Calidus N279AT 12/13/2023

[Vance]

Stevensville, Maryland

Aircraft rolled over on its side while attempting to land.

One person, No injuries

Registered to Steven j Mance

Poughkeepsie, New York

 

[knussear]

That's the US autogyro mothership.

 

[Abid]

Interestingly enough I just read a paper on dynamic rollover of a gyroplane right after landing. Obviously this happens while landing too fast and at high RRPM pushing the stick forward displacing the rotor force but AG specifically could assist a bit more by making the distance of their main wheels to CG better but mainly a pilot technique thing

 

[Jean Claude]

I just read a paper on dynamic rollover of a gyroplane right after landing.

Please, could you share it with us?

 

[WaspAir]

It's usually the surface that creates dynamic rollover risk in helicopters (slope too steep, obstruction such as taxiway light catches a skid, etc.). Speed seems to be the culprit for gyroplanes. I would find the paper interesting, too.

 

[rsalazar]

This is one of the papers

 

[knussear]

This is one of the papers

Thanks for that. Really interesting.

 

[Vance]

From the text of: Dynamic Rollover of Gyroplanes during Landing–Cause and Prevention

“Touching down on the main wheels at an airspeed of about 50 km/h (31mph or 27kts). The control stick is slowly pulled backward while rolling out on the main wheels. By this, the rotor plane is tilted back further producing signifcant rotor drag which slows down the gyroplane most efectively without using the wheel brakes.”

This is significantly divergent from what I teach.

I prefer to touch down at less than five knots of ground speed (indicated air speed depends on the wind and my airspeed indicator doesn’t read below 9kts).

During an elegant landing I run out of airspeed and altitude at the same time.

This is a landing with a 15kt headwind.

 

[Jean Claude]

https://www.rotaryforum.com/attachments/s13272-022-00575-5-1-pdf.1159999/

This document is interesting. However, I wonder what is the value of this analysis, which does not take into account the fact that lifting the fully unloaded wheel produces a tilt around the axis joining the ground contact points of the other two wheels, which reduces the angle of attack and lift of the rotor.
This reduction in lift tends to lower the wheel, so that roll could remain steady with only two wheels in contact with the ground.

 

[TyroGyro]

...while attempting to land.

Try NOT to land.

Keep it in the air (@2ft) for as long as possible, while it runs out of energy...

 

[Abid]

From the text of: Dynamic Rollover of Gyroplanes during Landing–Cause and Prevention

“Touching down on the main wheels at an airspeed of about 50 km/h (31mph or 27kts). The control stick is slowly pulled backward while rolling out on the main wheels. By this, the rotor plane is tilted back further producing signifcant rotor drag which slows down the gyroplane most efectively without using the wheel brakes.”

Yeah if you are touching down your mains at 31 mph or 50 Km/hour, what the heck are you doing flying a gyroplane. Go fly an airplane because that is where you belong. That would be embarrassing for me.

 

[Vance]

Yeah if you are touching down your mains at 31 mph or 50 Km/hour, what the heck are you doing flying a gyroplane. Go fly an airplane because that is where you belong. That would be embarrassing for me.

I feel their high touchdown speed may contribute to the high number of landing mishaps.

The paper feels distant from my experience landing gyroplanes.

 

[PJB]

Merry Christmas all - end of the day here in the UK - and quick point here re touch down speed.

There is likely some element of exaggerated number given to touch down speed if you land on the main gear simply because of the fact circa over 30mph the aircraft is still flying at an AoA that puts the main gear on the ground such that you don’t land very flat.

Personally I think it’s less a question of Gyroplane v Aeroplane and more about a picture/ impression of landing attitude, especially because nobody is (should) be looking at the ASI at this point.