Gyro Technic website is now up.

[GyrOZprey]

Wonderful news Denis! ...re a 912 version!

...Like Leigh ... on my first build ...my butterfly Aurora ....I quickly stopped counting the $'s as it all added up ...even though after the basic kit with almost all the cool options added! ...I saved much by sourcing a good used 340hour salvage 912engine vs new and used radio/ transponder package! As the costs still approached $50k ...I realize the resale market would never get me more than $25K ...even more so now it's an orphan design & I can now appreciate all the great lessons & skills that I learned along the journey - both in building & improving on the quality of original materials supplied in the kit - adding my own personal extras and all the great flights building my solo hours!

I have booked my campsite for BDays ...& looking forwards to the start of the 2020 show-fly- gyro promotions season!

 

[Resasi]

Well Chris. Been given the go ahead By Denis to announce some good news. Denis has had lots of queries about a 912 version of his single seater so... he’s going to design one. In fact it is a work in progress as we speak/post this.

I had been speaking to Trish at Lockwood about a rebuild 912, and they had just had one in when I arrived to visit the granddaughters and my son in Tampa. Popped over to Sebring and had a look spoke to Kerry and the folks down there and am now the proud owner of a zero timed 912ULS.

Had spoken and corresponded with Denis and he seemed very keen to give it a try. In fact just the other day a thread had started about a flying machine to trailer around on a road trip, Ron Awad had given a good run down on the Pro’s and Con’s of gyros and the perhaps issue about rough fields.

There are some gyros that will do rough, but big tires, a bit of grunt, good suspension, efficient pre-rotator, good performance blades are all important factors. I had wanted a single that would go places, I had seen Denis’s camping trays for tent, sleeping bag etc, and an idea formed.

Denis is now working on the GT-VX2 912 ‘Explorer’.

It is a project in motion. His present GT-VX1 is a nimble sprightly 582 powered single seat, round the local area, turning and burning, fun gyro. It’s stable, smooth, and agile, good performances but with around 7 gals and the 582 not the greatest range. Now...put a 100 HP ULS burning less fuel, bigger tanks and the new Razor Blades that he has being doing a lot of work on, and which are promising some nice performance, and the ‘Explorer’ is an idea metamorphosing into being.

It for Denis, and me, an exciting thought of a gyro that will do rough(er) fields, haul a bit of camping gear, and have some range. I arrived in Minneapolis this morning, was picked up by Denis. On the way back to his workshop we picked up a load of parts that had been anodised blue. As we arrived at the workshop there was the delivery truck with the 912 from Lockwood.

Denis’s work shop is an impressive place, where some precision engineering takes place to very high standards, and some very nice gyro’s are sitting. The guided tour...nice...then straight in with the build assist. The tall tail is now well on its way, and I have expanded my horizons on build skills.

I had always been a bit wary of the tail on our Hornet. Denis’s tall tail I thought looked a huge improvement. Well that was what Denis started me on. I have been introduced to cleco’s, drilling and riveting. I have been told I will also be able to have a hand in making my rotors which was something I never envisioned happening. My mind is boggling and I am really excited.

Denis has Bensen Days, Sun n Fun, Oskosh, Mentone and a good few other in his sights for the coming year. He will have two models of gyros, loads of various machined parts, and sets of various sizes of Razor Blade rotors to show.

Gyro Technic is coming... big time. I think.

 

[DavePA11]

Any photos?

 

[Resasi]

Lots. Am getting them as part of a build log. But as you might appreciate, this particular adventure only just started this afternoon.

 

[Vance]

Congratulations Leigh!
You are building just what I would like in the hangar for a single seat.
The vertical stabilizer and rudder is one of my favorite features of Denis's aircraft.
There is more value in it than most recognize.

 

[Resasi]

Mike has very kindly now added Gyro Technic Inc to the Manufacturers Forum.

I will shortly be putting in a build log...with pictures of the new project.

 

[GyrOZprey]

SOOOO excited for you Leigh ..been a long time since we had a good build thread here! congratulations on a great choice of USA gyro!

 

[Resasi]

Saw this thread looking a little forlorn so I thought I would just add a bit more info if you stumble on it. The GT-VX2 Explorer build is alive and well and in progress on Builders Forum.

The GT-VX series 1 and now 2 also have their own Type thread...and Denis has got his Razor Blade rotors well under way.

He has had interest from England, Ireland, Cyprus and Australia for these. They come in three lengths 23', 24' and 25’ are similar in performance to Dragon Wings. A bit heavier these blades are a bonded aluminium blades that are built under a very tight and strictly observed standards. They are strung balanced and individually flight tested at Gyro Technic.

Presently arranging a program to have these test flown in the UK by the UK approved CAA/LAA test pilot.

