Border Patrol Aurora Butterfly Gyroplane

[Greg Mitchell]

Just in from Larry,

The Border Patrol Aurora at Airventure 2010

YouTube - The Border Patrol Aurora at Airventure 2010

 

[Resasi]

With the present drug wars I would feel pretty vulnerable flying the TexMex border in any gyro.

 

[scottessex]

Needs a door gunner.

 

[Scary Gary]

That was cool .

 

[Resasi]

Any hardware you could lift on a butterfly just aint going to hack it.

 

[gyromike]

Is this an actual Border Patrol aircraft?

 

[GyroDoug]

Is this an actual Border Patrol aircraft?

Mike,

This is a standard Aurora Butterfly gyro that Larry built that was set up with those markings for a Non Profit organization whose intention is to acquire a whole fleet of these machines and use them as a citizens watch group to assist both Local and Federal agencies with spotting illegal border crossings. They are currently in the fund raising stage, working to put together a large organization with a whole fleet of these machine.

They would not be used commercially for hire, as all operating costs will be paid for by the non profit organization and the services offered to government agencies at no cost or compensation. However, they would be used in a very visible and public way and could provide some incredible good exposure for the world of Gyroplanes. Pretty Cool Eh?

 

[Timchick]

I'd like to see a functional pod/windshield on it. That one looks like it only gets his feet out of the wind.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Any hardware you could lift on a butterfly just aint going to hack it.

G'Day Leigh,

Not sure what you mean?

Cheers,

Mitch.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

G'Day Doug,

Bout time someone took some decent video footage of Larry for a change.

Well done, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[GyroDoug]

G'Day Doug,
Bout time someone took some decent video footage of Larry for a change.
Well done, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Mitch

Mitch,

Thanks, I am just a beginner but I do have a good camera. It's too bad the day was so overcast as the shots in the air didn't come out with any color or sense of movement, but we're at least going in the right direction. We'll just get better and better as time goes on.

Doug

 

[Greg Mitchell]

You are doing a great job Doug.

Mitch.

 

[Resasi]

Hi Mitch,

Just kidding along with Scott and his comment about a door gunner on Border Patrol. 'Hardware' is what I might want to pack along that particular border the Butterflys are going to be patrolling.

During Rhodesian Bush War, 7 Squadron quick reaction/airmobile 'Fire Force' choppers were Allouette III's in three roles and designated as 'K' cars or 'G' cars.

The 'K' car carried the Senior pilot i/c the chopper force, a ground force commander i/c the ground troops, generally a Major, and a mech/door gunner. The 'G' cars, usually 3 of them, carried a pilot a mech/gunner and a 'stick' of 4 troops, one of whom had a machine gun, and deployed theses troops at the direction of the Fire Force Commander in his airborne OP

The 'K' car door mech/gunner had a 20mm Matra cannon, while the troop carrying 'G' cars mech/gunner had the lighter twin 303 Brownings.

There was a second variant of the 'K' Car called a Dalmatian which would sometimes tag along, and it had quad mounted Browning 303's and was used for fire suppression

This rapid reaction unit could be called out at very short notice to 'deal' with incursions over the border. It was flexible in size and the basic unit was 1 'K' car and 3 'G' cars. A second 'K' could be added eg the 'Dalmation, then there were the 'Cheetahs' 'G' cars which were Hueys and could carry 2 'sticks' of troops. Finally the Fire Force Commander could call in a Dakota with 16 paratroops to act as a sweepline to push the enemy into his stop groups which he had deployed into ambush positions from his 'G' cars.

Now any of that firepower is 'hardware', and since things are getting serious along the border and the violence keeps getting worse, it's always nice to have a big stick just in case you need it, but the Butterfly might not be able to pack any of that.

Still not a bad idea of getting some 'eyes' up in some Butterflys. Can see a lot further and cover more ground than in the old days on a horse.

Just as a quick footnote re horses. The Rhodesian's also used them. They had a mounted Infantry unit called the Grey Scouts that were used for tracker follow-up on infiltrating guerrilla groups. When they found them guess who they called in...yup, Fire Force.

As you can see Mitch it's a slow/quiet day and raining, so no flying, just gassing on the Forum.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

G'Day Leigh,

Mate you certainly tell a captivating story and always educational.
I'm glad you are having a slow rainy day, cause I just learnt a bunch of stuff about you and your history. Sorry you cant be out flying though.

Larry has quite a few interesting enquiries regarding the various possible uses of some of his models of Butterfly's.

Talking of packing 'hardware', I have a part of an email here from Larry which was in response to some questions I put to him, you might find this interesting.

Thanks Leigh,

Mitch.
...........................................................................

Hello Mitch,

The Goldens are designed to be training ships. They are made to takeoff
and land continuously and shoot touch and goes with students on board.
I've never checked the fuel burn on a joy ride cross country.

Our emphasis hasn't been on fuel burn but the ability to teach heavier
students how to fly. I've taken a 340 lb. student up in the regular Golden
on an 80 degree day...

I based the training fuel burn on two 200 lb. people and full fuel.

