flying

Was that the fish fry from this past weekend? I thought I saw BUD ONEAL standing by the side of the runway.

*JC*
 
That is an interesting prerotor, did you make it? What kind of rrpm?
 
Yes that was the fish fry. I met up with Bud O-Neal,Ron Iaconlis he had his
gyro there and Wayne Stargell had his there to.Me and Ron were flying and Bud and Wayne were talking and taking pictures and eating fish.

The prerotoer is made from a goped motor search the threads that I've been in on and that should answer you're question.
George
 
George you always look as though you are really having a blast.

Watching that blade flexing does remind me why I am not allowed to taxi the instructors Bensen without the rotor turning. He maintains that not only is the turning rotor carrying the weight of it's blades but also achieving the extra strength and rigidity derived from centrifugal force.

That Goped set-up of yours continues to impress every time I see it in action particularly after your observations Jon on the friction effect of grass strips.

We have a huge grass area at Rissington and have to taxii on grass in some spots, luckily a number of hard paved runway areas to take off from as well. Intended strip in Kenya for the Hornet though is grass and sometimes it gets a bit long. Getting the owner to mow sometimes bit slow.
 
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That pre-rotator is amazing. I may have to see about getting one.

Sorry I missed that fish fry. Wayne told me about it, but I was previously indentured in a kitchen remodel at home and was unable to attend. Perhaps next time.

*JC*
 
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George,

Do you have a link to someplace that has those little go-ped engines for sale?

*JC*
 
Yes Resasi I really enjoy flying my gyro I have 2 other ultralights and I've not put 4 hours on both of then in the past year.

When I'm at home I can just spin my blades up and go but at the flying I didn't want to let them go until I didn't have to worry about someone get in to them .

The goped engine works good and it's not hard to do between Matt
SUPPER FLY pictures and what I posted should give anybody a good idea how . I changed the clutch springs on the engine to a softer spring the first one engaged to hard .It will spin the blades up a lot quicker then I show in the
video but between the first set of springs and seeing how quick I could spin them up I warp my first set of cheek plates.

You can order the sprocket form that same place as the engine.

Hey J Carleto
I look forward to meeting you Wayne been telling me a lot about ya'll
I'll try to come to one of you're club meeting one day when work will let me.
George
 
Torque developed was a concern with regard to both mast and cheek plates. We are making two masts. One a split mast for stowage.

Softer spring and gradual engagement makes good sense.

George what sprocket are you meaning? The large one the chain goes to?
 
George you always look as though you are really having a blast.

Watching that blade flexing does remind me why I am not allowed to taxi the instructors Bensen without the rotor turning. He maintains that not only is the turning rotor carrying the weight of it's blades but also achieving the extra strength and rigidity derived from centrifugal force.

That Goped set-up of yours continues to impress every time I see it in action particularly after your observations Jon on the friction effect of grass strips.

We have a huge grass area at Rissington and have to taxii on grass in some spots, luckily a number of hard paved runway areas to take off from as well. Intended strip in Kenya for the Hornet though is grass and sometimes it gets a bit long. Getting the owner to mow sometimes bit slow.

I've tried taxiing with my DW rotors turning but I can't seem to find the magic number of RRPMs that I can keep them at while taxiing. Ayone have some advice?
 
Yes resasi ,there are two sprocket one on the a small one on the engine and a larger on the drive.If you buy a engine from Dave's it comes with a shaft on the end at the clutch I order a different housing and you can screw the goped sprocket in the end of the shaft.

I need a smaller sprocket on the drive to get more RPM on the rotor the little engine not working hard at all right now.


Tim I just pull mine out of the hanger and take off the other day at the flyin
was the first time I've really had to worry about it.
George
 
Building the hours on the single and getting better all the time at judging rotor speed by looking. Will be great to have the tach and get some numbers. Have been told the DWs need higher rrpm due to their lightness and that up around 80-100 is where they get self sustaining without a prerotator to get them going. My guess would be if you kept them around 50 they will be rigid enough not to be flexing too much and carrying a reasonable amount of their own weight, but hey I am just a beginner.

It certainly has been an education doing without a prerotator and some of the F/W pilots must think I am nuts doing little excursions just to keep the rotors turning but beats having to pat them up again.

They on the other hand drive me nuts by simply not knowing that I have to keep them turning or be greatly inconvenienced. Great thing about Rissington is great to have lots of area where I can get little runs going to keep them going. I really really do hope we have the margin left to put a pre-rotator on.

The power margin on the Bensen with the 52' prop is such that spent the last two days switching the 503 to a 582 to see if that will help.

Thanks for that info George, any idea on the weight of that set-up. Ball park would be fine.
 
I two learn how to hand start my blades or rotor management on bensen blades it was fun and I had a good teacher but on my runway with no wind I would have to go up and down until the blades came up ot speed.

I needed more clime thats why I got the DW that was some of the best money I've spend they do ever thing better.

you can look back I weight the prerotator when I first made it and post it some were the next one is going to be lighter and faster.
George
 
Thanks George. Nice to have confirmation on choice of rotors. Your next prerotator I await with great interest.
 
..........The power margin on the Bensen with the 52' prop is such that spent the last two days switching the 503 to a 582 to see if that will help.......

Let us know how the 582 with a short prop works out. That may be a better setup than the 503.
 
Tim the paperwork is going to take time and I am coming to the US then going to Kenya might not have a chance for some months.

Possibility of a Bensen B8M with a pod Volkswagen engine pre-rotator Ken Ferne Propeller, Sky wheels rotor blades and hub bar. I know nothing about skywheels, anybody know how they perform? I gather the VW uses less fuel than the Rotax and this has two five gall tanks so probably quite a reasonable endurance.
 
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