It Followed Me Home

[Sv.grainne]

It is my understanding that the PRA website has a wide variety of gyroplane plans available in the members only section.

I have not accessed it so I don't know if Bobby has it up and running since the website was restored.

Vance;

Yes up and running. Plans, lots of old Rotorcraft Flying magazines, back issues or Powered Sport Flying Magazines and about to add old photos that Bud O'Neil gave me.

$50 per year to join PRA. $62 with hard copy pof PSF.

 

[Mayfield]

The cable hanging off the end of the tow boom attaches, via two short aluminum straps to the bottom forward edge of the cheek plates.

The rotor head may be mounted 180 degrees out at the roll pivot blocks. Not sure on that, but there are several people here who will know.

Jim

 

[MrMarty51]

All of the Aluminum should be 6061T6. The hardware would be best if it were replaced with AN hardware with either lock nuts or castle nuts. The rotor blades are best cut up and burned. Wood just isn’t the best thing to use anymore. They used in back then because it’s all they had. If you don’t know how specifically how to build them and orient the wood so it gives you the best strength they could blow up once up to flying RPM. There are many used sets of various brands of metal blades. Good luck to be honest you have a long road ahead of you. Getting training will be another problem. There is only one CFI that trains in a machine even close to that. Steve McGowen in Georgia. I’m not saying it can’t be done. It can just gonna be a pain in the pocket book and butt. I wish you luck and I truly hope you make it happen. Welcome to the Gyro family. We are a bunch of weirdos.

That must be why I feel like I fit in so well. 😂😂😂
I dont know what to do about training. That could be a problem.
I do have friends way out away from civilization on the breaks of the Missouri River that would let Me store it, and make an ocassional flight with it.
I know this is going to be a long time in the making and so maybe by the time I get the materials together then I will have enough saved for the rotor blades and the instructional flights to get the license.
Time will tell but I will be on the search for a set of used blades, now that You have brought that posibility to My attention. Thank You very much.

 

[MrMarty51]

The cable hanging off the end of the tow boom attaches, via two short aluminum straps to the bottom forward edge of the cheek plates.

The rotor head may be mounted 180 degrees out at the roll pivot blocks. Not sure on that, but there are several people here who will know.

Jim

I found this diagram.
It makes Me think that the gyro gliders was set up in this fashion.
I wonder if the engine powered units was the other way around ?

 

[Mayfield]

I found this diagram.
It makes Me think that the gyro gliders was set up in this fashion.
I wonder if the engine powered units was the other way around ?
View attachment 1157987

I don't know. Your diagram shows a spindle rotor head. It looks like your machine has an offset gimble head.

 

[MrMarty51]

I don't know. Your diagram shows a spindle rotor head. It looks like your machine has an offset gimble head.

I sure have a lot to learn.

 

[MrMarty51]

I don't know. Your diagram shows a spindle rotor head. It looks like your machine has an offset gimble head.

Tomorrow I will get some good pictures of whats at the top of the tube.
Maybe I can be informed as to just what I do have here.

 

[MikeBoyette]

Your best bet in your situation might be to get a set of Bensen manuals. This is how it was done before two place machines were available. If you do this the flight manual must be adhered to to the letter. There should be no skipping ahead. If you do it could cost you your life.

 

[Resasi]

Martin your persistence and enthusiasm for pursuing this particular goal I find commendable. You certainly seem quite determined to go forward with this project. You have made a good start with finding this this Forum as it is a source of a lot of valuable information, and people whose advice is worth a lot.

Be careful with your project as you go forward, it is risky, as the early machines were not that stable and a lot has been learned since yours was originally meant to be made.

Early gyro gliders were fun and people did fly them. A good friend of mine started on these over 40 years ago but has also mentioned that accidents in them were not uncommon. Another friend who is a Forum member, Rotormouse, Shirley Jennings, used to teach on them and could well be a valuable source of information. Try sending her a private message through this Forum. Sadly she lost two very good friends of hers on a dual rotor glider.

Good luck with your endeavour.

 

[MrMarty51]

Your best bet in your situation might be to get a set of Bensen manuals. This is how it was done before two place machines were available. If you do this the flight manual must be adhered to to the letter. There should be no skipping ahead. If you do it could cost you your life.

The manuals I shall do. I need a couple months to get My CC paid off then I can start over. My old Chevy truck picked up a misfire on a couple of cylinders, it too is old, 2000 K3500 with the 6.5 diesel. Pulled the injectors and tested them, two had failed to pop and only leaked down. New injectors and a couple of those too are faulty. Waiting for an independent diesel shop to test them and giving Me their professional results. Rocker covers were leaking so off they too came and got resealed. While down that far added some up rated components from a person that keeps adding more nice items to his list of must haves for longevity. 260,000 + miles and I’ll try to have this old disposable detroit diesel as close to perfect as it can be.
Get this $1500.00 worth of upgrades paid off then I’m going for the Benson books and blue prints.
In the mean time I did get some pics of the items atop of the mast.
Maybe I can be advised if this all is as it should be or if it has been added onto. It seems that the left to right tilt function could cause the rotor blades to whack the ground if a person was not very very careful.

