Tall Pilots and the Air Command Single

[krpoin]

I am 6'2" tall with a 34" inseam. Would the Air Command Single be comfortable for me? Thanks for your advice.

Ken Poindexter
kpoindexter@buyhotproperties.com
Charlotte, NC

704-226-8260

[Phil_Ruffin]

I think it would as long as you don't have a Pod on it.

[mark treidel]

Ken, I had to extend the rudder pedals 3" to accomodate my legs. I have a pod on mine & my knees were wedged against the underside of it. W/O the pod, you would probably have no problems. I prefer the extended pedals, its much more comfortable for me then the cramped bent knee position. More like sitting in a sports car with ample leg room now.

[krpoin]

Thanks Mark...how difficult was it to extend the pedals? How tall are you and what is your inseam?

[GyroRon]

The pod on the Aircommand is much more restrictive in leg room and room overall than the Dominator. Ken first it was the gyrobee, then a Dominator, and now a Aircommand???? Come on guy, just get one and lets go flying!

[StanFoster]

Ken: I can tell you from personal experience. I am also 6 ft. 2.

I bought my Air Command with a pod on it...and had to have someone else test fly it before I bought it. I wasnt even able to sit down in it. Ask Tom Milton. I went ahead and bought it...and custom made a new instrument panel that had two neat notches for my legs. I moved my rudder pedals a little further forward....moved my seat back a bit more...and had enough room. I flew that thing to Mentone in 2003 and enjoyed the flight over. I had a big duffle bag under my knees. I did not have much wiggle room...but yet wasnt getting bumped either. It was a close....but loose fit.

I have posted pictures a back in 2003 ....if you want ....I can dig them up and repost them.
Stan

[CLS447]

Stan, What seat tank did you have on yours?

[daveeisler]

I have a 582 with a pod and Maxie W. flew it . he looked cramped, But you could make several adjustments. Give him a call too.

[StanFoster]

Chris: I had a 7.5 gallon tank...cant remember who made it though.


Heres some pictures showing my custom made dash that goe around my legs. It was much easier to carve the dash out than to notch my legs.

The second one is GyroJenny sitting in it.

Stan

[Brian Jackson]

...It was much easier to carve the dash out than to notch my legs.
:D :D :D :D :D

[Doug Riley]

I have longish legs. On my open A.C., my knees were scrunched up, making a sharp angle like a church steeple. I had to add a section of tubing to the top of the stick so that I wasn't fishing down between my legs when the rotor was full forward. No telling what people would have thought.

Gyros should come numbered with leg lengths, like pants do.

[Ga6riel]

No telling what people would have thought.



he got that right; I looked everywhere on www.doityourself.com and couldnt find it either :)

[krpoin]

Fortunately, the one I'm considering is an open Air Command with a Hirth 2706 65 HP fuel injected engine and a 9 gallon seat tank. The engine has a 1000 hr TBO, which is appealing to me (I guess we can start a thread on Hirth Engines). I am going to fly up to see it over the next couple of days. I'll let you know. I've been doing a ton of research and have looked at several gyros while training with Gary Neal in his RAF 2000 in Gaffney, SC. Rusty Nance has advised me that he cen also do some training with me beginning May in his two place Dominator. I am fortunate to have good instructors not very far away, and I like the idea of getting training in different types of gyros.

I want to thank each of you (even Ron A.) for your input and advice. It really helps!

[GyroRon]

I heard - could be a bad rumor not sure... - that Ernie Boyette will not make a engine mount for a Hirth to be used on his Dominators anymore.

Carl S, who has used Hirth engines on his gyrocycles for years and was a dealer for Hirth dropped the Hirth line and has no good things to say about them anymore.

Personally I only know of one person flying a Hirth who has NOT had a engine out and he hasn't got many hours on his yet so that isn't saying much.

Hirths TBO of 1000 hours.... Sure!!!! Right!!!! ....... as far as I can see it is just a number Hirth decided would look good on sales brochures. I have yet to see anyone get anywhere close to those numbers without having a complete engine rebuild from some problem the engine gave them.

Aircommands is not a bad machine. The fit and finish is good. They are a bolt together kit. They are also lighter than a Dominator. Drawbacks are the rotorhead has less travel - making it less manuverable, and there is no real suspension system, and the short tail is not nearly as effective in yaw stability - Rudder - and pitch stability - Horizontal stab - as the tall tail on a Dominator.

As for Pods, the Dominator pod wins hands down. I have a full dash on mine and my legs don't come anywhere near the panel when I am sitting in it. I also have tons of room on the floor and in the front of the pod to throw extra stuff in there to take flying with me. I have flown with my hipsack, a jacket, a book bag with a change of clothes, 2 Quarts of oil, and two bottled waters all in my pod and had no problems. I even once flew over to a nearby model airplane flying strip with my gyro with my electric model helicopter, batteries, charger and transmitter all stuffed up into the pod with no problems. On the Aircommand I don't think you can put anything other than your legs into the pod, there just isn't any spare room in it.

Ken I am just giving you a hard time! I hope you do hold off on buying anything till you fly with Rusty. I just know you will want a Dominator after flying with him. Most of the people that have flown other gyros and get a chance to fly in a Dominator end up buying one or building one. Screw and Gyromike on this forum are two converts here on the forum that recently flew a Dominator and are building their own now.

Ernie had the perfect machine for you at Bensen Days. It was a " Ultrawhite " single place Dominator that he had put a new Blue Head Rotax 582 engine on with a Hydro pre rotator and EIS instrument system. Ernie said he could build a duplicate of it for 17 grand, new... factory built and painted.... and test flown.... Hell of a deal I say!

[ultracruiser41]

Ronny, Ronny...don't keep calling it a hipsack dude.......it is a manpurse and you know it!!! By the way...how was Broke-Back Mountain???

(YES JOHN (SCREW) Ron's wife rented the movie and even though Ron will say he didn't watch it.....well...you know!)


Barry (bustin' Ron's chops again!) K

[ultracruiser41]

Oh yeah,

Ken P...just buy one already!!!!!



Barry (just kidding) K