My Twinstarr is Done !

[Rick Whittridge]

Today I put 10 Hrs in at the airport & finishing up my Twinstarr. I put the blades together & mounted them & some other little things. This was the last things I had to do before I could get some completed photos. I waited until 8:00 PM & took some shots as the sun was going down. I rolled it out to the runway & spun the blades up only to find I have a problem with the prerotator. It`s always something ! I`m beat!
MJ, I hope you enjoy the pic`s & if I owe you some popcorn let me KNOW?

[barnstorm2]

HOLY $#(% !

You have outdone yourself!!

WOW!

Congratulations that is a masterwork.

[barnstorm2]

Ok, here come the questions!

1. Are the cyclic's stock and just polished?

2. Whats up with the floor? Mine is wood. (looks great btw).

3. Did you dye the seats? If so what dye did you use?

4. Did it come with hub caps on the main gear?

5. Is your nose wheel steerable or castered?

6. Did you chrome the engine covers and valve covers?

[dragonflyerthom]

A show piece

Thom

[Rick Whittridge]

Tim, Thanks for the comments. It looks better in person. See you tommorrow!
1 Stock Polished
2 Thin stainless steel engine turned over plywood
3 New seat covers Convertible top material
4 Matco hubcaps
5 Castering
6 Polished airboxes stainless valve covers

[PW_Plack]

Wow. Congrats, Rick! Now that's a machine you want to display at an auto, motorcycle or boat show, to attract some new gyronauts!

[Caribean_gyro]

congratulation another twinstar is born. question you are left handed? I saw you had mixture in the left. does it bother the throtle level? I saw a speaker box on the left also? are you playing music.

excellent polishing job. I know it should knock you arm for several days.

did you check the wood weight vs the SS . wonder if it weight less.

Well happy testing and flying you will be supprize what she can do.

chuckP:)

[ben]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[Rick Whittridge]

Chuck, I`m right handed. No problem with the mixture. The box you refer to is a 12V power point to plug in my electronics, Radio,gps,intercom. The stainless is a cover over the wood. It does add a little weight but i feel that it is worth it.

[GyroRon]

What is a Gidget? A cartoon girl?

Looks very nice. A future award winner for sure!

[Rick Whittridge]

Well Ron, When I was trying to come up with a name or theme for the Twinstarr I was stumped. The reason I picked Miss Gidget was like this. When I got the Gadget done & started the flyins it became very popular & with TV interviews, newspaper stories, alot of people where asking about my machine. The strange thing was that people would come up to me & say Hey I saw that Gidget thing your fly`in, thats pretty cool. Well this happened more than once & I had to correct them with the Gadget name. So after thinking about that I said well if they what to call it a Gidget thats OK but I will call the Twinstarr MISS GIDGET! So Now I have the GIDGET & the GADGET. It`s not a cartoon figure that I`m aware of unless I just invented her,it`s just a way for people to remember the name.

[GyroRon]

Seemed like there was a Gidget somewhere on tv or in a movie....? Wasn't there a surfer girl named Gidget in one of those Cheesy movies from the 60's or maybe 70's? Or was it one of the girls in the movie Grease? Seems like I heard that name before.

Either way, it is a cool looking gyro for sure.

[GyroRon]

Google'd it.....


Gidget
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Gidget is the nickname (a contraction of "girl midget") of Frances Lawrence, a teenage character adapted for film and television from a novel by Frederick Kohner.

The original Gidget was created by Kohner in his 1957 novel Gidget, The Little Girl With the Big Ideas, written in the first person and based on the accounts of his daughter Kathy of the surf culture of Malibu Point. Kohner, a prolific screenwriter with one Academy Award nomination, published at least two other novels about the experiences of different teenaged girls, Kiki of Montparnasse and Cher Papa.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the character Gidget was adapted for three films, all directed by Paul Wendkos:

Gidget (1959), starring Sandra Dee.
Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), starring Deborah Walley.
Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), starring Cindy Carol.
Although the later two were billed as sequels to the first, there was little attempt at continuity other than in the plot. Only James Darren, playing Gidget's boyfriend Moondoggie, has the same major role in all three films. For Gidget Goes Hawaiian, some scenes from the first film were re-shot with the new cast, to be used as flashbacks.

In 1965, the character was adapted for television in the sitcom series Gidget, starring Sally Field. It ran for only one season, but continues to have a cult following. Written as a sequel to the films, it occasionally refers to events in them. Sally Field's brown hair completed the hat trick for Gidget's natural hair colour: Both Sandra Dee and Cindy Carol were blonde, however Deborah Walley was a redhead.

In 1969, Karen Valentine starred as Gidget in the telemovie Gidget Grows Up, written as a sequel to the 1965 sitcom series.

