AR-1 Gyroplane - US Made begins production

Abid

AR-1 gyro manufacturer
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
Messages
6,257
Location
Tampa, FL
Aircraft
AR-1
Total Flight Time
4000+ 560 gyroplanes. Sport CFI Gyro and Trikes. Pilot Airplane
Folding mast. Removable tail section, optional cargo pods, 7075-T6 Aluminum leaf gear, 17.5 US Gallon fuel tanks, canopy or no canopy (optional) convertible gyroplane begins production. 6 orders in progress, would love more. Inquire at [email protected]

Its based on tried and true AG-1 design but with no pneumatic system and should be lighter than AG-1. All production done in Florida on east and west coast and Averso Stella rotors come from France.
 

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This is Great news Abid. Can't wait to see them Fly.

Sincerely Scott
 
Outstanding ! Keep us posted on your progress.
 
I almost forgot - what kind of pre-rotor are you planning on using ?
 
I almost forgot - what kind of pre-rotor are you planning on using ?

Same exact one used in AG-1 just with the same Bendix (mechanical) that is used by Tom Milton (but I did not buy it from him, as its a Lycoming engine and other engine standard part that you simply take out the pressure spring out of) and a mechanical way of activating the tightening of the belt at the gearbox. Very simple, straight forward and no air valves.
 
I think this is some of the most exciting news ever!!!
 
specs

specs

Abid, are specs available yet, gross weight, payload capability ect. Would love to know more about it. Also, will the prices be stable, or tied to a foreign currency exchange?
 
Congratulations. Gyros are such a good idea, that they need to be promoted much more. The American market is the key. The FAA needs to come to the party. The Europeans are forging ahead while the US guys are being held back.
 
Congratulations. Gyros are such a good idea, that they need to be promoted much more. The American market is the key. The FAA needs to come to the party. The Europeans are forging ahead while the US guys are being held back.


Hi Will:
FAA needs to keep out of the party. The biggest number of aircraft sold in the US are Experimental kit aircraft not GA certified ones. I know what you are saying but trust me we have to be careful what we wish for. SLSA gyroplanes with ASTM compliance is one thing but going to Type Certification like FAA wants for gyroplanes is going to make them completely unaffordable for the market, reduce the market size and in practical terms hardly any safety benefit.
The European markets are doing club (DULV/BUT, Permit to Fly) certifications. I don't really consider those real Type Certifications. The equivalent certification there would be with EASA and EASA is much cheaper and much easier than FAA in Type Certification
 
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Abid, are specs available yet, gross weight, payload capability ect. Would love to know more about it. Also, will the prices be stable, or tied to a foreign currency exchange?


Hi Stephen:
Very similar to AG-1 except empty weight is lower

Empty Weight (SS 304L material frame, FAA approved and traked Fiberglass cloth and resins, 7075-T6 leaf spring landing gear): 600 lbs (912ULS), 623 lbs (914UL).

Canopy option adds: 21 pounds

Gross Weight: 1232 lbs

Style: Pusher, trigear, tandem seating, optional convertible canopy with cabin heat available (can be added in the field at any time. $9500 option)

Minimum Speed (Vmin): 20 mph

Max straight and level speed (Vh), 914UL: 112 mph

General Cruise: 55 mph - 100 mph

Never Exceed Speed (Vne): 120 mph

Takeoff ground roll at ISA Sea Level (calm air, level tarmac, pre-rotate to 220 RRPM): ~ 300 feet

Landing ground roll: 0 to 30 feet with proper technique

Rate of Climb at sea level, ISA: 780 FPM (912ULS)/950 FPM (914UL)

Fuel: 17.2 USG

Rotor: Averso Stella, 27' 10"


PRICES are in USD and only related to Euro in as much as Rotax engine and Averso Stella rotors that come from Europe have an effect on them. Everything else is in USD so should not be tied to Euro. Rotax prices do fluctuate in the US depending on Kodiak distributor. Generally twice a year. The prices will be kept in check and be competitive to European brands. We have given lower pricing to our first batch of orders as these customers/dealers have trusted in us and they deserve a break. I had all slots filled in for first batch but one has opened up for possible sale due to health issues that one owner has unexpectedly come across. Beyond that other orders will be in batch#2
 
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Folding mast. Removable tail section

Abid, can you post some photos on the folding mast. How long does it take to fold the mast and is it designed to be done after each flight?

