flying a ultralight gyro in 30 mph winds

[gyrojeffro]

I flew the gyrobee 5 miles away to my friends hay field, field conditions were that the tree tops were blowing, normally this is the limit for flying the himax airplane which has a smallish wing and handles quite good for a ultralight airplane, after climbing above the rotor turbulence from the trees the most remarkable thing happened I fell in love with rotary flight again and forgot why I even built the little gyrobee. after bouncing around in a bushhogged airfield struggling to gain rotor rpm I finally got airborne and the 250 lb gyro settled into 45 degree track while heading back home at 300ft agl. as I was getting bobbed up and down slightly I could feel the turbulence hitting my body more that it was effecting the gyroplane. This is why I fly and the reason why I always wanted a gyroplane.

 

[Brian Jackson]

I flew the gyrobee 5 miles away to my friends hay field, field conditions were that the tree tops were blowing, normally this is the limit for flying the himax airplane which has a smallish wing and handles quite good for a ultralight airplane, after climbing above the rotor turbulence from the trees the most remarkable thing happened I fell in love with rotary flight again and forgot why I even built the little gyrobee. after bouncing around in a bushhogged airfield struggling to gain rotor rpm I finally got airborne and the 250 lb gyro settled into 45 degree track while heading back home at 300ft agl. as I was getting bobbed up and down slightly I could feel the turbulence hitting my body more that it was effecting the gyroplane. This is why I fly and the reason why I always wanted a gyroplane.

You do realize as a builder I'm living vicariously through your posts

That was one of the main attractions for me too, Jeffro. I built a Hi-Max many years ago (sold before I could fly it, long story) but always wanted a gyro. Nearing the end of a 'Bee build right now.

I enjoyed your video of the rough field pre-flight prerotation. What type of suspension do you have on your 'Bee? Perhaps it was shown and I'm not remembering. I'm learning to appreciate the importance of ground handling and damping considering such a large rotor mass on a long pole. I imagine a field too bumpy would impose quite a side load on the mast. Anyway, it's nice getting to ask questions of another 'Bee builder.

Brian

 

[Doug Riley]

... Proving once again that disk loading is not wing loading. BLADE loading is what makes these breezy adventures possible. Our blade loading is perhaps 3-4 times the wing loading of a HiMax.

 

[gyrojeffro]

You do realize as a builder I'm living vicariously through your posts

That was one of the main attractions for me too, Jeffro. I built a Hi-Max many years ago (sold before I could fly it, long story) but always wanted a gyro. Nearing the end of a 'Bee build right now.

I enjoyed your video of the rough field pre-flight prerotation. What type of suspension do you have on your 'Bee? Perhaps it was shown and I'm not remembering. I'm learning to appreciate the importance of ground handling and damping considering such a large rotor mass on a long pole. I imagine a field too bumpy would impose quite a side load on the mast. Anyway, it's nice getting to ask questions of another 'Bee builder.

Brian

my gyrobee has zero suspension, except for the bungees that are called for in the plans, I believe those are just there for really hard landings. to be honest I enjoy flying my himax more than the gyrobee, the only reason I am flying the gyrobee is because I bent the tailwheel spring on the himax landing in a smallish area and I have nothing else to fly "until I get a new tailwheel spring from team" and flying is like a addiction to me I fly almost everyday if the weather is good. I really find going somewhere very enjoyable even if its just a couple miles away. today I flew the gyrobee to my friends hayfield and found myself bouncing around randomly in a hayfield trying to get the rotor rpm up to speed looking like a clown most likely and when I finally got airborne I felt more stick shake in the cyclic which made me nervous. If I had a redo I would just build a dominator with a pod and a prerotator. or you could just find another himax project, don't let doug rily the airplane hater decide for you.

gyrobee flight after adjusting blade tracking

was getting quite a bit of cabin hop so I adjusted the blade tracking by tightening one side of the tower block more effectively making one blade have more pitch and the other less.

rumble.com

 

[DavePA11]

Is this the Hi-Max?

https://www.teammini-max.com/online-store/aircraft-kits/1700r-hi-max/

 

[gyrojeffro]

Is this the Hi-Max?

https://www.teammini-max.com/online-store/aircraft-kits/1700r-hi-max/

yeah but mine is kinda dirty, mine will cruise at 60 mph at 5000 rpm with a 28 hp hirth. 70-80 mph is the more typical cruise speed with a rotax 447. I have streamlined struts and streamlined tail tubes, the rest of the airplane is really dirty. The vne is 100mph

himax

www.curedcomposites.com

 

[DavePA11]

Nice ultralight plane!

 

[Doug Riley]

Airplane hater? Bite yer tongue! I had a Kolb Firestar 447 KXP and loved it to pieces. Well, thankfully not literally.

It was great fun... a real low-RPM cross-country cruiser that also climbed like a Saturn V. I bought a pair of wooden water skis at a yard sale and had a snow plane for winter! My first on-purpose stall after years of only gyro flying (and zero fixed-wing lessons) was a brave moment, methinks. The "taildragger pedal dance" was a new experience, too.

The Kolb is mothballed because I stole its 447 for my 'Bee.

 

[gyrojeffro]

Airplane hater? Bite yer tongue! I had a Kolb Firestar 447 KXP and loved it to pieces. Well, thankfully not literally.

It was great fun... a real low-RPM cross-country cruiser that also climbed like a Saturn V. I bought a pair of wooden water skis at a yard sale and had a snow plane for winter! My first on-purpose stall after years of only gyro flying (and zero fixed-wing lessons) was a brave moment, methinks. The "taildragger pedal dance" was a new experience, too.

The Kolb is mothballed because I stole its 447 for my 'Bee.

you stole parts from one aircraft to build another, around these parts we call that redneck enginuity lol.

 

[Doug Riley]

Ingenuity? Too many syllables. I just call it being cheap.

 

[giro5]

Doug I think you missed the "engin" part of gyrojeffro's reply