Barnet Rolling Frame

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San Diego, CA. USA
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Airgyro AG915 Centurian, Aviomania G1sb
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Gyroplane 70Hrs, not sure over 10,000+ logged FW, 260+ ultralights, sailplane, hang-gliders
PRA was contacted by Debra Givens about her late father's Barnet Rolling Frame. Is there anyone who is interested in buying this from the estate?
She ask's: Is this something that would be of interest to your members? If we decided to complete the building of the aircraft, do you know who we could hire?

Construction on the airframe was accomplished by my father many years ago and the FAA initial inspection and approval of the welds was completed shortly thereafter. The airframe includes precision welded aircraft steel fuselage, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, rudder and pedals, engine mount, landing gear and wheels.

She has some photos and paperwork per-haps it's the build log. She is going to go find it.
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Can any of you tell me/her what it would be worth?

Should they finish it?
 

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Greetings rototheads.

She also just NOW emailed me a picture of the mold for the fiberglass body her father made.

This could be worth more than the frame as you could buy it and sell body's over many years. Either make then or rent the mold out?

I've asked if she could take a picture of the inside to see how finished it is.
 

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I guess that this is probably for something like 0-200 engine ,where is it located John
 
jany77;n1119551 said:
I guess that this is probably for something like 0-200 engine ,where is it located John

Hi Jan
Yes IIRC the Continental O-200 is the standard engine for the Barnet.
The paper work says Yuba City California. I believe that is where it's at but did not ask yet.
 
That is a Barnett J3M. I believe the first in the series of his welded 4130 gyroplane designs. The J3M was designed for a Continental A65 - A80 motor that swung a 57" diameter prop. The design only had room for an 8 gallon fuel tank that was mounted below the seat; not much for a cross country flight. The landing gear was welded directly to the fuselage with no suspension. If built exactly to plans, the seat and interior width is only 19" wide. The fuselage and tail surfaces are fabric covered. There's a entry door on the right side. The nose was fiberglass.

Jerry originally designed the J3M to be fully enclosed, however when flown that way, positive directional stability was lacking. Jim Eich flew his J3M without full enclosure, and directional stability improved.

Jerry chose readily available four stroke Continental engines for his designs because during that time because the engines were easy to obtain, inexpensive on the surplus market, and quite reliable compared to the MAC engine.

I think this J3M is a good gyroplane project for someone who weighs less than 200 lb and thin enough to fit within a 19" cabin dimension.

Wayne
 
Thanks for the excellent information on this and the rest of the story Wayne, U-ROCK!
 
Hi Guys,
I have some history with a Barnett J3. 3 guys in our club passed one around many years ago. The gear folded when the "pilot" dumped it at the PRA Convention in Rockford (late 1970's) and it now rests in pieces at the PRA Archimedes museum. This gyro has a great history and many funny stories center on it. Ask me some time.

The J-3 "body" is tube and fabric except for an ugly, blunt, very hinkey looking fiberglass nose piece. It is slab sided
If someone goes for it, I have a few 65-90 Continentals in various stages of life.
 
Tommy you have so many fabulous history stories and flying adventures never get tired of hearing them, Thanks for sharing,
 
We at the museum have been discussing rebuilding the gyro Tommy mentioned. I was told about the Barnett for sale. John - would they be willing to donate it. The donation would be tax deductible if that helps.
Glenn
 
Sorry, the daughter sold it.
 
I hate to be a tease.
First story. I owned a service station in the early seventies. Joe, a customer of mine, had very similar interests to mine. We had a mutual love of gyroplanes and fast Fords.
Joe told he bought a Barnett gyro from a guy named Frank Marchetti and did I want to go with him to pick it up in Chicago. I was up for the ride.
On the way home Joe declared he wanted to go to a little grass strip south of our area and "FLY IT". He seemed to know how to fly, but had only read about it.
Thunder storms were coming north, so he decided to head for home and a school yard would be his new runway. We unloaded the gyro, at the school and got the Continental running, I padded the blades up and Joe started his takeoff roll. The fiberglass covered wooden blades came up to speed and Joe was lifting the nose when a rabbit ran out in front of the gyro and got booted forward. Joe hit the brakes.
Joe was an avid animal lover and ran to the poor bunny. Bunny went home with him for rehab.
But first, we had to load the gyro on the tilt trailer in a hurry as the storms were coming.
We pushed the little Barney aboard and Joe decide since he was only a couple of blocks away, he would leave the blades attached , I suppose he wanted to impress his neighbors. Driving across the bumpy school yard I heard a creaking sound followed by a very loud crack. Joe had tied the forward blade to the trailer tongue. He failed to latch the tilt mechanism. The trailer tilted and pulled the rotor down beyond it's limit.
The steel spar retained the blade, but the wood and fiberglass was snapped.
Joe was angry, but still full of hope. Dick Wunderlich came to Joe's rescue by shortening each rotor, balancing and installing them with the hub bar.
Joe made his famous first flight at the PRA Convention at Rockford, Illinois later that year. Anyone remember that monumental flight?? Anyone interested ???
 
Nice story Tom, I bet you got a bucket full of them, would like to hear some over cold beers one day!!!
 
As far as I know that airframe is still available and I think it has some building pictures and plans to go with it .
 
Sadly, I believe he was not able to bring the bunny back from the dead (as he claimed to do with his grandmother and several animals) Yes, he was very weird, but quite book smart. His girlfriend came to the door once and told me he was "sort of there" she said he was in Paris, but on the astral plain, and he'd be back soon.
 
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