Aurora build -
- Thread starter JMCHFranklin
- Start date
GyrOZprey
Aussie in Kansas.
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Aurora's built
Aurora's built
These are the ones I'm aware of ......
Chris Wilson's - now Glenn Kerr's .... is a transition model hybrid ...between Monarch & Aurora .... dubbed the Super-Monarch !
Lots of flying video - last couple of years...currently getting a yamaha engine make-over!
#1 Tim Verroi rebuilt / upgraded his Monarch to an Aurora with the 912 & HS PR belt-gearbox/shaft drive. He flies it hard & shows off the metro-launch & stop/drop ... STOL features very capably!
#2 - N240BM The fancy blue one ... in all the Butterfly website pictures ..... somewhere in Utah ... last I heard. Mike Brownlee's!
#3 . Was John Nagle's .... built by brother Dusty ... sold before he flew it ... sounds like the new owner is enjoying it ( LA???)
#4 Scott Bordelon's ??? ( Monarch or Aurora??)
#5 FAA search turned up one in Corning CA ....N94TC (serial #3 ... 08/30/2007 ...AW 07/18/2012)
#6???
#7 N 208BU ..."Leach Aurora" .... shown @ Oshkosh 2010 in Border patrol mode! ... sold to someone in Arizona .. & resold a while ago ....looks like registered to Jack Gilleland in La Jara CO.!
#8 N 621WC William Clark's - rancher W TX ( Larry had it @ Oshkosh 2014 ... currently listed for sale on the Butterfly website ... $60K will buy it with a $5 note in change!!!! !!)
#9 N 5560Z Oz'rora ... mine!
#10 Hector 's ... Miami FL ... pic @ BD's 2014
#11 John Franklin's N 87HC
#12----> ???????? I do not know of kit sales since John F's!
Anyone with further info ... please chime in so the list can be completed ... it would be good to know what's out there!
Aurora's built
These are the ones I'm aware of ......
Chris Wilson's - now Glenn Kerr's .... is a transition model hybrid ...between Monarch & Aurora .... dubbed the Super-Monarch !
Lots of flying video - last couple of years...currently getting a yamaha engine make-over!#1 Tim Verroi rebuilt / upgraded his Monarch to an Aurora with the 912 & HS PR belt-gearbox/shaft drive. He flies it hard & shows off the metro-launch & stop/drop ... STOL features very capably!
#2 - N240BM The fancy blue one ... in all the Butterfly website pictures ..... somewhere in Utah ... last I heard. Mike Brownlee's!
#3 . Was John Nagle's .... built by brother Dusty ... sold before he flew it ... sounds like the new owner is enjoying it ( LA???)
#4 Scott Bordelon's ??? ( Monarch or Aurora??)
#5 FAA search turned up one in Corning CA ....N94TC (serial #3 ... 08/30/2007 ...AW 07/18/2012)
#6???
#7 N 208BU ..."Leach Aurora" .... shown @ Oshkosh 2010 in Border patrol mode! ... sold to someone in Arizona .. & resold a while ago ....looks like registered to Jack Gilleland in La Jara CO.!
#8 N 621WC William Clark's - rancher W TX ( Larry had it @ Oshkosh 2014 ... currently listed for sale on the Butterfly website ... $60K will buy it with a $5 note in change!!!!
!!)#9 N 5560Z Oz'rora ... mine!
#10 Hector 's ... Miami FL ... pic @ BD's 2014
#11 John Franklin's N 87HC
#12----> ???????? I do not know of kit sales since John F's!
Anyone with further info ... please chime in so the list can be completed ... it would be good to know what's out there!
Last edited:
Steve_UK
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Hi Chris
Top notes many thanks for chipping in.
A look on the FAA suggest the following six as Auroras
002 N208BU - Jack G in Colorado
003 N94TC - Steve E in California
003 N621WC - William C in Texas
B129 N240BM - Lee B in Utah
B139 N5560Z - Chris T in Kansas
B146 N87HC - John F in Virginia
Note two "003" machines. Be nice to have the genuine Butterfly "B" numbers for the first three - gives a true sequence.
This suggest six Aurora's - maybe others "in build". Couldn't find Hectors example.
Perhaps Doug can help with more facts.
The other machines on your list are shown on FAA as Monarch ( one as a Monark )
SB002 N9971B - Louisiana
003 N920CC - Glenn K in Utah
B124 - N618TV - Tim V in South Carolina ( still shown as a Rotax 618 )
there are other Monarchs on FAA too.
Additions and corrections welcomed
Top notes many thanks for chipping in.
