Hornet vs. Bee

We are well down the road to finding out whether we took a wrong turn a ways back. Still hoping it will turn out to be as sweet a flyer as the one we went to see at Zephyr Hills.
 
Dirtydog,


Yeh some people were swift enough to copy them off the net before Don clammed up on us.

I guess he couldn't take the heat when folks were asking where the flying prototype was and he didn't have it.

As far as I know Don shoebridge has not made any advancements in his own personal Hornet build in years.

I don't know if I would build anything from a set of plans drawn from a man that bails out mid stream on his own design.

Don also started limiting access to the Hornet plans when some A-Hole started selling them on eBay.

I'd get a tad rough on the edges too if my design started showing up for sale on ebay.

The Hornet looks like a flyable craft on paper for sure and it's very tempting to give a Hornet build a try.

A Hornet in my opinion is simply a Gyrobee with a drop tail section.

I would imagine the flight characteristics would be decent to good.

But the main question to ponder, is the Hornet a Don Shoebridge Hornet if someone completes one before the desiner?
 
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M Pearce

I looked the plans over for the Hornet and I do like the frame with the dropped tail, looks like a Dominator. Also like the idea of placing a bigger prop there if you need one. But I have to say it is what I liked about it. I have the Starbee on order already, it has been 3 weeks now. Dana should be just about finished drilling the frame for me. I wanted to start work on the flight controls but can't seem to find them in the Doc on the Starbee or the gyrobee that I have. I might have to use some of the Hornet's flight controls.
I have been trying to locate a 503 or a MZ202 for my AC that is at the best price I can find. I spoken with Dan Mcgee and he has build a few parts for people. he is real close to finishing his hornet as he told me. But you are right I have not seen where Don has finished his on the front of the builders page.
 
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Chris,

You'll be happy with the Starbee kit/parts. Dana and Lara are good folks and do a great job!

Are you near any airports in Bluffton....Gyro Ron and I can come visit someday to check on the build! (If you're up in the Charlotte area sometime..let us know....we can host you at GoosCreek for some gyro flying and talk!)

BarryK
 
Well the only airport that is near is Hilton Head air port. I have thought about getting permission from a guy to use his clearing right across the street to get in some stick time later on. but mostly I want to take it to GA to claxton around the farm 270 acres the other guy that talked to you in Wrens also lives in Claxton right down the road. He has a RC club for planes about 2 miles away. great guy! He is wanting to get himself a gyro soon but wanting a 2 seater.
That would be great to have you down! Soon as I get started.
 
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Chris,

Come to think about it I have not heard anything about Don in over a year or so.

Must have other things on his mind than that gyro.

I had heard a long while back that a guy was flight testing one.

Had heard some Hornet performance numbers but they were kinda unbelievable.

Think they were better numbers than the Dominator so I decided not to make note of them.

StarBee has some decent prices on their parts I noticed.

Looks like the kinda people that are good to do business with.
 
Well may be after I get the Starbee done and flying I can look at something with a little more weight also one with a bigger gas tank to stay up longer.
I think the frame would be a plus because you could use a big prop. 220lbs is going to be a lot for a 503 or a MZ202 to push.
Yes I can't wait to get started. I am on day 20 of waiting on the rolling frame.
I have asked Dana where the flight controls were in the Doc. so that I could see about getting started cutting them out to try to get ahead.
 
To answer some of those guestions. Don documents are up to #14 and I have a complete set even the missing ones. If interested you can e-mail me and I will send to you PDF. I will have the completed airframe ready for engines and rotorblades by X-mas.

Dan
 
Danny, good to see you here. It's a marvelous place and a wealth of information you will tap into lots of good info on every aspect of gyro's. You have been a great help to Stu and I with our build and it has been greatly appreciated. Good luck with the flying as I know that you are getting close.
 
