Gyro ownership: traditional designs vs more modern/ manufactured designs?

[BrianInVa]

Oh, also, you gotta fix that cable mount. That's way too high an angle for the cable to pull through.

This one?


(I think we need a sub forum here for us guys who are “too poor to afford to pay attention” and trying revive or build from scratch these old dino gyros. I KNOW we’re not the only guys out there trying to fly a gyro on a shoestring budget. So a list of prudent upgrades and modifications for older Bensen, Brock etc. type gyros to make them safer would be a worthwhile endeavor.)

 

[Doug Riley]

Right. You need a pulley ahead of a change in direction that large.

Genuine aircraft pulleys are, unfortunately, pricey for what they are. Be sure to make and install a reliable keeper so that the cable can't jump off the pulley if it goes slack.

Aircraft control cables are a surprisingly "deep" topic. Classic design involved the inclusion of controlled amount of friction to damp out resonances. The pre-load on the cable determined the friction. There was considerable pre-load on primary control cables -- control surfaces could flutter if the friction was not set correctly.

Again, the old-school aircraft-cable methods included fairleads (non-pulley guides) for shallow changes of cable direction. These were made of hardwood. Bensen used this type of cable guide, and included directions for making them in his plans. He used NO pulleys. He advised us to lubricate them with dry graphite.

IMHO, running these pull-only cables inside a sleeve housing has little upside and some downsides. For one thing, they add weight and cost. For another, they prevent you from inspecting the cables on each preflight. (Housings are necessary, of course, in push-pull cables such as Teleflexes, but this isn't that.)

Down there in Virginia, freezing temps may not be so prevalent as here in Vermont. Be aware, though, that sleeve housings can accumulate water if the have a "U" dip anywhere on their run. Water can enter, freeze in the low spot and lock up the cable. It has happened.

Open-frame gyros are beyond fun, as long as you want mostly to sightsee around town in nice weather, or show off at flyins.

 

[BrianInVa]

Down there in Virginia, freezing temps may not be so prevalent as here in Vermont. Be aware, though, that sleeve housings can accumulate water if the have a "U" dip anywhere on their run. Water can enter, freeze in the low spot and lock up the cable. It has happened.

Thanks. In November I rode my Honda to the Florida Everglades and back. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving on my way home, I had a full day of riding in steady rain. By Wednesday I was up in the Appalachian mountains and it was beautiful weather but 13• F when I got up. I started the bike and went to pull out but I couldn’t budge the throttle. The throttle cable must have frozen solid from the prior rain combined with the bitter cold that morning. I left it idle for two minutes and it thawed and I continued on home.

 

[Doug Riley]

Well, there ya go. The incidents of frozen cables I've heard about have actually been Teleflexes on U.L. planes. Scary.

A gyro operates in a cleaner environment than a bike, so the housings on pull-only cables may be unnecessary weight. I've never seen housings on gyro rudder cables before.

 

[Sv.grainne]

Right. You need a pulley ahead of a change in direction that large.

Genuine aircraft pulleys are, unfortunately, pricey for what they are. Be sure to make and install a reliable keeper so that the cable can't jump off the pulley if it goes slack.

Denis at Gyro Technic sells high quality pulleys.

 

[F5 Tornado]

I don’t have any metal fabricating skills unfortunately but I do some woodworking so I’m making do. (My background is in healthcare.)

I just found a set of ultralight aircraft 15” tall, 6” wide tires and 6” wheels with hydraulic brakes I’ll be adding to it, to replace the original narrower 12” tires with no brake system. I think for now the best I can hope for as far as “suspension” is lower tire pressure in these taller tires for a little bit of cushion.

Have you weighed those new wheels? They might be a little on the heavy side, compared to the old ones.

 

[F5 Tornado]

This one?
View attachment 1162149

(I think we need a sub forum here for us guys who are “too poor to afford to pay attention” and trying revive or build from scratch these old dino gyros. I KNOW we’re not the only guys out there trying to fly a gyro on a shoestring budget. So a list of prudent upgrades and modifications for older Bensen, Brock etc. type gyros to make them safer would be a worthwhile endeavor.)

Yeah, that one. What you could do is just make another bracket like that and mount it to the bottom of the frame where the brake was, being that you removed that part of the front wheel. It's a bolt on so you would just need longer bolts and another piece of aluminum angle iron. It might be time to invest in a bench top lathe/mill. I see used ones on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for pretty cheap.

 

[Helopilot99]

I have a Snobird tandem gyro. Currently getting an engine upgrade.

I am looking for a tandem if you know anyone selling one ready to fly