Mr Toad prepares to become a gyroplane private pilot

My writing is prone to misinterpretation. So not sure everyone will understand my explanation. But I get it and know what to do next take-off.



Vance to the rescue with a phone call that is most helpful.
He has explained that I can push the stick all the way forward in a continuous smooth motion until she flies off.
And he described how the delay changes with the angle of the disk and how quickly you change/move the disk angle.

Aside to Vance on the phone call yes I've been taught the following POH for take-off and doing them but the main problem was trying to stop the stick afraid the nose wheel will hit/bounce and dart = stage right and tip over. With the 915 you hit the right rudder to the stop.


Check engine has reached full power for take-off. Otherwise, abort take-off
 Commencing the take-off run with high rotor rpm (280-320) and the stick fully back
means that there is a high starting drag load. The aircraft has to accelerate to approx.
50mph (depending on loading) to take off, and achieve the rotor rpm for the loading
conditions.
Therefore, to minimize the drag and enable maximum acceleration at high rotor rpm,
move the stick forwards to approximately the mid position as the aircraft starts to
move. Monitor rotor rpm carefully ensuring that it is increasing, if the stick is too far
forwards the rotor rpm will decay, and a serious accident can be caused!
 When the nose comes up allow the nose wheel to float at about 10 – 15 cm above the
runway by a balanced change of control stick position
 Minimize lateral drift by applying appropriate lateral control stick input into a crosswind
direction
 Maintain directional control i.e. runway alignment with sensitive pedal input
 Maintain attitude until speed increases and gyroplane lifts off (at about 80kmh
(50mph, 45KIAS), depending on loading and rotor)
 Allow gyroplane to build-up speed in ground effect
 
My writing is prone to misinterpretation. So not sure everyone will understand my explanation. But I get it and know what to do next take-off.



Vance to the rescue with a phone call that is most helpful.
He has explained that I can push the stick all the way forward in a continuous smooth motion until she flies off.
And he described how the delay changes with the angle of the disk and how quickly you change/move the disk angle.

Aside to Vance on the phone call yes I've been taught the following POH for take-off and doing them but the main problem was trying to stop the stick afraid the nose wheel will hit/bounce and dart = stage right and tip over. With the 915 you hit the right rudder to the stop.


Check engine has reached full power for take-off. Otherwise, abort take-off
 Commencing the take-off run with high rotor rpm (280-320) and the stick fully back
means that there is a high starting drag load. The aircraft has to accelerate to approx.
50mph (depending on loading) to take off, and achieve the rotor rpm for the loading
conditions.
Therefore, to minimize the drag and enable maximum acceleration at high rotor rpm,
move the stick forwards to approximately the mid position as the aircraft starts to
move. Monitor rotor rpm carefully ensuring that it is increasing, if the stick is too far
forwards the rotor rpm will decay, and a serious accident can be caused!
 When the nose comes up allow the nose wheel to float at about 10 – 15 cm above the
runway by a balanced change of control stick position
 Minimize lateral drift by applying appropriate lateral control stick input into a crosswind
direction
 Maintain directional control i.e. runway alignment with sensitive pedal input
 Maintain attitude until speed increases and gyroplane lifts off (at about 80kmh
(50mph, 45KIAS), depending on loading and rotor)
 Allow gyroplane to build-up speed in ground effect
In my opinion you may move the cyclic continuously forward as your rotor lift and airspeed increases John, not all the way forward.

All the way forward will put you into the ground.

In my opinion the problem you described is starting with the stick too far back so that the nose comes up too fast and you have to move the stick too far forward to catch it.

I feel the POH for the 915 powered Cavalon is specific about not starting with the cyclic all the way back.
 
the main problem was trying to stop the stick afraid the nose wheel will hit/bounce and dart = stage right and tip over. With the 915 you hit the right rudder to the stop.
An interesting issue if the 915 Cavalon really requires that much rudder on takeoff... but maybe full 915 power/torque is not really required to get "all wheels up"?
In my M16/912S once the nose wheel starts to come off, I can just put it back on the ground, briefly, with no issues of bouncing or darting. If I do that, I get to Vy airspeed in about two seconds and my rrpm does not decay appreciably in that span. I was actually taught to do this for short-field takeoffs (off a hard surface only). That works fine with a M16/914 also. I know the nose wheel geometry of Autogyros is a bit different...
PS I just read what Vance wrote about not having the stick all the way back on the 915 Cavalon... makes sense.
 
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In my opinion you may move the cyclic continuously forward as your rotor lift and airspeed increases John, not all the way forward.

All the way forward will put you into the ground.

