Resasi
Gold Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2007
- Messages
- 9,088
- Location
- London/ Kilifi Kenya
- Aircraft
- Gyrs, RAF 2000/Mgni/Bnsn/Hrnet/Mrlin/Crckt/MT-03/Lyzlle AV18-A/Prdtor. GT-VX1&2, Pax ArrowCopter
- Total Flight Time
- 100+ gyro, 16,000+ other
Was able to try two sets of different blades at the end of this week. I normally fly the Bensen with 23' Rotor Hawks and find them a mild mannered blade but will Flap/Sail if I am careless. On a flat calm day they can be a bit tiresome to spin-up, haven't got a pre-rotator. I do like the combo of the 532, 23 RH's and a 4 blade 52''Arplast and it is a nimble responsive little machine. Just had two 5gall aluminum fuel tanks made, they do feel quite solid/heavy. Interesting to see how much performance will be lost with the extra weight of the fuel and tanks.
I then went for a ride in a friends Cricket with a pre-rotator and 23' Dragon Wings. They seem a bit more responsive than the RH's and definitely will flap/sail much more easily if not watched. The prerotator was certainly nice to have. I don't know how much difference there was in the two machines weights, the Cricket has a big fuel tank, prerotator and a pod and possibly heavier but close, and it seemed to me the DW's definitely had more oomph and performance in them. Landings seemed fine didn't notice a lot of difference there.
Next was a Bensen with 23' McCutcheon Skywheels. They seemed a lot more solid and stable blade and felt as though they would be more tolerant than either of the other two in regard to blade sail/flap but since I wasn't inclined to test that part, didn't even try. The lift off was quick and it seemed to me that I could exercise a more precise speed control with these rotors. Landings could also be precise and the blades had a lot of inertia. Didn't look at the performance side of things as we were keeping the hops and runs low as it hadn't flown for a while. The VW engine/prop combo didn't seem as responsive as the Rotax's, and I am sorry I don't know what prop it was. Very pretty, big broad wooden two bladed job that would look good on a wall with a clock in it.
Unless one flies them back to back it is hard to compare so it was nice to have this opportunity to do so.
I then went for a ride in a friends Cricket with a pre-rotator and 23' Dragon Wings. They seem a bit more responsive than the RH's and definitely will flap/sail much more easily if not watched. The prerotator was certainly nice to have. I don't know how much difference there was in the two machines weights, the Cricket has a big fuel tank, prerotator and a pod and possibly heavier but close, and it seemed to me the DW's definitely had more oomph and performance in them. Landings seemed fine didn't notice a lot of difference there.
Next was a Bensen with 23' McCutcheon Skywheels. They seemed a lot more solid and stable blade and felt as though they would be more tolerant than either of the other two in regard to blade sail/flap but since I wasn't inclined to test that part, didn't even try. The lift off was quick and it seemed to me that I could exercise a more precise speed control with these rotors. Landings could also be precise and the blades had a lot of inertia. Didn't look at the performance side of things as we were keeping the hops and runs low as it hadn't flown for a while. The VW engine/prop combo didn't seem as responsive as the Rotax's, and I am sorry I don't know what prop it was. Very pretty, big broad wooden two bladed job that would look good on a wall with a clock in it.
Unless one flies them back to back it is hard to compare so it was nice to have this opportunity to do so.