A look on the FAA suggest the following six as Auroras
002 N208BU - Jack G in Colorado
003 N94TC - Steve E in California
003 N621WC - William C in Texas
B129 N240BM - Lee B in Utah
B139 N5560Z - Chris T in Kansas
B146 N87HC - John F in Virginia
Note two "003" machines. Be nice to have the genuine Butterfly "B" numbers for the first three - gives a true sequence.
This suggest six Aurora's - maybe others "in build". Couldn't find Hectors example.
Perhaps Doug can help with more facts.
The other machines on your list are shown on FAA as Monarch ( one as a Monark )
SB002 N9971B - Louisiana
003 N920CC - Glenn K in Utah
B124 - N618TV - Tim V in South Carolina ( still shown as a Rotax 618 )
there are other Monarchs on FAA too.
Additions and corrections welcomed
GyrOZprey
Aussie in Kansas.
- Joined
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- Messages
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- Whitewater KS
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- Butterfly Aurora N5560Z / Titanium Explorer N456TE & N488TE/ - trained in MTOsport 446QT/488FB
- Total Flight Time
- 1023
A tangled web!!!
A tangled web!!!
Yes Steve ...... although Tim V's ... WAS originally a Monarch .... it is now all ( except for the rear keel!!) Aurora with a 912 & HSPR ( I think it may qualify as #1 )
serial numbers seem to be pretty random - in the Butterfly models! trying to sequence the Goldens/TG's ... makes one's head explode!! :wacko:
When I was building mine in 2012 I asked Larry ... how many other Auroras were out there ... he told me mine was # 9 ( including Tim's conversion) ... then came the sale to Hector in FL & John F. ... Hector did not have an N # as of April 2014 ... so it's not registered yet!
There may be other conversions out there ... still listed as a Monarch model! :noidea:
I believe Doug started out with an Aurora kit & then went on to convert to SSC! ..... may well be the one I can't account for!
A tangled web!!!
Yes Steve ...... although Tim V's ... WAS originally a Monarch .... it is now all ( except for the rear keel!!) Aurora with a 912 & HSPR ( I think it may qualify as #1 )
serial numbers seem to be pretty random - in the Butterfly models! trying to sequence the Goldens/TG's ... makes one's head explode!! :wacko:
When I was building mine in 2012 I asked Larry ... how many other Auroras were out there ... he told me mine was # 9 ( including Tim's conversion) ... then came the sale to Hector in FL & John F. ... Hector did not have an N # as of April 2014 ... so it's not registered yet!
There may be other conversions out there ... still listed as a Monarch model! :noidea:
I believe Doug started out with an Aurora kit & then went on to convert to SSC! ..... may well be the one I can't account for!
GyroDoug
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Yes Steve ...... although Tim V's ... WAS originally a Monarch .... it is now all ( except for the rear keel!!) Aurora with a 912 & HSPR ( I think it may qualify as #1 )
serial numbers seem to be pretty random - in the Butterfly models! trying to sequence the Goldens/TG's ... makes one's head explode!! :wacko:
When I was building mine in 2012 I asked Larry ... how many other Auroras were out there ... he told me mine was # 9 ( including Tim's conversion) ... then came the sale to Hector in FL & John F. ... Hector did not have an N # as of April 2014 ... so it's not registered yet!
There may be other conversions out there ... still listed as a Monarch model! :noidea:
I believe Doug started out with an Aurora kit & then went on to convert to SSC! ..... may well be the one I can't account for!
I think Chris has a better handle on this than I do. Larry doesn't really post or share this kind of information anywhere that I know of, (even with his dealers) and I haven't felt the need to try to research it and find out for myself, so I don't really have any further information to add. (except I can confirm one in UT owned by Mike Brownlee and when I first ordered my kit, that is what I ordered and then it later evolved into a SSC kit)
Steve_UK
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Doug thanks for your reply for the plus 1 in Utah.
What would you say if a potential customer asked you "how many of these things are out there flying" - "how many have been sold" or similar - I wonder if "I've no idea" would help win the sale.
Regards
What would you say if a potential customer asked you "how many of these things are out there flying" - "how many have been sold" or similar - I wonder if "I've no idea" would help win the sale.
Regards
GyroDoug
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It's not always about the money
It's not always about the money
Steve,
I agree with you, not having more detailed statistics available to share with a potential buyer could hurt my chances of closing a particular sale if that prospect felt like that was critical information to their decision process. And in fact, not having that kind of information may have actually caused me to lose a few sales. If I were a Dealer, whose was trying to make a living by selling Gyroplane kits, I would probably have a much different attitude about that than I currently do. However, I never became a Butterfly Dealer with the intent to make a lot of money (or even enough to be able to live on it). I became a Butterfly dealer because I have a Love for Gyroplanes and I personally feel like the Butterfly Line of Gyros provides the best mix of modern stable design and advanced features, that are available in the industry. If I can be involved as a dealer and help some people accomplish their dreams and at the same time help subsidize some of the costs I incur, and get a few Business deductions out of the process, I am content with that.