In my opinion the problem you described is starting with the stick too far back so that the nose comes up too fast and you have to move the stick too far forward to catch it.

I feel the POH for the 915 powered Cavalon is specific about not starting with the cyclic all the way back.
I've only had 2 hrs of take-offs and landings maybe 16 or max 20 landings without looking at my logbook.

When you asked where is the stick when you begin the take-off roll I could not remember without starting at the begging of the procedure I could not instantly remember the steps out of order. I misspoke and then had to answer the phone for my daughter's call and did not get time to think about the procedures.

The answer I now know and knew if I had thought about it is: I'm trained to put it in the center in the forwarded and back position and a little left of center for left and right. Which explains more than the POH.

Also, remember I told you that I'd been slowly increasing power to only a few hundred RPM below the yellow line.
And you ask why full power? That is how I was instructed IIRC will specifically ask next time.

I'm going to reduce my RPM by almost 1K to 4500 RPM and see if I cannot balance on my mains for a longer period of time to practice.
 
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What sort of inspection will that be?
Good morning Tyger!
Mike ??? a DAR is coming to inspect her for the FAA registration.

Then because the manufacture had no builder assistance. It was built by Dave Bacon and me, Dave has much more experience building KB2's and Bensen and I only have common sense and experience successfully being anything I've tried from, houses, to boats, to dune buggies, etc.

Even though the FAA approved it as airworthy. I've seen the FAA give certificates for aircraft that aerodynamically could and did not ever get off the ground. For the experimental category, you could put wings on a rock with a motor 1/20 the power needed to fly but you can get it registered as being built correctly. That is not an inspection for if it can actually fly.

That why using a DAR who flys and knows the particular model is the best choice. Our DAR does not know this model, only inspected a few GYRO, Cavalon is one of them. But is a high-time fixed-wing pilot. Like me, I could teach you how to fly a gyroplane once in the air. It flys like any other aircraft I've flown in all categories and maybe how to land her, that has NOT been a problem, seeing the glide slope is the same in anything I've flown for over 30 years.
The only problem for me is I'm truly guessing how high my mains are really off the ground. I'm looking down the runway but just cannot feel it like I have always been able to do.

I've guest well so far with only one 5 foot too high that I needed to apply power.

It may be a death trap????

Dr. Raul Salazar, one of the 1st dealers & the test pilot for manufacture, another brother of mine, called me and offered to do the real inspection, tweaking, rigging, and test-flying her for us.
And he will transition me from the Cavalon to the ARGON, After my next 3 days of lessons with Henry.
 
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An interesting issue if the 915 Cavalon really requires that much rudder on takeoff... but maybe full 915 power/torque is not really required to get "all wheels up"?
In my M16/912S once the nose wheel starts to come off, I can just put it back on the ground, briefly, with no issues of bouncing or darting. If I do that, I get to Vy airspeed in about two seconds and my rrpm does not decay appreciably in that span. I was actually taught to do this for short-field takeoffs (off a hard surface only). That works fine with a M16/914 also. I know the nose wheel geometry of Autogyros are a bit different...
PS I just read what Vance wrote about not having the stick all the way back on the 915 Cavalon... makes sense.
BINGO, we have a winner!!!

I believe that is part of the problem, Tyger. Trying to balance on the mains with way too much power for my so little weight. She does not want to balance but just fly off and I'm trying to keep her down to balance on the mains without the feel for how much and how quickly to move the stick.

Yes, the nose wheel on the Cavalon is hard coupled and I fear it will dart when it hits/bounces on the ground. Henry assures me many students have bounced on take-off with no darting ever!!! This is a PERSONAL physiological block created from years of rumors that is why they tip over but it was on landings. It was NOT on take-offs IIRC.
 
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Understand, it embarrassing to me to have to admit to myself and the WORLD that I suck!!!

However, if any other transiting FW pilot had posted the ugly for me. I might not be having these drunken pilots act routines.

But I'm having the best time in my life in SEVEN YEARS. I love to fly anything but gyros are the most fun of all.
Secretly wish I could lie and tell you all it was so easy and I nailed it.
 
PS:
You would have to be an idiot to self-train to takeoff and land in a modern heavy gyroplane. Just knowing Henry is there allows me to trial and error anything without FEAR and it all becomes just FUN.
 
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Mike ??? a DAR is coming to inspect her for the FAA registration.
Oh interesting.
In my case they insisted that it had to be registered before it could be given an airworthiness inspection by a DAR, so I was curious; and that is indeed how it happened.
 