Also what part of the tail section is removable? The tail feathers (or just the HS) or the tubing itself aft of the firewall. How long does it take to accomplish this.
I am trying to see how fast this can go from sitting inside a trailer to flying. Of-course the rotor blades need to be attached too.

Thanks
 
Please post progress pictures, we are all excited about this.
 
Looks very good Abid ,Would love to come down and see your production working.
Do you have prices on all the options and a finished kit?
Good going my friend !!
 
I will get some pictures guys. Here are a couple I took earlier of our head welder Lonny with Roy (fabrication helper). The second one is Clemens Wolf, our new assembly shop chief who is an immigrant to the US from Austria kind of like me and has been an IA with FAA for the last 10 years. I have known Clemens for about a decade and its great to have him on my staff. Clemens is responsible for Quality Assurance and all mechanical assembly procedures and guiding assembly staff properly. There are a few more people in the shop including another A&P, two engineers, Greg, me and a few others and with your help we hope to grow further.
Our composite shop is also in Florida but in New Smyrna Beach run by former United Airlines Composite Repairs Manager Roy. So just plain old US skilled folk doing fabrication and assembly, just in case someone wondered :). Our hope for US market is that we will train our dealers in time so they can commence assembly with customers in their own areas in their own time and schedule using fabricated parts from us and support.

The price of the Day VFR 912ULS gyroplane kit is $60k and with builder's assist $65k.
Best Regards,
Abid
 

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Looks very good Abid ,Would love to come down and see your production working.
Do you have prices on all the options and a finished kit?
Good going my friend !!

Thanks. You are welcome to come down any time but probably as we start finishing first batch would be a very good time. Yes I have most of the prices now and I am going to keep them competitive with foreign brands. Oh and we still make trikes too, you can see one blue one in the background in the second picture and I am very proud of that.
 
Abid- I wish you much success. I love your gyro and having Greg onboard really makes it a professional group.
 
Abid, can you post some photos on the folding mast. How long does it take to fold the mast and is it designed to be done after each flight?

Also what part of the tail section is removable? The tail feathers (or just the HS) or the tubing itself aft of the firewall. How long does it take to accomplish this.
I am trying to see how fast this can go from sitting inside a trailer to flying. Of-course the rotor blades need to be attached too.

Thanks

Hi:
It can be folded after each flight but to be honest, you are talking about taking the rotors down, boxing them, folding the mast. This is mainly done for ease of trailering and for shipping the gyro around.
If your mission is to fly and bring the gyroplane back to your place each time, folding the mast is not going to be the time consuming part. Breaking apart the rotor blades and putting them back together and stringing them and installing back would be the time consuming part. You would want to come up with a system you can take the rotor off but keep it intact so as not to have to string it each time. That would kill it. Anyway, such trailers are done and this can work with careful planning quite easily.
 
Abid,
Any chance of a zero takeoff roll version using the new higher powered rotax engine ?
Randy
 
Abid,
Any chance of a zero takeoff roll version using the new higher powered rotax engine ?
Randy

Hi Randy:
That is definitely cool but I don't see a demand for that for the extra cost it definitely would be from the private market. For commercial work and military that is a viable idea but they have something better for that ... Helicopters. The new engine won't be released till 2017 and then I wouldn't touch it for one year. You should see what happened to 912iS which went to become 912iS Sport and changed in the first year. I won't be on the bleeding edge. I'll follow a little behind because I have learned that is the smarter way to go.
 
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