During tipovers and crashes, rotors which often break off from the hub bar are . . .

During tipovers and crashes, rotors which often break off from the hub bar are . . .

  • preferable to rotors which usually remain intact.

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • not preferable to rotors which usually remain intact, but I'll still fly them.

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • not preferable to rotors which usually remain intact, and I would not fly them.

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • no preference.

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • Total voters
    4

Kolibri

FW and Gyros
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
1,636
Location
Wyoming
Aircraft
Cessna 152, 172, 172RG, 177, 206 -- Piper 180 -- RV-7A -- Calidus -- RAF2000 -- Sport Copter II and
Total Flight Time
1000+
During tipovers and crashes, rotors which often break off from the hub bar are . . .

This poll is related to this thread:

photo comparative crash damage to various gyro rotor systems
https://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/eq...-rotor-systems

Thanks for participating!
 
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Define stronger and weaker
or should it read , hollow blade, internal foamed blade or a webbed extruded blade.
These will make the difference how they respond to impact.
I choose the hollow blade.
 
It's an opinion poll, not an engineering study. Folks can individually interpret what stronger or weaker means to them.

BUT, just to eliminate this possible snag of wording, I rewrote it to "preferable" and "not preferable".


or should it read , hollow blade, internal foamed blade or a webbed extruded blade.
Rotors which break off typically do so at the root, so that construction seems more the issue than the rest of the blade.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
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Kolibri;n1136560 said:
It's an opinion poll, not an engineering study. Folks can individually interpret what stronger or weaker means to them.

BUT, just to eliminate this possible snag of wording, I rewrote it to "preferable" and "not preferable".



Rotors which break off typically do so at the root, so that construction seems more the issue than the rest of the blade.

Regards,
Kolibri

See,again your missing the point.
Hollow blades don't break as easy as the others
Most blades use the same technique from one end to another.
There will be foam from one end to the other, there will be webs from one end to the other and they will be hollow from one end to the other
What don't you understand about that?
 
See,again your missing the point.
Hollow blades don't break as easy as the others
Most blades use the same technique from one end to another.
There will be foam from one end to the other, there will be webs from one end to the other and they will be hollow from one end to the other
What don't you understand about that?
Compare a Sport Copter blade cross-section with an AG blade, and you'll see that the AG blade is much more hollow.
Thus, AG blades shouldn't be breaking as they do, and the SC should be.
What don't you understand about that?

But, the degree of hollowness isn't the primary reason why one breaks and the other doesn't.
It's matter of design and strength of materials, as well as how much and where extruded aluminum is used.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
After a tip over or crash, I couldn't care less about the condition of the rotors. I care about MY condition and whether any of my body parts remain intact. Let's work on reducing tip overs and crashes.
 
HighAltitude, the issue isn't merely damage to the crashed rotors; they're toast.
But, did they hold up and not break apart to possibly inflict harm?

I'm onboard to reduce tipovers and crashes, but only reduction, not elimination, is possible.
For the remaining incidents, why accept rotor systems which do not remain intact? The technology has been around for over a decade.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
Wow, you argue with EVERYONE about everything! You start numerous threads and then quote and argue with every reply. I'm not sure what your game is but you win, I'm out.
 
When others challenge me, it's not "arguing" but when I challenge them, it is.
 
Read what i read carefully and try to comprehend it this time! I said you challenge everyone. A post where you agree with anyone is rare indeed. You also go beyond the topic at hand and lob personal insults at nearly every responder. The veiled insults are not "Cute" and we all see them for what they are. Your insults today against another member that I consider my mentor and friend was uncalled for and you should apologize, but you won't.

You seem to be a man of internal conflict: You post today that the RAF is "crappy" yet you own and fly one. I can't imagine anyone buying your RAF that you say will be up for sale soon. How are you going to pitch your "crappy" RAF to the buyer? You post that you would never fly an AutoGyro and yet they completely overshadow any other brand by, what, a factor of 10? What is your beef with them?

Don't tell us that you are emulating Ralph Nader and AutoGyro is the corvair! Are you writing a book "Unsafe at any Altitude"?
 
When treated courteously, I respond in kind.

A stock RAF is a crappy gyro. Poor rotor system, redrive, landing gear, cockpit ergonomics, etc.
I've made mine at least decent. Several other RAF owners have, too.


You post that you would never fly an AutoGyro and yet they completely overshadow any other brand by, what, a factor of 10?

Similarly, Microsoft overshadows Apple by a similar factor, but how many savvy programmers would claim that M$ is the better OS?
In my personal opinion, AutoGyro is the "Microsoft" of gyros. Sport Copters is the "Linux".

What's my beef with AutoGyro?
They don't seem to truly understand gyros, and, in my personal opinion, make a low-time and flimsy product.
Their fit and finish, however, is very good. Really nice glossy brochures, too.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
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It's a complicated topic. Ethics as well as engineering play into it.

Blades that break off at the root and go sailing away are less likely to hurt the occupants of the gyro -- or to rip up the frame and leave the occupants unprotected. BUT the sailing-away blades are apt to damage some innocent third party or property. How fair is that?

Blades that stay attached (but presumably bend into horseshoe shapes) transmit more of their energy to the frame, making a mast snapoff more likely. A gyro pilot died at my first airport when his mast snapped at the seat back as his gyro rolled inverted, breaking his neck.

Blades that stick around are also apt to hit the gyro's occupants. I have a goodly, permanent dent in the muscle of my left forearm from a blade that curled up and flew right into my throttle arm, giving it a mighty smack. Many people know of the accident in Bill Ortmayer's gyro in which a blade came loose and hit his front seat passenger, killing the passenger.

Wood shatters under shock loads. So wood blades might be expected to "explode" into small bits when they hit. Wood props certainly do. That might actually be the least-bad outcome.

But, though it may hurt me instead of somebody else, I think the blades ought to stay attached in a strike. I think also that a gyro should have a roll bar that is NOT the mast.
 
But, though it may hurt me instead of somebody else, I think the blades ought to stay attached in a strike.
Thanks Doug for your well-reasoned summary.

I think also that a gyro should have a roll bar that is NOT the mast.
Yes, that's an important point.

Regards,
Kolibr
i
 
HighAltitude;n1136737 said:
After a tip over or crash, I couldn't care less about the condition of the rotors. I care about MY condition and whether any of my body parts remain intact. Let's work on reducing tip overs and crashes.
That is my feeling. It's the tipping over that is the real problem we need a suspension to solve. I could care less how they break off it is of no importance not heard of anyone being hurt from the broken off blade.
This is much to do about nothing at least to me.
 
not heard of anyone being hurt from the broken off blade.
That's because bystanders have so far been lucky, John.
One day, somebody won't be.
 
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