Butterfly

[Doug Riley]

My gyro friend Dan has put his Butterfly up for sale for $19K. It's complete and flyable (I've flown it myself a number of times). Engine is a low-time 503DC. Prerotator is a high-RPM MetroLaunch system. Nice panel. G-force long-stroke landing gear. Recently converted to a tall tail, but the original T-tail is also included. The tall tail eliminates significant yaw tendency on takeoff. Text Dan if interested; he'll call you back. 518-321-5631.

EDIT: Fixed a typo in Dan's phone#. So sorry!

 

[Doug Riley]

Bump! This is a fun gyro. Don't let it it get away.

Blades are Dragon Wings, BTW.

I'd buy it myself if I didn't already own 2 one-place open-framers.

 

[BrianInVa]

This is a fun gyro. Don't let it it get away.

Blades are Dragon Wings, BTW.

I'd buy it myself if…

Glad to see your positive comments on a Butterfly!

 

[Doug Riley]

Still available! Send Dan a text, and maybe horse-trade over this LOADED Butterfly. Always well-cared for.

BTW, it has centrifugal teeter stops along with the other goodies.

 

[BrianInVa]

centrifugal teeter stops

Do these prevent flapping?

 

[WaspAir]

When the rotor is stopped (at least that's what they do on my helicopter).

 

[Mayfield]

They are somewhat tunable for the rpm they extend at. They prevent hammering the rotor head stops at low rotor rpm. Most centrifugal stops are designed to be fully extended at <100 RRPM.

 

[Doug Riley]

In the case of this gyro, it's a bit crowded between rotor and the custom tall tail. Dan thought it was prudent to eliminate the possibility of a drooping rotor flapping down and grazing the upper rudder pivot bolt at low RPM. Having scratched a Dragon Wings blade on that pivot bolt once upon a time on my Dominator, I approve!

Yes, you can adjust the friction on the centrifugal stops so they disengage at X RRPM during prerotation. The Metro Launch is good for over 200 RRPM, at which speed the stops should be long disengaged anyway.

 

[Doug Riley]

Bump!

Very nice gyro. Hit Dan up.

Grab this one before my willpower fades and I buy it myself!

 

[Georgi]

 

[Doug Riley]

Bear in mind that this photo shows the gyro with its original Butterfly short tail. It now has an RFD tall tail. But the short tail is still around, and may be included. Ask Dan.

 

[F5 Tornado]

I believe I saw a video of this gyro on Youtube doing touch-n-go's at different air speeds and the suspension on this is absolutely AMAZING! It didn't matter how hard he came in, it soaked up everything you could throw at it.

 

[Doug Riley]

Yes, you can drop it in from a fair vertical distance and it just squats. This requires a long gear stroke, and steady friction as the gear compresses -- both of which it has.

You also can lock the gear in the compressed position and land it as a "regular" gyro.

 

[F5 Tornado]

Yes, you can drop it in from a fair vertical distance and it just squats. This requires a long gear stroke, and steady friction as the gear compresses -- both of which it has.

You also can lock the gear in the compressed position and land it as a "regular" gyro.

Was that an option for those butterflies, or was that a custom suspension install?

 

[Doug Riley]

The G-Force gear was an extra-cost option. So was the Metro-Launch prerotator, also on this machine. It's one potent prerotator! Nosewheel lift the moment you release brakes.

 

[GyrOZprey]

Was that an option for those butterflies, or was that a custom suspension install?

The "lock-up" option was custom install ... I have one that I put on my butterfly Aurora - called training cables. I added an extra cable to restrict the shock deployment to 1/3 stroke - until I learned how to manage the "squishy" landing feel.

I preferred to learn how to grease in "Bensen-style" solid gear landings in my student pilot stage!

I only played around with the gear - part down a few times before we started flying the TAG's - and poor OZ'rora got mothballed!

 

[Doug Riley]

I agree with you, Chris. Greasing a small gyro just isn't that hard to learn. All a matter of feel and timing (IOW practice).

In the many times I flew this gyro, I, too, played with the G-Force gear and then just tied it in the retracted position. Dan simply used rope to accomplish this. The for-sale gyro doesn't have a factory lock-up.

OTOH, the G-force does give you a better option if you have an engine-out over rough land -- where even the slightest rollout may flip you. In those situations without the G-Force, you have to write off the gyro and vertical-descend into a (likely gear-busting) pancake landing. It's the least-bad option.

 

[Doug Riley]

Bump again!

This is a turn-key deal. Fire it up and go (with training first, please, if this is your first gyro).