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#1
10-14-2005, 11:27 PM
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Eagle Strike
Looks like its mating season over here. Yesterday at around 800 AGL I was attacked by an eagle. Ernie's DW's turn out to be a lot tougher than eagle wings, the DW's just suffered a small dent, the bird left in a balled mass off to my left and down. The gyro was otherwise OK.
After I landed there was still a feather stuck on one wing. The blood trail showed a strike on top of one wing and then the second one came and cleaned him up causing the ding. The attack position is a sort of U shape with tallons out, I've only seen it once having had well over 100 peaceful flights thermalling with eagles when gliding, and that about this time of year and only a warning. Didn't even see any birds in the area, just heard and felt a really big thud then the grisly avian departure. Pity about the eagle.
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Dave 
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#3
10-15-2005, 06:18 AM
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I had someone ask me the other day about bird strikes in gyros and what it would do to the blades. I said I did not know of any gyro bird strikes. Guess I'll have to revise that answer now.
If thats the amount of damage done by an eagle. Then I assume a normal sized bird wouldn't do much damage. At least to Ernie's blades. Any one else know of any bird strikes involving gyro's? Dave, Glad yuo surived the encounter OK. Are the blades still OK to use?
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Chuck Roberg Naperville, IL SnoBird Tandem Gyro Robinson R-22 Beta II PRA Chapter 18 www.gyroclub.com
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#4
10-15-2005, 11:22 AM
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I think Dr. Bensen used to throw a frozen turkey or chicken through his metal blades at full speed. I quess this was to show how durable his metal blades were.
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"You can try to educate the ignorant but, you can't argue with stupid" Mike Boyette Recreational Pilot Gyroplane Sunstate Wing & Rotor Board Member Pra Member #46553
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#5
10-15-2005, 03:25 PM
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Thanks Guys. The blades are still OK to fly. The bird hit about half way along, probably going for the meat of the 'big bird' at the centre (me!). The strike was audiable over the 582 and using ANR's. I don't know how things would go with a hit at the tip where the rotational speed would be higher?
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Dave
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#6
10-16-2005, 01:10 AM
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I'v had and heard of a few bird strikes, and the bird always cums off second best, solong as he hits the rotor blades.
The story's a bit different if he gets to the prop, or even the pilot, control rods, rudder cables............... Fortunatly for us, they seem to hit the blades first.
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#7
10-16-2005, 05:11 AM
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Bird strike
Glad to hear you are ok Dave. I have always wondered how a set of rotors would fare in a real bird strike. Not just an advertisement. I fly the same rotors and it gives me more confidence to see they can handle an eagle.
I fly sailplanes also, and like you have spent many hours flying with birds. Here the eagles want stay in a thermal with you, they always leave. The vultures on the other hand will get very close. I have been in a thermal with a vulture and followed him into a cloud, he never slowed down. Guess he was determined to get and stay on top. Also can't tell you how many times they have saved me from landing out. From gyro to sailplane strange mix....
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#8
10-17-2005, 02:10 PM
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A bird in a rotor... the pilot is dead.
One of my friends died because of a bird who broke in flight the rotor of his gyro.
It was the summer 2000, in France with a big bird, maybe a crow. The plastic rotor is french, and it's a good one, but if it was a aluminum, I think that it would never have happened... This fatal accident is the only one I know in gyroplane, and I always fly with plastic rotors: RAF, Magni... (I'm fench CFI near of Paris) The gyro was intended to be launched on the market in Europe. It was really nice ! and you can see a picture in my website (unfortunately it's only in french...) http://autogire.nuxit.net/accidentologie/fiche4.htm I've a video (I don't know where exactly...) of the accident with the bird, but the quality is too low, we only can see a shadow which hit the rotor, and a light. Indeed, the gyro exploded...  Excuse me my english isn't so good... Hervé TERRASSON www.autogire.com www.raidair.com
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#9
10-17-2005, 03:01 PM
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My french guy. Love the gyro girls. also why a good gyro in 1 pice the pilot want to cataput? In a rush for the bathroom? good web site
chuck P
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#11
10-19-2005, 12:08 PM
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Mike,
I haven't any picture of that accident but only a video, which isn't so good... But we are sure that the origin of the accident is the bird. In my website, we only can see the gyroplane before the crash... Thanks for compliments about my website... it represents many hours of work since 1998. I'm so sorry that it isn't in English, but not easy to find a translator... Hervé TERRASSON
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#12
10-19-2005, 05:29 PM
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Hervé,
Try this translator, http://world.altavista.com/ , Just type in French and you can convert it into English. Or you can copy and paste English text and convert it into French.
__________________
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you. Tim Chick Watch videos of Bensen Days 2007 - http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...B8C1F17B074D3F Watch videos of Bensen Days 2008 - http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...DCDDF78B4169D3 Watch Gyro TV -------------------- http://bellsouthpwp.net/t/c/tchick/gyrotv.html My Sport Copter Build -------------- http://www.timchick.com/sport-copter
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#14
10-20-2005, 04:25 AM
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Hervé
I've just read your article about Blois 2005 and wonder if you would mind if I try to translate it for the forum. There's a lot of interesting news about the European scene. I may not be as quick as some translation software but the result should be more reliable (not as funny though because if you've ever tried this sort of software the results are usually hilarious). Mike G
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#15
10-20-2005, 11:50 AM
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Mike,
Cool ! If you could do that, it would be a great thing ! I just would like to translate only the texts which could be interesting for other countries. Blois 2005 is one of them...
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