Gyro Santa article in PRA

[GyroCFI]

I remember an article in the PRA mag back in the late 80's about a guy that put plywood reindeers and a sleigh on his gyro. I believe maybe Freddie Roberts? Does anyone have that magazine that could scan those pics? probably from 1988 or 89?

 

[gyroplanes]

I remember it too. I wound up buying that Air Command. Only trace of the sleigh was an errant extra hole or two in the airframe tubes.

 

[Bumperdog]

gyro santa

gyro santa

Tom, I think that gyro was the one I built, round tubes similar to air command.
I sold it to a guy, I think was from florida that told me he was going to make a santa sleigh out of it.
Bruce

 

[GyroCFI]

I know that there were pictures in a PRA magazine back in the day... Surely someone has the mag and/or pictures....

 

[MikeBoyette]

I actually saw a news story on that gyro when I was a teenager. Looked pretty dangerous to me. I would think it would want to swap ends. Too little rudder for all of that side area.

 

[Gyro28866]

I don't know if it is the same guy or not. But, back in the mid 80's there was a gyro in Clarksville Tn that was configured that way. Many people around Clarksville have seen it!

 

[Bumperdog]

I found the pictures Don wants in the May 1989 issue. Soon as I can figure out how to send them to him.
Bruce

 

[gyroplanes]

The one I bought was from TN. Fred Roberts sounds correct. I also remember a gyro / sleigh sliding down a wire somewhere, maybe Florida.
Bruce, Please scan it and post it here for all the new guys to see.

 

[GyroCFI]

Bruce sent me the pics, Thanks a lot Bruce! I'll get them up on the forum tomorrow morning when I get to work.

Don

 

[GyroCFI]

Here are the images of the Santa gyrocopter from Fred Roberts.

 

[gyroplanes]

I found this;


Santa has ditched the traditional sleigh this...
HO HO HO.
November 28, 1988

CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — HO HO HO. Santa has ditched the traditional sleigh this year in favor of a gyrocopter. That's what Freddie Roberts says. He surprised residents of Elkton, Ky., when he flew over the town in his kit-built gyrocopter adorned with plywood reindeer and an aluminum sleigh. ''Actually, I'm not Santa Claus. I'm his mechanic,'' said Roberts, dressed in a Santa suit. Roberts attached the reindeer and sleigh, which doubles as a rudder, to the craft despite warnings from the manufacturer that it wouldn't fly. He crashed on his first two flights because of engine failure. He wasn't hurt, but he had to rebuild the copter. ''It's a shame that parents lie to their kids and say there's no such thing as Santa Claus or flying sleighs,'' he said. ''Now the kids will be able to tell them otherwise.''

 

[kolibri282]

Thank you for the nice story and pictures folks!

(ok, it's a bit late but still....):
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Juergen