Well I really apreciate that. I have had so much fun helping Stu and now just talking to Stu, becoming good friends. I will have your tail feathers off to him next week and the controle tree for your flight controls. I thought it was about time I come up on here so everyone could get to know who I am. This should be a fun ride.

Dan
 
Down here in Kenya at the moment where our Hornet will be coming to. Unfortunately there have been radical changes to aviation legislation down here and everybody is totally bewildered. Made by mainly non aviation people a lot of it looks unworkable and highly impractical.

Still we plan on flying a few hours in Orlando before sending her down. We have to get Stu up and away first, hopefully with Dave down in Wauchula. He has been studying for his Sport Pilot. I still have my cross country's to do in the UK for my British Gyro PPL then do some conversions in the US and down here. Lots to do yet.

Where will you plan to train?
 
There is a Gyro flight school in Fredrick MD. about an hour away. Just after the first of the year I plan to get real buisy getting my flight training in. Also just after the new year I should have a templet kit and drill plate ready that will make the Hornet build at least 3 times faster and a whole lot of time saving and weight saving tips for those that will be building a Hornet. I will still offer the machined parts for those that will need them as well.

Dan
 
Don Shoebrdge

Don Shoebrdge

I have been some what disturbed by the comments about Don Shoebridge and his Hornet design here. After taking to him about it he asked me to post this information. The reason his gyro is not completed and why you all have not heard much from him lately is that he is very strapped for money and going thru and very painful divorce.

His Hornet is 99% complete and will be in the air most likely this following summer. Weather you like his design or not, no one is asking you to build one and unless you are ready to design one yourself and provide it for others to build then you would be getting the same unwanted comments that he is getting from others.

In my short time here on the forum I have gotten a wealth of information from many of you and hope to continue doing so. We all in the gyro community should be our own best friends ready to help each other accomplish the ultimate goal of gyro flight. Weather that be with good unbiased advice and the sharing of knowledge, between us all there is no reason any person that would want build and fly could do so with our help regardless of the type of airframe they chose to build or fly.

We are here because we love gyros, let’s stop the character and personal attacks against each other and spread some gyro love to others.[
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Hornet completed

Hornet completed

Just thought i would put this out there I have completed the build of my Hornet here are all the parts after mock up, disassembly and paint. I will be putting her back together this following week and will post some new pics of her all together pics for your injoyment and comments.
Dan
 

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Here are the tail feathers I made for Resasi. Not as perfect as I would have wanted but learned much about fiberglass. Did put them under strain in our wind tunnel and had excellent airflow with no chatter at all. Very stable system.

Dan
 

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I was just reading over some of the post on page one and had some answers for you. There are 5 Hornets up and flying around all over the world. One in the US one in Alstraila, one in Africa some where one in Belgum and I can't remember where the other one was sorry. As for the mast flexability. There is still plenty of flex in the mast in regards to 2 rev per. The harnet was designed with a great deal of input from many gyro heads and the common comments from forumes like this one. I can tell you this from the modleing and stress testing of the Hornet it will out do the gyrobee and honeybee quit well. The gyrobee and honey bee under flight test nodleing the mast will want to fail around 2 1/2 G's and the honey bee almost dead on at 3 G's. the hornet will withstand 11 G's before the mast bolts want to pull out the holes.

Now no one is going to go out there and even think of pulling this many G's in any gyro, but does show great performance quality's in modleing mock ups. The 5 that are now flying supports what the computer modles is telling us.

Just a little about me. I am by no means a engineer and would never try to pass myself off as one. I do have at my disposal an entire post of engineers, from mechanical to airinotical and rocket perpulsion. Many of whitch has helped me in desiding to build my Hornet then getting to know Don the designer quit well. I am a mechanic and machenist and spent 24 years in the military before retiring 2006 18 of those years in the SF. I also have an encredable love for building gyros, funest thing I have ever done.

Have electronic engineers working now and a new flight instrument packeage made just for gyrocopters small light wieght large screen digital display more info as it develops.

Dan
 
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