NOSEWHEEL DESIGN - On most gyros, the nosewheel and rudder are interconnected, which creates an inherent problem for cross-wind take-offs and landings: Exceedingly low take-off and touch-down speeds are true hallmarks of gyrocopter performance; however, in cross-wind situations, a low forward speed makes any cross-wind component potentially destabilizing if the nosewheel is not aligned with the aircraft's actual path when contacting the ground. With an interconnected nosewheel and rudder, the alignment of the nosewheel is dictated solely by the position of the rudder, which means that in typical cross-wind maneuvers (such as forward slips, pilot-induced aerodynamic skids or "crabbed" lift-offs and touch downs) the rudder--and therefore the nosewheel--will not be aligned with the actual ground path, which can result in the classic ground-loop.
We have an independent system: First, our nosewheel is free-castering, so it aligns itself instantly upon ground contact, eliminating any tendency to ground-loop. Second, our nosewheel features an ingenious high-viscosity shimmy-dampening system which provides unsurpassed stabilization at all speeds. Third, our nosewheel uses double swing-arm suspension with twin-impact compression bosses (which are actually an integral component of the shimmy-dampening system) giving Sport Copter unrivaled stability and controllability-even at high speeds and over very rough terrain. In short, our nosewheel system design is amazingly simple and effective. . . and the only one of its kind.
Finally, there is the matter of steering a Sport Copter on the ground with a free-castering nose wheel. Traditionally, non-steerable nosewheels have displayed rather demanding taxiing characteristics, but in the case of the Sport Copter series, steering is easy and smooth. There are three primary reasons for this:
1) The high-viscosity anti-shimmy mechanism defeats the "hunting" tendency of a free-caster to amplify or over-steer answers to steering inputs. The viscosity mechanism instantly "brackets" all steering commands.
2) Primary steering input is accomplished by independent toe-operated hydraulic disk brakes, integrally mounted with the rudder pedals (all four pedals in the two place model). These brakes are thoroughly effective and show no propensity to fade.
3) It is axiomatic that for any ground vehicle, a properly-designed steering system will seek to center itself in the absence of any other input. The Sport Copter accomplishes this by a single spring-loaded centering device which effectively maintains whatever steering input has already been "bracketed" by the viscous damper.
The net result is not only authoritative steering, but an aircraft that practically "nails" itself to the runway centerline during take-offs and landings.
