Pitcairn weather vain to be Raffled off soon.

All_In

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Joined
Apr 21, 2008
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16,105
Location
San Diego, CA. USA
Aircraft
Airgyro AG915 Centurian, Aviomania G1sb
Total Flight Time
Gyroplane 70Hrs, not sure over 10,000+ logged FW, 260+ ultralights, sailplane, hang-gliders
Most of you know my philosophy:
God gave us free will and a planet with everything needed to create heaven of earth.
The only reason it is not Heaven on Earth is because we each choose individually NOT TO MAKE IT THAT WAY.
---

But every once in a great while I meet people who are actually making earth more like heaven with their actions.

Glen and Rose are two of those people!!!!

Glen is not a member of PRA Chapter 31 as he lives closer to LA. However he got a copy of Western Rotorcraft news letters including ours.

After reading what we are trying to accomplish and our fund raising efforts in the newsletter Glen not only offered to create a Pitcairn weather vain for us to raffle off as a Chapter 31 fund raiser but also, he has just offered Chapter 31 and Chapter 1 his services in cutting/machining of the parts for our builds!!!

Wow what a truly great man!!!
Way to make the world Rock!

Check out the Pitcairn tacked welded and not finished but close.
 

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Here are some of is finished works of art!
 

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Thanks for the pics, John.
Does he make these for sale? How can I get one?
How can I join in on the raffle?
 
Hi Glenn

YAW MON, I'm going to suggest to chapter 31 that we raffle it off here and at our website, more fun and more exposure so all my friends here will be included.

He's retired and doesn't do this for a living however;
After the raffle, I'll ask Glenn if we wants me to provide his email address for any of you who may wish him to make you a custom one-off of your aircraft.
 
That is very cool!

I would like to buy one as well. Hopefully he keeps on making them.

Let me know when the raffle is!

Bobby

Welcome to the forum Bobby!!!
It's almost finished so won't be much longer about 'two weeks'!

As you are new I'll explain a Rotorcraft build 'two weeks' actually may = 6 months or more! This has often been from waiting for parts.:wave:

*See Stan's Helicycle Thread to learn how this was coined and why if still funny today.
http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15817
 
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I emailed the San Diego Rotorcraft Club rotorheads a heads up of Glen's email I received with the pictures much as I have posted here for all of you.

Jerry, one of our members emailed the group including Glen this Question.

Did the Pitcairn pass an annual inspection?
Jerry


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Here is Glen's response, and both had me laughing.
===

Jerry,

When complete, I will certify it for all weather vane'ing when displayed on the provided support stand with directional arrow. However, the high speed tool bearings that I use in the rotor head are limited to just 25,000 RPM's. I do recommend they not be weather vane'ed when icing conditions are forecast as it could result in a rotor stoppage. Fortunately, these will resume normal operation on the first sunny day.

The rotor disc in this item is 36" in diameter and will normally rotate at about 40 RPM's. Even though a camber is set into the blades, the directional of rotation will always be at the whim of the first gust of wind. But when it all works well the attached is how they look.

Glen
 
Hi Glenn

YAW MON, I'm going to suggest to chapter 31 that we raffle it off here and at our website, more fun and more exposure so all my friends here will be included.

He's retired and doesn't do this for a living however;
After the raffle, I'll ask Glenn if we wants me to provide his email address for any of you who may wish him to make you a custom one-off of your aircraft.

Yes , He is retired but not from making weather vain.
This is his web site Jon
http://www.usm-c.com/
Check it out and let me know if I am wrong.
Teddy
 
Wonderful!!

Wonderful!!

Thank you Teddy! :yo:
 
Glenn is a member of Chapter 1 and this is a picture of the gyro he made and donated for our 2011 fly-in raffle.
Teddy
 

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Tad, that is just so cool, I love the minature models of gyros, great for at the hangar or at home. He did a great job on this.
 
It is coming soon!!!

Here is the latest email form Glen regarding the status.
First, the Pitcairn is done with one exception.

I've been having problems with the axial bearings that I have been using in the rotor hubs.

I am re-designing the hubs to use two needle bearings too better deal with the side loads that are experienced by the weather vanes during certain wind conditions.
 
My Apology

My Apology

Folks,

I have been truly remiss at thanking all for your most gracious comments about my weather vane art. Like so many of us the served in Viet Nam I am dealing some health issues as a result of having been exposed to Agent Orange as well as the wear and tear on body parts that seems to happen during a nearly 25 year tour of duty as both an Enlisted and Marine Corps Officer.

The last few months I've been really slow at getting much of anything done, as the high desert has been cold and windy this year. Fortunately, we did not get a lot of snow this winter. The Pitcairn has been stalled on the work bench while I attempted to sort out a method of building rotor heads that did not take an hour of machining for each half and because I don't like being out in the cold. I've tried several approaches and think that I've now come up with a fix that will allow me to use an upper and lower needle bearing vice one radial bearing. As the current design fails I'll be sending fixes out from New Zealand to Alaska and Japan to Europe.

I will continue to build these but at a much slower pace. For many years, I would build 10 or 12 almost every month. Now, I'm setting a limit of just 4. That gives me time to work on my own projects.

This year I've been so impressed with Vance Breese's Predator and his build log that I am going to donate a Predator Weather Vane to Chapter 1 for the Ken Brock Day's. So Contact Terry Smith, Chapter 1 if you want a chance to bid on it. I'm also building something else for Chapter 31, but I've yet to really pin that project down. Normally, when I make a donation item it will be the only one for at least a year, then I may consider making some more. I like to keep the item unique to try to help their fund raising efforts. Right now I donate about 10 items a year that ranges from German Shepherd Rescue to the Officer Wives Club at Minot AFB.

I'll entertain new project, but not before August or September as I need to catch up and upgrade one of my CNC tables.

Glen
 
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