Bad take off!

[Berkut13]

OK, that could not have ended well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCSdu0V5GX8

Looks like he kept the stick forward during T.O. roll, then pulled back sharply...and the rest is ugly.

 

[birdy]

Anatha " by the numbers" TO f****d up.
Mite want to check his hub bar.

 

[SandL]

rotor management, what's that ?
you can see the rear keel and tail shake as it hits the ground
not the first modern gyro to take off like that , I see to remember one in the UK ... in Kent sounds like exactly the same take off technique where the guy remembered that the stick should be back during the ground roll, so by numbers moved it quickly back against the stops. maybe this could be included in the training ... what to do if by accident you dont follow the numbered procedure... ie stop, think then calmly start again.

 

[Vance]

That wasn’t by the numbers.

If he was following Auto Gyro's procedure he would have been stopped as he pre-rotated and not started his takeoff roll until he had 200 rotor rpm and had the cyclic full back.

Just because someone doesn’t follow directions doesn’t make the directions wrong.

I have personally seen several takeoff challenges by people who were taught all about rotor management in the old way. I have seen videos of many more.

I have experienced the beginning of blade flap myself and I was taught about rotor management in the old way.

I have not yet made this particular mistake.

I have not flapped the blades in any of the European gyroplane when I followed directions.

People make mistakes no matter how they were taught.

 

[Aussie_Paul]

That wasn’t by the numbers.

If he was following Auto Gyro's procedure he would have been stopped as he pre-rotated and not started his takeoff roll until he had 200 rotor rpm and had the cyclic full back.

Just because someone doesn’t follow directions doesn’t make the directions wrong.

I have personally seen several takeoff challenges by people who were taught all about rotor management in the old way. I have seen videos of many more.

I have experienced the beginning of blade flap myself and I was taught about rotor management in the old way.

I have not yet made this particular mistake.

I have not flapped the blades in any of the European gyroplane when I followed directions.

People make mistakes no matter how they were taught.

So very true Vance.

Aussie Paul.

 

[SandL]

Very right Vance ... but was the pilot flying the blades ?, where was he looking and what was his focus ?, why was the throttle so wide ?, we were taught to open the throttle and watch the blades increase speed, then a bit more and a bit more gradually bringing the blades up to speed, transition into wheel balance etc. It's blade speed and angle not runway/air speed that counts. Agree we all make mistakes, but I bet my bottom dollar that this guy was following a procedure but missed a vital step, then introduced that step (stick full back) later on his take off run.
Had he followed the old method of looking at the blades I do not believe he would have been racing along the runway with stick forward......... unless it was some kind of touch and go (or crash and dash as some call it). fly the blades not the procedure manual.

 

[Jazzenjohn]

It looked like what I'd imagine a fixed wing pilot would do. Take off roll looking for a predetermined rotate speed and then pull back on the stick.

 

[Gyro28866]

We can all get caught up in the moment. At Bensen Day's 2013 there was a long line of gyros' that taxied down awaiting takeoff. As I pulled out and started my pre-rotate and takeoff , I felt that little bump in the stick! Instantly, I went full stick forward and chopped the power. After the rotor was back under full control, I re-engaged the pre-rotor and executed a normal takeoff.
Lesson here:
NEVER let any situation or anybody distract you or pressure you!!!

 

[SandL]

calidus owners may be interested in this report, sounds similar , but not quite the same

https://assets.digital.cabinet-offi...torsport_UK_Calidus_G-ETOJ_Addendum_03-13.pdf

 

[SandL]

also G-RDNy pilot says he did not have stick full back at the start of his take off run

https://assets.digital.cabinet-offi...orsport_Cavalon_gyroplane_G-RDNY_07-14_v2.pdf

 

[EI-GYRO]

Do Magnis ever have these problems.? I can't recall any offhand, though doubtless there must have been some.

The flat-disk-prerotating-clones seem to do it a lot.
Even the relative production rates don't come close to explaining it.

Some of the clones have an interlock that disengages the prerotator if the stick is moved
back with the prerotator engaged. This is partly to protect the prerotator mechanism, and presumably partly to prevent tailstrikes.
Perhaps another interlock needs to be developed to prevent the application of full throttle with the stick held forward.

Or use a Wunderlich prerotator like Magni does.

 

[Doug Riley]

There are times when I'm happy I learned on an old manila towrope and an under-powered lawnchair with no prerotator. You "become one with your blades" under those conditions.

The wonder is that this gyro still flew after the beating it took during that "scramble" liftoff.

 

[BUD ONEAL]

Who let him out of the rocking chair ? That is where he belonged !

 

[Georgi]

The guy in reply (in russian)to this video called it a short trailer and promised to present a "full event" video. He also mentioned that there was no "substantial" damage to the gyro.

 

[Boots]

Looks like the gyro did exactly what he ask of it .
Very possible he was distracted by the camera person and just had a brain fart !

 

[Fly Army]

That's just painful to watch!

 

[birdy]

Just because someone doesn’t follow directions doesn’t make the directions wrong
I never said that Vance.
The directions probably are correct for the average TO.
Wots pissn me off these days is manufactrues are tryn to make machinery dichead proof.
Theres no such thing, coz there will always be a smarter dichead.
Gyros are no different to road vehicals, learn to opperate the damn thing and how it works and youll be able to handle any situation, and know which situations to avoid.

 

[Rick E]

It would be interesting to know if this was his first solo as these two place machines react completely different to when they are two up as opposed to solo, but realistically he just wasn't quick enough and stuffed up. I generally don't go to full power until I am balancing on the mains. I'm pretty sure this fella went straight to full power on what appears to be a fairly windy day.
I am lucky enough to fly both an enclosed and open frame gyro and the enclosed machines are pretty difficult to fly by feel as there is a lot less sensation of speed etc and you tend to use your gauges a lot more.

 

[ckurz7000]

Watching the rotor disk I have the impression that after prerotation he didn't take the steak anywhere near full back -- as is recommended in the POH.

-- Chris.

 

[loftus]

In addition to what Chris says, It looks to me like the problem was not that he brought the stick back too late, but he did not control the front wheel when it lifted off until the gyro was ready to fly. ( i guess 'wheel balance). So it's not that he was flying by the numbers, rather that he did not fly by the numbers. If he had held the nose under control till 50 kts or so, she would have flown herself off the ground. One little detail, with the Autogyro's is the trim. It's good practice after releasing the rotor brake is to trim forward a couple of seconds. Helps prevent excessive nose lift when accelerating with the stick full back. Also possible he perorated without releasing the rotor brake, hence not pulling back properly before accelerating. Just some possibilities I can think of.