Grudieaire for discussion

[JPAnderson]

I spied this on the Phoenix Craigslist and it was a design I've never seen. Looks to be welded steel tubing. I'm hoping some of you have more info. I'm not buying it, I just wanted to share for discussion. The listing has more photos.

1962 grudieaire - aviation - by owner - airplane aviation parts

found tucked away in a garage gentleman passed away had it for 35 years all parts are suppose to be there no low ball offers

phoenix.craigslist.org

 

[Aerofoam]

Interesting, but only suitable for mounting on a post as yard art.....

 

[Doug Riley]

I received an (unsolicited) set of that same promo literature in the mail back in the mid-1970's. As best I can tell from the literature, Vernon Grudieaire was a sincere, if untrained, gyro "designer." He included in the package a photo of himself with his arm around wife Dorothy. They look like a nice, older Midwestern farm couple (think Uncle Henry and Auntie Em).

The machine, the "Rotary Parasol," is basically a 1960's economy model Bensen, executed in welded steel tubing instead of bolted aluminum. The wood rotor blades look like exact copies of Bensen woodies.

It has a low thrustline and no horizontal stabilizer at all. Unsafe by today's standards.

The oddest thing about this design is the rotor head (partly visible in these scans). What would be the cheek plates on a Bensen (linking the top of the mast and the rotorhead) area couple of cast-off McCulloch connecting rods, apparently welded into place.

The literature uses some machinists' jargon. Vernon says that the only machined parts needed can be made on a lathe as small as a six by eighteen. Vernon knew machining as well as welding.

An interesting artifact from the era when the Bensen gyro appeared to be a cheap and ridiculously simple DIY flyin' machine. A go-kart with rotor blades. That's the vibe that attracted us way back when.

 

[Aerofoam]

I showed a pic of my AC to the violinist in a church band I was playing in and she exclaimed:
It's a freaking flying go cart!!!!
I said:
Yes, and your point?