I have no ownership interest in the company and I don't presume to have any right to tell Larry how he ought to run his company. Personally I think Larry is a genius when it comes to Gyroplane design and development. I don't believe his strengths lie in Business Management or in Marketing. Because of that, he isn't going to compete very well with companies like AutoGyro or Magni. I am not a marketing genius either, but if that were my priority, I could probably help move the Butterfly company along in a positive direction. However, that is not a high priority on my long list of priorities today. I make a 10% commission, on any kits I help Larry sell. And I have agreed to give half of that commission away (in the form of a 5% discount) to anyone that is a PRA member, that buys a kit through me. So I don't make enough money selling kits to even cover my expenses each year to attend all the Gyro Events that I go to. So as a money making business model, that plan just doesn't fly. However, making money has never been my priority. Convincing people they should buy a Butterfly Gyro, has never been my goal.
I am involved the way I am, because I Love Gyroplanes and I love Flying, and I want to be involved in any way I can. If, along the way, I can help a few others, accomplish some of their dreams, then that puts a smile on my face and makes me feel good. And that's enough for me.
It's not always about the money
Steve,
I agree with you, not having more detailed statistics available to share with a potential buyer could hurt my chances of closing a particular sale if that prospect felt like that was critical information to their decision process. And in fact, not having that kind of information may have actually caused me to lose a few sales. If I were a Dealer, whose was trying to make a living by selling Gyroplane kits, I would probably have a much different attitude about that than I currently do. However, I never became a Butterfly Dealer with the intent to make a lot of money (or even enough to be able to live on it). I became a Butterfly dealer because I have a Love for Gyroplanes and I personally feel like the Butterfly Line of Gyros provides the best mix of modern stable design and advanced features, that are available in the industry. If I can be involved as a dealer and help some people accomplish their dreams and at the same time help subsidize some of the costs I incur, and get a few Business deductions out of the process, I am content with that.
I have no ownership interest in the company and I don't presume to have any right to tell Larry how he ought to run his company. Personally I think Larry is a genius when it comes to Gyroplane design and development. I don't believe his strengths lie in Business Management or in Marketing. Because of that, he isn't going to compete very well with companies like AutoGyro or Magni. I am not a marketing genius either, but if that were my priority, I could probably help move the Butterfly company along in a positive direction. However, that is not a high priority on my long list of priorities today. I make a 10% commission, on any kits I help Larry sell. And I have agreed to give half of that commission away (in the form of a 5% discount) to anyone that is a PRA member, that buys a kit through me. So I don't make enough money selling kits to even cover my expenses each year to attend all the Gyro Events that I go to. So as a money making business model, that plan just doesn't fly. However, making money has never been my priority. Convincing people they should buy a Butterfly Gyro, has never been my goal.
I am involved the way I am, because I Love Gyroplanes and I love Flying, and I want to be involved in any way I can. If, along the way, I can help a few others, accomplish some of their dreams, then that puts a smile on my face and makes me feel good. And that's enough for me.
jeffreygbassett
Newbie
912 on barnstormers
912 on barnstormers
John, in case is slipped by: ROTAX 912 ULS 100 HP 278 HRS • $11,000 • FOR SALE BY BUILDER • Rotax model 912 ULS Fr MK TW 100 hp serial number 4429826 - VERY STRONG 278 hrs - $11,000.00 Czech 1150 strait floats and mounting kit - $4300.00 Sensenich ground adjustable carbon fiber prop and spinner - $1000.00 Wings and control surfaces - $1000.00 each Bubble doors - $300.00 Tail - $600.00 Andair gascolator - $150.00 Andair fuel selector - $150.00 3 man life raft - $600.00 Lithium Ion battery - $200.00 Grand Rapids EIS - &450.00 Amerihing crop AK-350 altitude encoder $90.00 • Contact Francis H. Muldoon, Owner - located Key West, FL USA • Telephone: 305-304-8960 . • Posted August 28, 2014 - thought I'd mention it cause it doesn't show under the Rotax meta tag.
912 on barnstormers
John, in case is slipped by: ROTAX 912 ULS 100 HP 278 HRS • $11,000 • FOR SALE BY BUILDER • Rotax model 912 ULS Fr MK TW 100 hp serial number 4429826 - VERY STRONG 278 hrs - $11,000.00 Czech 1150 strait floats and mounting kit - $4300.00 Sensenich ground adjustable carbon fiber prop and spinner - $1000.00 Wings and control surfaces - $1000.00 each Bubble doors - $300.00 Tail - $600.00 Andair gascolator - $150.00 Andair fuel selector - $150.00 3 man life raft - $600.00 Lithium Ion battery - $200.00 Grand Rapids EIS - &450.00 Amerihing crop AK-350 altitude encoder $90.00 • Contact Francis H. Muldoon, Owner - located Key West, FL USA • Telephone: 305-304-8960 . • Posted August 28, 2014 - thought I'd mention it cause it doesn't show under the Rotax meta tag.
