First Flight of new Gyrobee - Lansing, IL

[Alan_Cheatham]

Adam, I imagine you know that you can shave off a good 30 lb. by using Dragon Wings blades.

Doug, doesn't the Gyrobee need a heavier rotor in order to maintain it's center line thrust?

 

[PW_Plack]

Adam, be careful. The feds are threatening to get serious about Part 103, and I'm guessing you're around 290 pounds with the Skywheels.

 

[Jazzenjohn]

Alan, The Gyrobee doesn't need Skywheels to be NCLT. It is within 2" of CLT with Dragon Wings and has been tested in that configuration several times.

 

[Mike Stone]

Congrats and thanks for the pictures.

Tom/Scott...Wasn't one version of the CX500 also called a "Silverwing" or am I mistaking that for something else?

 

[Alan_Cheatham]

Congrats and thanks for the pictures.

Tom/Scott...Wasn't one version of the CX500 also called a "Silverwing" or am I mistaking that for something else?

Yes, I had one. Silverwing was a baby full dresser Goldwing, wish I still had it.

 

[Dale Young]

Congrats!!! Looks GREAT!!!

 

[Rick Martin]

Great job guys. Have fun. Bee safe!

 

[Resasi]

Nice job guys, that certainly is a barebones little Bee. Dw's will certainly bring the weight down, quite a bit.

 

[pilotescort]

sweet

sweet

As a friend of mine once said, "The richest cake isn't always necessary, sometimes cookies and a glass of milk will do." That machine will do just fine.....fly safe with many happy landings.

 

[Dave Martin]

Very nice guys! Nice looking machine! Did you guys sell the blue bee yet?

Well, we finally got it done just enough for a first flight. We had a slight prerotator malfunction, so the blades had to be hand started. Nick Costa had the honors and did a fine job. The gyro is as close to an ultralight as a 503 gyrobee with a Wunderlich prerotator can get can possibly get, I honestly don't know how we could have made it any lighter. It was test flown with the club's (PRA 18, Greater Midwest Rotorcraft Club) set of slightly abused 23' McCutcheon blades, the gyro was reported to be "very floaty". It flew well and made several patterns and fly-bys. Here is a video of Nick giving us a nice demonstration of how slowly a Gyrobee can fly inches over your head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYua0woZ_B8

Picture 1: Matt N. helping to get the blades going
Picture 2: Nick flying by
Picture 3: Nick and I proudly posing next to our new bee
Picture 4: Tom Milton haulin' across a field to see our new bee fly
picture 5: The Gyrobee after first flight