Daily Telegraph Article on ArrowCopter

Well, of course you can get up to 240 km/h but certainly not straight & level. Maximum horizontal speed (single pilot, closed cockpit) is just a nudge over 200 km/h. In order to have Vne at 195 km/h we had to demonstrate 216 km/h, which is possible in a very shallow dive. 240 km/h seem a bit over the top, though.

But we are working to push the top speed up.

-- Chris.
 
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Interesting article and video. He did begin to get repetitive after a while and the video was repeating shots as well, but a good plug for it.

I guess the planned TV series down there hasn't been made yet.

If the Xenon people boosted the Rotax to get more HP out of it, would that be possible for the Arrowcopter Chris?
 
Hi

Would this be the chap who had something hit his prop whilst in flight with some uncertainty whether the object came from inside the gyro ( being flown without a
cockpit ) or outside of the gyro ( maybe a bird etc ).

Steve
 
That was early on, a camera perhaps?

That open canopy does look good. Have wondered how it is for the back seater?
 
@Leigh: Boosting the Rotax creates a problem with warranty and also certification. We don't want to go this route. However, the 130 hp Rotax 914iS is around the corner. The engine is being developed at Rotax only about 30 minutes from the ArrowCopter factory. And there exist well established ties between Rotax and ArrowCopter on a personal level. This all means that as soon as the new Rotax 914iS is beconing available we will have already tested it in the ArrowCopter. ;)

@Steve: Yes, I believe that's the one.

We had to redo about 50% of the entire flight testing with the open canopy. I am just about getting done, only one day of flying left to do. So far I can say that it is absolutely stunning flying open canopy from the front seat. No wind, great view, exceptional freedom and looks to boot. Since we weren't permitted to take passengers during the flight testing phase I can't say what it's like in the back seat. I guess it's windier but don't know how much. I'll get back to you on that as soon as I know first hand.

-- Chris.
 
Awesome Chris,

Looking forward to seeing what else you guys can squeeze out of the Arrow Copter. Definitely the best looking bird in the sky!
 
914iS sounds good but it'll probably cost an arm and a leg !
 
That sounds great Chris, it always seemed to me that the power to weight ratio could do with some improvement. Can always make use of a few more ponies.

Why did you have to 'redo' that much flight testing? Did you guys change the shape of it or had it only been certified with the full canopy?

I like that...only one more day of flight testing. Throughout my life it always made me really happy that I was paid to fly fun machines. Those really were the days.

Randy, with their reputation for charging like a wounded rhino, they would probably want a chunk of torso as well.

My very first flight in the US my instructor took me up for a local area famil flight from Opa-tisha-wocka-locka and we stopped off at Boca Raton for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. I fell in love with that part of the world on that first day.
 
The thing is that the 914iS will be as close to bolt-on compatible as we're likely to get. Other engines would require a change in the cowling and engine mount. That's not to say that there won't be other engine options. Just that we need to make the Rotax 914iS work first.

I have no idea what the price of the 914iS is going to be. I would think that the difference will be similar to the one between the 912 and the 912iS.

-- Chris.
 
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