In 1972, another telemovie was made titled Gidget Gets Married, in which Gidget finally married longtime boyfriend, Moondoggie. Monie Ellis played the title role. Later that year, Hanna-Barbera produced a 60 minute animated feature for television, Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection, with Kathy Gori as the voice of Gidget.

In 1985, a follow-up of the 1965 sitcom series was launched with the telemovie Gidget's Summer Reunion, starring Caryn Richman as a grown version of the character played by Sally Field. This was followed by a sitcom series The New Gidget, which ran for two seasons 1986-1988.

The names "Gidget" and "Moondoggie" were also used for two minor characters of the animation series Eureka Seven, among many other nods to surf culture.

[Rick Whittridge]

Here`s a few more pic`s.

[Rick Whittridge]

Wow, I had no Idea Gidget was so popular & that famous.
Gidget goes Gyroing (2006) :D

[Timchick]

Excellent job, Rick!

[Rick Whittridge]

Thank`s Tim.

[Harry_S.]

HOLY $#(% !

You have outdone yourself!!

WOW!

Congratulations that is a masterwork.



I can't top Tim's comment, Rick.

Fantastic build. It will have to fly as well as it looks.:D


Cheers :)

[Rick Whittridge]

Thanks Harry, When I look back at the project now the whole thing was tore down to the bare frame , painted , back together in 6 mths. It was alot of work but can now enjoy some seat time.

[dragonflyerthom]

Yea

You no longer have to sit in it and make Gyro noises.
lol

Thom

[13brv3]

Beautiful machine Rick!

I'm curious about the cooling baffles though. Are these type baffles known to work on a pusher configuration like this? It looks like they were intended for use on a tractor configuration.

If others have done this, and it worked fine, then great. If you're trying it for the first time, I'd really keep an eye on those CHT's.

Cheers,
Rusty (currently working on cooling baffles on my RV-8)

[KenSandyEggo]

So Ron, things are a little slow and you have a lot of time on your hands?

[Caribean_gyro]

Beautiful machine Rick!

I'm curious about the cooling baffles though. Are these type baffles known to work on a pusher configuration like this? It looks like they were intended for use on a tractor configuration.

If others have done this, and it worked fine, then great. If you're trying it for the first time, I'd really keep an eye on those CHT's.

Cheers,
Rusty (currently working on cooling baffles on my RV-8)

this is not new is the same as the Mcculloch, marchetty have them mine have them . works fine and I fly with 90+ degrees and my cht is never more tha 450.

beside the ones use in the barnett that suck air in the front is too much drag.

chuckP

[Aussie_Paul]

Great job Rick. I was fortunate enough to see your "Bensen Mr Gadget" at BDs 1999. I hope to see Miss Gadget some time. At least you can take me for a ride in her!!! ;)

Aussie Paul.:)

[Rick Whittridge]

Rusty, The cooling cowls are what Don Farrington came up with for the Twinstarr & is a some what of a copy of what Bensen did with the Mac. The prop is close to the cowls & acts like a scavage effect to pull more air off the cyl`s than would be as free air blowing off the engine. It works well for the gyros but when it comes to your RV you have to be carefull how much air comes thru your engine cowling & how your baffling is placed around the engine. Cold spots & hot spots are hard to control when inside of your cowl & can destory a cly quickly. Talk to one of your A&P or engine rebuilders about the baffling.

[13brv3]

Hi Rick,

I guess ram air wouldn't do all that much good at low airspeed, and high power, as a gyro can operate. If you look at it that way, it might in fact be more effective to have the prop pulling the air through, since it's doing that even at low airspeed. At first glance, it just didn't look like it should work, but I guess it does.

As for the RV baffles, I hate building them, but there's no question about what works and what doesn't. As my Aussie buddy says, "settled technology".

Did I mention beautiful machine :)

Cheers,
Rusty

[Rick Whittridge]

Yes you did Rusty & thank you!

[CLS447]

Rick .....she is BEAUTIFUL.

I am really liking those Twinstars ! I hope to someday get a ride in one .

[scottessex]

Looks good! Very nice job!

[Brent Drake]

Rick, your Gidget is awsome. Love the paint job and polishing. Hope to see it in person soon.

[Rick Whittridge]

Thanks Guys.

[gyromike]

http://members.aol.com/drewz28/images/dang.jpg

I hope no one else plans to win any awards, cuz I think Rick will have them all sewed up!

Great job Rick.

[Rick Whittridge]

Thanks Mike, You no I have a set of Billy BoB teeth but i think them there are the REAL MCOY`S !

[asmuzsr]

Have any Twinstars been fully enclosed for cold weather flying or would that throw off how it flies.

[Caribean_gyro]

No only 1 prototype and Don didnt like the handling plus it looks like the oscar winner mayer car.
chuckP