CLS447
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What does a full blown Aurora weigh ? How much thrust does the 912 put out with the prop that comes with it ?
GyrOZprey
Aussie in Kansas.
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Aurora stats...
Aurora stats...
My data plate shows 525 empty wt.
I had it on 3 bathroom scales recently with about 14g fuel .... mains weighed about 240# & nose 40# ..... I was trying to juggle it on my own & far from scientific ... just had 3 scales available & curious to see wt distribution ..... one of the scales seemed inaccurate & I switched it to the other main to confirm the discrepancy!
I have most of the extra options ( except wheel-pants) on my machine .. so it's a "heavy" version. John's or Tango's will be leaner/lighter!
Thrust test @ Mentone showed 420 static @ 5400 Erpm with 4 blade power-fin ( 912 prop) set to 10.75` @ tip ..... about 14` @ the 75% point from center of hub.
This prop is the F blade version ... the original was a C blade ( replaced after PP-bolt disaster!)
After seeing the improvement in Kent's MTO with the new WarpDrive prop he recently installed ... I'd like to try one ..... or one of Abids props!
Aurora stats...
My data plate shows 525 empty wt.
I had it on 3 bathroom scales recently with about 14g fuel .... mains weighed about 240# & nose 40# ..... I was trying to juggle it on my own & far from scientific ... just had 3 scales available & curious to see wt distribution ..... one of the scales seemed inaccurate & I switched it to the other main to confirm the discrepancy!
I have most of the extra options ( except wheel-pants) on my machine .. so it's a "heavy" version. John's or Tango's will be leaner/lighter!
Thrust test @ Mentone showed 420 static @ 5400 Erpm with 4 blade power-fin ( 912 prop) set to 10.75` @ tip ..... about 14` @ the 75% point from center of hub.
This prop is the F blade version ... the original was a C blade ( replaced after PP-bolt disaster!)
After seeing the improvement in Kent's MTO with the new WarpDrive prop he recently installed ... I'd like to try one ..... or one of Abids props!
JMCHFranklin
Newbie
Yes Chris Burgess owned it the other day. I'm in awe of those few that will take the risks of flying something some other knucklehead built as to reduce some of the risk later on when the knucklehead goes to get in the seat. Chris is first class and a true professional!
JMCHFranklin
Newbie
Thanks Jefferey for the for sale list but I think I'm pretty much done
Brent Drake
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I sure hope someone continues to build them. They were nice machines.
Heck I have a complete shop. I'm sure I could build them.
Heck I have a complete shop. I'm sure I could build them.
JMCHFranklin
Newbie
I hope so too. Unfortunately we're pilgrimed for now though.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JMCHFranklin
Newbie
Here's two videos of Chris Burgess helping me finally get my machine up in the air:
https://youtu.be/5XNyePI6esI
https://youtu.be/5FgD5uhvjR4
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
https://youtu.be/5XNyePI6esI
https://youtu.be/5FgD5uhvjR4
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
All_In
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Congratulations... Way to go!
GyrOZprey
Aussie in Kansas.
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Awesome news
Awesome news
THATS GREAT to hear! ....A major milestone on your path! :whoo:
I thought the stick looked incredibly smooth!
I was pleased to see the feet-off-pedals demo ( Desmon did just the same in mine ...after we put in the heavier springs!!) :yo:
Looks like the two of you have it dialed in nicely!
Next video ... YOU doing the balancing runs!!eace:
Keep plugging away ... YOU WILL - get there!
Awesome news
THATS GREAT to hear! ....A major milestone on your path! :whoo:
I thought the stick looked incredibly smooth!
I was pleased to see the feet-off-pedals demo ( Desmon did just the same in mine ...after we put in the heavier springs!!) :yo:
Looks like the two of you have it dialed in nicely!
Next video ... YOU doing the balancing runs!!
eace:Keep plugging away ... YOU WILL - get there!
Last edited:
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Congratulations!
Chris Burgess
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Lots of "mods" to flight. John has been a real trooper all the way. Never fussed "much" and most changes have been for safety anyway. Still some small hurtles to "stride" over but it's flying pretty well now. The Shenandoah Valley is really pretty country. No wonder folks love it.
gyrokam
Member
Great job!
Great job!
Way to go, John! Can't wait to see you in the friendly skies!
-Kurt
Great job!
Way to go, John! Can't wait to see you in the friendly skies!
-Kurt
