High time Helicycles ?

Duvan

Newbie
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
71
Location
Sweden
Total Flight Time
650
Hi all
I have been reading the Helicycle threads with great
interest. Thank you all for sharing information.

For a couple of week ago I did send the application form for building a
Helicycle to the Swedish EAA and CAA and I have been in a discussion with them.
It would help me very much if I could show on a number of Helicycle with high
time and operating history. I have been in contact with Mr. Blake and have the
approx. total accumulated time on all Helicycle

Registration number: Total time airframe: Total time engine:


Thank you
 
Duvan- Blake Estes whom you are talking to would be your best source of info for number of Helicycles flying, and their hours. I do know that the fleet has aroound 5000 hours total, and one Helicycle has 700 hours. Several are in the hundreds. I am working on my first hundred hours. Stan
 
Time

Time

Just passed the 80 hour mark. I can't get enough of this little chopper. My jet fuel addiction is about $100 per day on the days that I can fly. I need a sponsor!:eek:hwell:
 
Jerry- Its a very addictive machine, isn't it? Stan
 
When I had my Brantly, I could only fly 3 to 5 hrs per month or I'd go broke!!!!!
I don't know what you guys do for a livin'...but $100 / day dayammmmm.
 
I wish I had a gallon of kerosene for each time someone raised an eyebrow commenting on the cost for fuel. A friend of mine flies his Cessna 150 about 20 hours a year tops, and he is so worried about how I can afford burning 12 gallons an hour. I told him that his annual for his Cessna averaged into his 20 hours of flying cost him more per hour flying , and that's not counting is fuel burn of maybe 6 gallons an hour. As for myself, I found my logbook showing about half as much flying as I did in my SparrowHawk, and it burned 8-9 gallons. Funny, my fuel costs are actually less. I never was once asked how I could afford flying my SparrowHawk. Stan
 
80h in your Helicycle, Thank you very much !

Stan, how many hour do you have ?

Duvan
 
Duvan- I am at 60 jours. Sept1st will be one year and I would guess I will have 80 hours by then. My hours averaged on my RAF, and my SparrowHawk were between 150 and 175 hours per year. One thing I have noticed is that a half hour flight in my Helicycle is far more exhilerating than anything I have ever flown. You just have to experience it to understand what I am saying. Each flight leaves a post flight rush that still feels like I am flying. I just look at it in my hanger and get those flashbacks of my last flight. Stan
 
Duvan, I am just shy of 800 hrs on my helicycle at 792.
 
David- Way to go on almost 800 hours! You must have more than Mark Whistler then. These kind of testimonies are what comvinced me to buy a Helicycle. I am looking forward to steadily adding on hours to mine. Stan
 
David
I'm impressed by the 792h you have in your Helicycle ! During my teen years of flying in my Van's RV-6 I had 600h.
Have you done any major overhaul or parts replacement ?

Duvan
 
Duvan- A little research will find several Helicycles with several hundred hours on them such as Davids here, Mark Whistler, Joe Loxtercamp, Jim Little, and many more. I talked to these guys in person or by phone while I was deciding on buying a Helicycle kit. I never taslked to David as I had already made up my mind. I had read about David flying his Helicycle a lot, but just never had the pleasure of talking to him. Obviously he would have been another major influence on me! Stan
 
I'll give this thread a little more time to gather Helicycles cycle times and parts replacement
 
Duvan- Talk to several high time Helicycle guys and you will find most have minimal parts replacements. So far mine has had the least required maintenance at the hours I am at now, than any of my other four gyros that I flew. Its not even close. I worked more on my brakes, pre-rotator, coolant leaks, oil changes, etc. On my gyros than doing maintenance on my chopper. Its the easiest thing so far I have had to mess with. To be fair, give me another 100 hours and maybe I will be saying different. Stan
 
Stan
To get information directly from individual owners is very good. I will try to come in contact with as many owners as possible, hopfully in this thread or I have to to do it in another way.I know from experiance in my Van's RV-6 that there are things that fails, small or large. We must do everything that is possible to prevent problems.
The only thing stopping me to buy a Helicycle kit is the bureaucracy in Sweden but I am convinced that it will work out if I can show that this helicopter has good operating characteristics.
 
Duvan- I can give you e-mail addresses of MANY high time Helicycle pilots whom you can freely communicate with and hear their experiences . I assure you I do not get a dime for any Helicvcle sales. Of course I want to see the company thrive, because I want to have my excellent source of information and even parts when needed, and the Helicycle impresses me the more I fly it. I have shared a ton og good experiences with mine, and yet told the changes I have made, and openly revealed details about my two flameouts. The whole story must be told, and not just the good stuff while eliminating the bad side. To date, my experiences have exceeded my expectations, and was also very impressed how much energy those rotors had to make my two actual autorotations successful. Let me know if you need those e-mail addresses of many Helicycle pilots. You will find overwhelming positive news and few problems. Stan
 
Stan
I would be very grateful if you could give me the e-mails that you mentioned.
Please send me a private messages. I like your style "The whole story must be told, and not just the good stuff while eliminating the bad side "
Duvan
 
We know the Helicycle is not an off the shelf item.

Even if I sent full payment up front.....what would the delivery time be?

Seriously, what is the waiting list like ?
 
Chris- Its a long process from signing a contract to receiving the 4th and final shipment. I had been watching the Helicycle get 5 years on it before I bought one. I would call the factory once in awhile just to hear the production run was sold out and the next run was selling out fast. It looked like even if I had the money, this dream was going to be years away. Someone wanted to buy my SparrowHawk and it actually wasn't for sale, but the price offered had me calling the Helicycle factory again just to see actually when I could expect my first shipment. Since I would have to be in the next production run #6, this could be years! By the way, they are just now working on production run # 6! But, Carolyn Schramm told me that just 3 hours before I called, a customer in group #5 hurt his back and cancelled his order. She let me have two weeks to say yes or no. I did sell my SparrowHawk and had enough money for my Helicycle kit, all my helicopter training, and money in the bank. I sent my money in September 2007, and received my first shipment Feb 2008. Due to them designing a new engine mount, and their strict attention to detail, several extra months of waiting occured, but looking back, it was all worth it. I had to wait 6 months extra for my turbine, and my checkout came the tail end of August 2010. Since then I have flown mine very frequently. I was just out flying yesterday and the whole machine is just solid and smooth to fly. Stan
 
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Stan,
I have read your posts for better than a year. I can't remember the reasons.
Can you put it in 2 very short sentences, what caused your 2 flameouts. Thanks.
 
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