Helicycle-- Hoverings & Happenings

Even though we had a foot of snow and high winds a few days ago, the snow drifts were very small. The snow was extremely wet and heavy and just doesn't blow and drift like dry snow. I have seen just 2 inches of dry snow with high winds block the interstate and making me walk to the farm for the tractor and snowplow. My flying yesterday was along the big 4 drainage ditch, where you can see snowmobile tracks alongside and down on the frozen water. I felt like a snowmobile in the air, except I leave no tracks. What's neat is that the air is there 365 days a year to churn into submission. Stan
 
That was fun!! I enjoy you enjoying flying her so much!!!
 
Great video stan. One of the best yet. Thanks for sharing your ear to ear smiling adventures :)
 
Brian- That last flight had an even larger "rush" factor to it as I was flying out over all that snow that would have been a challenge for my 4-wheel drive truck, and not leave a track except for my skids lifting off. I will be looking forward to future flying videos of yours. Stan
 
You do have an incredible freedom that no one else in town has!! Folks may still be snowbound but not Stan the man!
 
Scott- My skid cam is the only mount I am satisfied with. My earlier videos alongside my cabin opening had the best view because you could see the collective, cyclic, and instruments, as well as see the view. But the camera was being buffeted and the mount wasn't secure enough, and the shake that came out on the screen looked awful. This helicopter is very smooth and the skid mount is the only way so far I can capture that smoothness. Problem with the skid mount right now is I have my door on, and I can't turn it on and off without opening the door. When my half door goes on in April, then I will have more videos posted. Stan
 
I beat the air into submission awhile ago.....Practiced a bunch of autos.....The Helicycle is easy for me now to get the forward speed to 0, level the skids , and add power leaving the scene knowing I would have landed fine.

I landed several places, up at the airport, behind my home, several places out in the boonies.

It was around 40 degrees out and I just had a sweatshirt on, and still had to crack the doors. Sometime around April, I will be putting on a half door on the left side.

All systems checked out fine, and it was simply a blast.

There are all kinds of snowmobile tracks, deer trails, etc. The next to the last picture shows some deer if you look closely. The last picture shows them better.

The Helicycle is back in the hanger trembling and ready to go for its next flight.

Stan
 

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40 degrees and still that much snow?
But Stan the man is out flying... Way to go and thanks for sharing!
 
It got to nice out to not go fly....enough excuse for me to get up and away.

Out snow has really diminished the last two days. Its supposed to be up near 60 tomorrow.

In the last picture....I landed along a drainage ditch to watch some deer...but they took off before I got my camera out.

I went up and practices some more autos................

Fixed an erratic oil pressure reading....

Stan
 

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Stan, how is your yaw yarn attached to your windshield? - Mike
 
The snow is melting it must be getting warmer?!!

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. I so glad you are enjoying her as much as you do!
 
John- I discovered a new thrill yesterday while flying. I was hovering just inches above "hostile" terrain, raw mud and areas of water just a few inches deep from snow melt. It isn't really hostile but hovering just inches away from muck, and keeping my skids nice and clean was a different feeling. Its like, "boy, if I had to set down here, what a hassle getting back home and figuring how to get back and retrieve my chopper". It was really a rush, then I would pull collective and go find several acres of very shallow water to hover over. It felt like I was breaking one of my rules of never flying over something I couldn't land in. But in these cases, I could easily set down from my hover into the muck or shallow water. ..............Then I would go hover over some remaining deep snow. Now there I wouldn't dare set down unless I know the snow is only a few inches deep. I could just see landing on some deep snow and having one skid fall through, not good! Anyway, I really enjoyed hovering over all this muck , and it was like I was escaping mud fingers coming up trying to grab my skids! I had never had this experience and it left a euphoric smile on my face every time I pulled collective and escaped.....................I would think. " God, if I had to set down in this hostile muck from a hover, my walk back to home would be an adventure in itself. My feet would be 50 pounds each as I would struggle out of these boonies I love to churn air over at one foot skid height. Then I would pull collective and escape back to my shop, land and roll it inside, skids still shiny. Vance could say what I took paragraphs to say, with just one sentence, and do it much better! But I think I got my point across about my love for simply hovering, then escaping. I am loving this machine more than any material thing I have ever owned. I am going to savor this last flight for awhile. My next flight I am going to mount my camera on my skid and just go hover over acres of mud, and shallow water out in the boonies, and capture this on video. Stan
 
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Hi all.
Just a bit off topic, apologies in advance.
I am from Australia and have been calling Eagle R&D over the last 2 weeks around 7 or 8 times during their working hours. Have left voice messages but no reply so far.

Does anyone have an alternate way to contact them at all?
I understand build #7 is coming up; and would appreciate more info.

Stan, I have devoured both your cycle threads with delight and have loads of good tips from you and the others regularly posting. Thanks you for such good work.

Thanks
Blue
Avionics LAME
 
Blue- Please give me your contact e-mail and I will call Blake and pass it on. I have always been able to get ahold of Blake, even when he knew I was inquiring about when my 2 weeks was up! I had another guy in Europe that had trouble getting ahold of them. He contacted me, and I got them connected. He bought one immediately. Last I heard they still had 2 positions open in Group 6. I was in group 5. I would do whatever to grab one of these last two kits, cause otherwise Group 7 wouldn't start happening until way into 2012, with final shipping way up into 2013. Let me know and I will drop what I am doing to help connect you. Stan
 
Stan : Nice pics.......:usa:
 
It was too nice not to fly today. I quickly exchanged one full door for a half door...took 3 minutes...then mounted my camera on the skid. With the half door , I can reach out and activate the camera in flight.

Heres one of several I took. I will post more later. They take forever to upload.


YouTube - Feb19 049


Stan
 
Aw... the videos you told me about on the phone, they do take awhile to up load?

Now that was fun!!

I liked the touch and go at the house and flight through the chopper channel, the tornado worked that out real well for you. Funny how often that seems to happen.

I do notice that you are as happy as a pig in mud while you hover over mud!

What is up with that?

Thanks for sharing!
 
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