Oh interesting.
In my case they insisted that it had to be registered before it could be given an airworthiness inspection by a DAR, so I was curious; and that is indeed how it happened.
Oh, I understand your question now. You are correct I misspoke as usual. The DAR registered it a week/.month or more ago she is N4446S. This is just the inspection for the airworthiness certificate
 
I finished all of the wirings today.
Everything now works.

Had to take apart almost all of the A&P's wiring because he had them draped over the control stick rod.

They would have all worn through from the movement over time.
The closes wire to the rod is now 3" from the rod and it looks open in comparison and not a spaghetti mess.

He zip-tied almost nothing so it was not that hard to take apart as most were plug-in connectors too.
It took 4 or 5 hours to rearrange the wires in bundles going to about the same location and zip-tie them.
The biggest pain in the butt was when we attached the pitch trim in the manufactures pre-drilled holes and ran it for the first time.
Click, click, click was heard and I stop it. When back under on a creeper and had Dave run it and the pully was misaligned so the cable was outside of the center groove of the pully and clicking on the metal pully attachment bracket. Had to get a short drill and 90-degree drill bit then re-drill 3 holes and reattach it. Of course, the control stick rod was in the way of the last hole and the drill and bit would not fit. The only quick solution was to drill it at an angle with a much smaller diameter drill exactly in the center and then. That the trim motor back off and redrill it from the inside straight with the correct diameter drill. Dang can nothing be easy????????????

Only need to apply placards to a few switches and maybe play with the avionics tomorrow and give her a bath inside and out.
 
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Oh, I understand your question now. You are correct I misspoke as usual. The DAR registered it a week/.month or more ago she is N4446S. This is just the inspection for the airworthiness certificate
John:

I don't think the DAR did the registration. When I did mine the Forms are very specific re ownership, certification and requires the owner to have one of the forms notarized. The process takes 60 plus days after the FAA in OK City gets the package. This machine was registered in April 2021 by Ron.....
 
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John:

I don't think the DAR did the registration. When I did mine the Forms are very specific re ownership, certification and requires the owner to have one of the forms notarized. The process takes 60 plus days after the FAA in OK City gets the package. This machine was registered in April 2021 by Ron.....
The owner paid to have the DAR fill out the paperwork for him is what I was told when I asked if I should do it. I'll call Ron and ask where the paperwork is and have him bring it tomorrow if it's not already in the gyro.
 
He was in such a hurry he paid $1,000 a day for 4 days to an A&P to wire it. Because I could not until PRA's website was published and I could not tell when that would happen.
Told him that was a huge waste of money, and that I'll bet I have my license before he does and there will be time to wire it before anyone in our group can fly her with you.
I was right and I had to redo 80% of it. But the a&P did hook up the things he did correctly just not everything and it was a mess!!!!
 
Called Ron yes he paid to have it registered for him and he is bringing:

  • Registration Certificate
  • Operating Handbook
  • Weight and Balance (which he paid an A&P to do [moment/Arm W&B] for him too)

So I can put them in the aircraft. Tuesday if she passes inspection, I will add the final document needed to fly her the Airworthiness Certificate.
 
PS: because we will be flying in Mexico will get and add a Radio Station License (international flights only)

The documents needed in the aircraft are:

The way to remember what documents you need is with the acronym AROW.
  • Airworthiness Certificate
  • Registration Certificate
  • Operating Handbook
  • Weight and Balance
And for International flights, it is spelled correctly.
ARROW
  • Airworthiness Certificate
  • Registration Certificate
  • Radio Station License (international flights only)
  • Operating Handbook
  • Weight and Balance

It is not legal to fly any registered aircraft without these documents IN THE AIRCRAFT. That includes certified aircraft too.
 
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Just curious, does Mexico recognize Basic Med? (Canada does not)
What about Sport Pilot privileges? OK in Mexico?
 
Just curious, does Mexico recognize Basic Med? (Canada does not)
What about Sport Pilot privileges? OK in Mexico?
We have a treaty with Mexico.
What I know for sure is the treaty is to accept all US-registered aircraft.
Not sure about the pilot privileges in the treaty.

WARNING I've been grounded for 7 years so this information is dated!

And they have never asked me for my pilot's license in 40 years of flying in Mexico. Your pilot's lic # is requested at a few airports paperwork. But very, very few for me personally.

I know I've helped 20 or more Sport Pilots pre-fill out the paperwork needed so they could copy it when there. It is about the same paperwork as on my boat in the first port of call you enter in each country.
None of them have had any problems.
I've helped 500 or more certified pilots learn how and none of them had any problems.
I've flown in South America back in the '80s and it was the same paperwork and they never asked to see my pilot license either. So I do not really know if they recognize our or your pilot's privileges. So far the majority of the time it seems if I flew in I must be a pilot?????
 
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