Been there, seen them, and helped build, these are quality blades that fly extremely smoothly with a built in tracking adjustment in the hub bar that is simple to use.

 

[Wop Genius]

I was poking around on the "Razor Blades" section of Denis's site. He included a very helpful chart listing 23', 24', and 25' rotors and he calculated the disc loading for each diameter compared to your all up weight. It can be a little confusing making that calculation. Thanks Denis!

 

[PJB]

just on the rotors Leigh what is the situation in the UK regards replacement rotors for existing single seaters here?

 

[Resasi]

just on the rotors Leigh what is the situation in the UK regards replacement rotors for existing single seaters here?

I have not personally tried to get rotors Phil but believe it is now becoming difficult. A number of Layzell/Rotordynes were found to have been de-laminating as well as Dragon Wings by Tony and Mike as Inspectors

Not sure how easy it is now to find Rotor Hawkes or McCutcheon’s. I believe some people have tried the Gyro-Technic composite blades from Poland. Nikolas from Cyprus tried them for the Genesis single seat but did not like them, reckoned the longer blades were OK for his two seaters. Mike Concannon gave up the idea of them for his LA-18.

Averso I think are available along with Sport Copter. Dragon Wings no longer in production. I have flown RotorHawkes, Layzelles, Rotordynes, Dragon Wings and McCutcheon's on singles and liked them all. They all had their quirks and all except the DW’s could be patted up. I think the Razor Blades will be able to be patted up.

I brought up the subject of the Razor Blades with Francis Donaldson and Steve Slater when I went to see them about the Gyro Technic kit being able to come to the UK. An LAA Inspector is presently doing some calculations for Francis on these blades with information provided by Denis. A set will be coming over for flight testing by Chris Taylor, and the report will go to the LAA for them to make a judgement call on.

Denis did get an enquiry from Francis Donaldson as to whether he would be prepared to have an inspection of his manufacturing facility from a member of the LAA and Denis has welcomed the idea.

The Razor Blades will be heavier than, but similar in performance and price to Dragon Wings which are no longer in production. Denis has been flight testing them alongside DW’s and Sport Copter blades.

 

[PJB]

From your experience Leigh is there any reason why rotor blades (once the LAA are happy with the quality control, manufacturing process etc) can't be stand alone accepted? i.e. is there any sensitivity to each set of rotors by aircraft or makes no difference? It would make the TADS much easier - otherwise won't there be the ridiculous situation where Chris Taylor has to fly each rotor on each aircraft??

 

[Resasi]

Phil, I must point out that while I have a reasonably large experience in aviation in general, my total/over-all gyro experience is very limited. But, having said that, I have been fortunate to have flown, in a limited fashion, a wide variety of gyros and various combinations of rotor in rotorcraft, both two and single seat.

The following is a bit of a mouthful just hope its comprehensible.

I would be my opinion, that were the LAA to be happy with the quality control, manufacturing process of any particular set of rotor blades, and; Chris Taylor, in his capacity as a certified Empire Test Pilot School graduate, and an accepted authority by both the CAA and LAA; having test flown a set of rotors that were suitable in their disc loading, in say a particular single seat machine, and found that their flight characteristics were within the performance parameters/characteristics he considered both safe, and provided adequate performance, then it has been my experience that these blades generally will be suitable in various other similar single seat machines.

For example have flown Dragon wings in the Hornet, Cricket, Benson, LA-18, and Merlin. Flown Rotor Hawkes in a Bensen and a Cricket, and Rotordynes in a Bensen and a Cricket. The blades have all performed very similarly in the various machines, but this is a broad generalisation, based on my opinion.

All single seaters tend to be very individual machines with differing CG’s, weights, controls, all have their own quirks, so my opinion is hardly any form of scientific evaluation, or as good as that of a much more experienced pilot trained to do that very thing, like Chris Taylor. It would be interesting to have his opinion on that question.

In the end the LAA is always going to take the safest route, which is, Chris Taylor evaluating the combination...or...stating his opinion on the matter in a manner that they would be happy to go along with.

 

[PJB]

Hey -thanks for that. Yes I'm sure Chris will do the job he is paid to do I'm actually not really sure of how he influences - or even minded to - the process beyond that, I suspect not at all.

Problem in reality is that actually handling qualities aren't quantified, not even in BCAR-T. So you really are just going on his word, which I'm sure has integrity but never the less the situation is still (especially for the year 2020) pretty immature.

That is a pity because were there a set standard you could mathematically model it and it wouldn't require such a long drawn out faff. Hey Ho.

 

[Resasi]

That is a pity because were there a set standard you could mathematically model it and it wouldn't require such a long drawn out faff. Hey Ho.

Not positive but there is one inspector doing some kind of analysis on rotors for Francis that only involves weight dimensions and aerofoil profile.