With the Turbo Golden and 305 hp we also have the most powerful gyro on the
market. We now have the capability of using this gyro as a work horse for
third world countries because it has a payload capability and a place to
put up to 26 cubic feet of cargo. We will replace some helicopters. We
are also working on a spray rig. We can also mount a mini gun and some
rockets on the Turbo Golden....

.........................................................................

 

[scottessex]

Too bad the U.S. really does not give a &^%! about the border.
Groen brother demoed a few gyro's years ago for the border patrol, and US Gov.
and of course they would never buy anything that is not certified.
Other countries might, but not here. Same with Police depts etc. If it is not certified, forget it.
Really too bad, I think gyro's could play a role in law enforcement and observation at a fraction of the cost of a helicopter, but I think it is the same pipe dream as the flying car.

 

[Resasi]

Whoah there Hoss. Now your talking turkey. Those Border Patrol guys should be talking to Larry about some of those Golden babies.

Thanks Mitch, had flying mates, colleagues and some family down in Rhodesia during those times. I'm from a little North of there and in 63 we whites in Kenya just did what we were told by the Government back home and handed over nice and quietly. But we were a Colony and had a tiny white population.

Since it's now pissing down outside and not a hope of a let-up I can bore you some more with some serious thread drift, together with an apology for doing so on your thread. Say the word and it's deleted.

Rhodesia was different having been a self governing British Dominion from the time Cecil Rhodes came up with the British South Africa Company from S Africa in 1888 and obtained from local tribal leaders treaties like the Rudd Concession and Moffat treaty signed by King Lobengula of the Matabele. The British government had then agreed that the BSAC would be granted exclusive mineral rights from the Limpopo to Lake Victoria in charter signed by Queen Victoria. De facto local power resided in local white hands and in 1889 a Legislative Council was created in the country through which the BSAC could pass measures to ensure a safe stable management of the area. In 1890 a pioneer column of white settlers and British South Africa Police established Fort Salisbury as the center of this new administration.

When in 1965 the Brits told Rhodesia to hand over power and accept immediate Black majority rule they did not have an adequate black administration in place and also had a divide black population. Shona origional indigenous and Matabele who had come up from South Africa just 50 years before Rhodes, neither of which were particularly friendly to one another.

Ian Smith the Rhodesian Prime Minister having just watched the Belgian withdrawal from the Congo a short time before dissolve into bloody chaos, warned that might happen in Rhodesia, asking for a longer hand over period. The British remained adamant and after long and fruitless negotiations Smith then declared a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain.

Rhodesia was immediately Internationally sanctioned by the UN at Britain's request. Rhodesia managed to carry on despite sanctions but the Shona and Matabele political parties declared Chimurengwa or war of Liberation, and the Bush War started.

1978 Smith signed an Internal Settlement between the white government, and two moderate African nationalist parties, the (UANC), led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, and ZANU (Ndonga), led by Ndabaningi Sithole. In 1979 multiracial elections were held and a Black majority government of Zimbabwe Rhodesia was formed.

Since this this had not involved the two communist parties in exile (ZANU) Shona led by Robert Mugabe and (ZAPU) Matabele, led by Joshua Nkomo who had led both armies in the Rhodesian Bush War it was rejected by Britain and the international community.

Under pressure from Kissinger and Vorster in S Africa a second election was held including those two groups, and the rest as they say is history. Robert Mugabe who was Shona became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe then as predicted by Smith proceeded to get rid of his rival Joshua Nkomo. He then sent the North Korean trained 5th Brigade of the new Zimbabwe army down into Matabeleland in the South of Zimbabwe and 1000's were slaughtered.

He turned on the white farmers, many killed and driven off their farms, the country was then unable to feed itself. Despite the billions in international aid that has poured into Zimbabwe since it's inception it is now a failed state. Mugabe is now a puppet figure head controlled by six Generals and the coalition government with Morgan Tsvangirai in a sham to try and restore financial aid. The country survives on food aid.

From being one of the more developed and advanced African countries it has sadly deteriorated to it's present condition. Sad.

 

[kingo]

Hey Mitch.
you'll need one of those in Tassie to keep all the mainland bogans out.

 

[NoWingsAttached]

What are those side pods for? Why are they hanging 2 feet out to the sides?

 

[scottessex]

Those pods are for fuel.



The guy that used to run the restaurant at the airport near me was from Zimbabwe,
he was Dutch, His family was forced to leave the farm at gunpoint.
he also worked on the Allouette helicopters that you spoke of, Very interesting fellow to talk to, plus he liked our gyros.

 

[Resasi]

Scott I only observed. One of our Forum members was there on the choppers. They were interesting days.

With regard to the drooping G force gear, I haven't followed development but am supposing that having extended it for the landing one can retract it to the in flight position to decrease drag? At B days they were being flown around the pattern drooped, but then they were doing touch and go's.

I know you put a video up Mitch after modding your Blue but can't remember seeing it then come up.

Iven had put aerodynamic fairings on the tubes of his Butterfly and managed to get some drag decrease/speed increase. Was that a reasonable upgrade cost-wise?