blades?

Many of their policies seem to have been shaped by the Mini-500 debacle. And they seem to be vowing not to produce a lawn dart like that old widowmaker. So they're saying all the right things. The price seems reasonable and mainstream for a helicopter kit.

There are now a very wide range of kit helos available:

1. Rotorway Exec
2. CHR Safari (and interceptor, which is the same machine with different styling).
3. Hummingbird, which is a kit version of the old S-52. Bigger and more expensive than the others.
4. Helicycle.
5. Mosquito
6. Wasp
7. Ultrasport
8. Elisport CH7 (Still available in Europe, Lancair distribution fell through)
9. Now, Pawnee?

I think that's the market right now. There are three companies trying to bring back the Mini-500, including a new version of RHCI run by Rick Stitt, a Chinese outfit, and a European (Belgian?) company

The current PRA "Rotorcraft" magazine has an interesting open-frame light helicopter, the GW2000, on the cover. I think it will be available as plans.

Of the machines on the market now, the Safari seems to be the best balance of performance and maintainability. The Helicycle looks like the most fun. The Wasp is full of clever new technology and perfect composite work, and Rotorway has a large community (some of whom have fixed some of the factory's problems).

But the kits are for the guy who wants to build. If you just want to fly a copter, you'll save money by buying an R22. The reason is, even if the Robbie costs more, it holds its value better.

cheers

-=K=-

[Brent_Brown]

Wasp any web sites about it?

[Hognose]

Yeah. This is not the Gerry Anderson one (heh) but one designed by Tony Pena formerly of Ultrasport. If you know Ultrasport's products you'll see some family resemblance. two of the others involved in the project (Bob Pegg and Mikael Smith) are former Army aviators. Bob is also involved in some way with one of the flying platform projects.

http://www.helowerks.com/

I don't think they were planning to fly it publicly that soon, but were good enough to fly it for me at SnF and I got some photos. I do not think they are taking deposits or quoting a price -- like the Pawnee Chief folks they are keenly aware of how badly the Mini-500 burned the market.

I like to think I'm a connoisseur (sp?) of composite work, and Tony's is outstanding.

I should have mentioned Ultrasport, too. They are still advertizing in Kitplanes, but I'm told by folks on the field that there's been no life in the hangar for a long time. I have never seen an ultrasport helicopter in "meatworld" (vice "cyberspace") so I don't honestly have an opinion of their product. I note that some of the parts on the Wasp prototype are Ultrasport parts, and they seem to be well-manufactured and made in production tooling (implying quantity production).

[karlbamforth]

WOW thats a nice looking aircraft.
Hope it flys as good as it looks.

[Brent_Brown]

Ok a better looking gyro body. It is nice.

[Cobra Doc]

Not a bad looking machine. I assume it's prototype since there are a couple of minor details that should be addressed like the proximity of cotter pins to shoe laces. I can't decide if it's an ugly Scorpion II or a skinny Huey. Obviuosly somebody involved is ex-Army. All the flight controls look nicely over-built. Can't go wrong there.

[gyroplanes]

I A/W certified an Ultrasport 254. The owner said he had to redesign so many parts and systems he didn't consider it an Ultrasport anymore.

He said he had to rebuild the engine after it seized every summer. The good side is that he didn't have to practice autorotations as much. He converted it to turbine power and has been enjoying it since.

My favorite story of it's short comings was when he told me it was yaw unstable, despite the shroud and vertical fin. All the while he was cruising it would wag it's tail like a dog. A friend of his was flying behind him in another helicopter and told him he was wagging his tail, he related that it had been doing that since he built it. His friend told him it wasn't instability, rather, the tail boom was flexing back and forth.

The owner rigged a pair of supports ala Hughes 269-300 and it flew straight as an arrow.

He also took off two opposing blades from the 4 bladed tail rotor and INCREASED it's authority.

His reason for their apparent lack of test flight and re-engineering was that were really interested in seling this as a UAV.