A beautiful Lightning by Niki Rotor Aviation is ready for fight testing...

PeterFromLA

Active Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
289
Location
Los Angeles
Aircraft
American Ranger AR-1, Kallithea
Total Flight Time
1,100+
Although the general aerodynamics have been tested extensively there are still some mechanical components that need to be brought to a higher level of reliability. The latest upgrades need to be tested as well.


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It certainly is a lovely design. I would be interested in hearing about slip roll coupling as there seems to be a lot of side surface area with doors on.
 
Gee, I got all excited when they said "Lightning".
Only to see this dreadnaught class cruiser.
In the world of gyros that is so microscopically small, can't you guys come up with an original name?
Why not call it a B8M? Oh, wait....
 
Gee, I got all excited when they said "Lightning".
Only to see this dreadnaught class cruiser.
In the world of gyros that is so microscopically small, can't you guys come up with an original name?
Why not call it a B8M? Oh, wait....
Me too, I was thinking Sport Copter.
 
Me 3!
You might want to check US Trademarks? You may be sued if trademarked.
It will be confusing naming it after an existing gyroplane model being sold all over the world for the last 20+ years.
 
PS: US Law and our history...
Bensen trademarked "gyrocopter".
No other make or model can/could be called a gyrocopter but a Bensen!!!
That is why everything but a Bensen is a GYROPLANE and not a gyrocopter.
 
PS: US Law and our history...
Bensen trademarked "gyrocopter".
No other make or model can/could be called a gyrocopter but a Bensen!!!
That is why everything but a Bensen is a GYROPLANE and not a gyrocopter.
Bensen's gyrocopter trademark expired long ago.

The FAA calls them gyroplanes.

People can call a gyroplane whatever they want.
 
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Bensen's gyrocopter trademark expired long ago.
Consider:
If someone says/types Autogyro I think of the Creator Juan De Cerva
Still, today if someone says gyrocopter I think it's a Bensen.
If they say gyroplane I know it's not a Bensen.
If the media reports a helicopter crash. I know there is a 50/50 chance they do not know the difference between a Helicopter, Autogyro, gyrocopter, or gyroplane.

And...
Yes because he/PRA did not do the slight maintenance required.
  • First maintenance, 5-6 years after the trademark registration date.
  • Second maintenance, 9-10 years after the trademark registration date
  • Every ten years after the second maintenance
I only recently trademarked PRA and its logo for the first time as well as several products and the new website automatically emails all BOD members every month in the year before maintenance is required so that will not happen to PRA.
 
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Consider:
If someone says/types Autogyro I think of the Creator Juan De Cerva
Still, today if someone says gyrocopter I think it's a Bensen.
If they say gyroplane I know it's not a Bensen.
If the media reports a helicopter crash. I know there is a 50/50 chance they do not know the difference between a Helicopter, Autogyro, gyrocopter, or gyroplane.
Juan de la Cierva invented the autogiro and called it an autogiro.

Both Harold Pitcairn and W. Wallace Kellett; two well-known manufactures of autogiros spelled it autogiro too.

I don’t know who changed the spelling to autogyro.

It was probably just a typographical error.

AutoGyro GMBH appears to embrace the spelling.
 
This looks cool. There is one of these with D motor sitting somewhere in central Florida for the last 5 or 6 years because it didn't really work and then they switched to Rotax motor and did their own gearbox for this configuration 5 years ago and I believe they have been testing it since off and on.
 
Juan de la Cierva invented the autogiro and called it an autogiro.
Both Harold Pitcairn and W. Wallace Kellett; two well-known manufactures of autogiros spelled it autogiro too.
I don’t know who changed the spelling to autogyro.
It was probably just a typographical error.
AutoGyro GMBH appears to embrace the spelling.
It's not a typographical error.
In greek the word for circle/spin, γύρος (gyros) has the letter upsilon as its first vowel, which is usually transliterated into the roman alphabet as a y (sometimes a u). The letter iota is represented by i, which is not present in this greek word.
That's why in english we spell the word "gyro", as in gyration, gyroscope, etc. I believe french also uses a y spelling for such roots, e.g. gyrer (to spin).
But spanish uses i for upsilon (e.g. psicologia (psychology)) and JdlC was spanish, of course (with Pitcairn and Kellett operating under license to him).

PS in french the letter y is called i grec (greek i).
 
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As mentioned by post #3, is here enough rudder surface area to counter act any side loads during cruise if it yaws?
 
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