 

[MrMarty51]

The cable from the front frame was originally hooked to this bolt, sandwitched between two washers.

 

[MrMarty51]

Oh yes, the big Duckworth river boat and the AirStream camper, along with the snowmobile, if it becomes visible in a shot or two, belongs to the step son. 😹😹😹

 

[Resasi]

Maybe I can be advised if this all is as it should be or if it has been added onto. It seems that the left to right tilt function could cause the rotor blades to whack the ground if a person was not very very careful.

You have touched on a delicate point with many autogyro pilots.

How not to 'wack the ground with rotor blades' is just one of the many things you should be reading and learning about, if you really intend to pursue this project.

It may well be however, that more informed gyro pilots may suggest that you do not continue with the structures you presently have, due to their age and or unsuitability, as they would definitely carry the risk of cutting short your enthusiastic pursuit of this particular resurrection, without ensuring the chances of yours, in your present form.

You will be dealing with some serious forces with some old corroded parts, and a possibly outdated and dangerous design.

 

[MrMarty51]

You have touched on a delicate point with many autogyro pilots.

How not to 'wack the ground with rotor blades' is just one of the many things you should be reading and learning about, if you really intend to pursue this project.

It may well be however, that more informed gyro pilots may suggest that you do not continue with the structures you presently have, due to their age and or unsuitability, as they would definitely carry the risk of cutting short your enthusiastic pursuit of this particular resurrection, without ensuring the chances of yours, in your present form.

You will be dealing with some serious forces with some old corroded parts, and a possibly outdated and dangerous design.

Every word of advice is being taken very seriously.
For now I am going to dismantle this airframe and place it very carefully back in a dryer storage area as where it came from. It was in a very dry environment and where it now is going to go is even temperature controlled.
When You mention corroded components, I see absolutely no sign of surface corrosion on any of the components, nor through the bores for the bolt holes. Is there something more that I should be looking for ?
Should I be concerned when I go flying with My friend in His 1948 Luscumb airplane ? I know it had sat out hangerless for a lot of seasons and it seems to pass all of its inspections, I believe that the major components of the airframe on it is most likely aluminum.
Just wondering what all I should be inspecting components for that might possibly fail.
I have thought about loading it up and hauling it up the Yellowstone Hill to the Frank Wiley airport (less than a mile away) and having one of their technicians look it over and give Me a yeay or a nay and the reasons why, besides I could break my neck with this contraption 😂🤗

 

[MikeBoyette]

One thing concerns me the torque tube appears to be made of steal. Every rotorhead I have ever seen until the Eurotub invasion was made from Aluminum. I wouldn’t get out of the electric chair to try to fly a machine made from those parts. Your life is not worth saving a bit of money. it’s best to begin with new material and hardware. If funds are a problem a more affordable hobby might be considered. Gyros are expensive no way around it.

 

[MrMarty51]

One thing concerns me the torque tube appears to be made of steal. Every rotorhead I have ever seen until the Eurotub invasion was made from Aluminum. I wouldn’t get out of the electric chair to try to fly a machine made from those parts. Your life is not worth saving a bit of money. it’s best to begin with new material and hardware. If funds are a problem a more affordable hobby might be considered. Gyros are expensive no way around it.

Torque tube is aluminum. There is a length of box steel for the handle thats mounted to the rotor head.
Other than the bolts, washers, nuts and wheel/hub components thats to only other piece of structural steel on this.

 

[MrMarty51]

As I go through the forum, I mark all the posts I read with the like button. I hope everyone does not mind that. It gives Me a book mark where I left off before new posts was added.
Only time I wont tap the like button is if the post, or thread, involves someones sickness or some tragic incident.
Just thought I would clear that up in case some were wondering why all the likes is being tapped. 😹

 

[Vance]

The black thing is the hub bar and the rusted thing is the torque tube based on figure 18-1 in the gyroplane flying handbook.

Typically they use aluminum for both to avoid galvanic corrosion.

 

[MikeBoyette]

The rust on that hollow tube indicates it’s steel. That piece should be aluminum. Early ones were hollow aluminum with a solid machined piece pressed in the center. Later they just machined it from a solid piece of bar stock.

 

[MrMarty51]

View attachment 1158001
The rust on that hollow tube indicates it’s steel. That piece should be aluminum. Early ones were hollow aluminum with a solid machined piece pressed in the center. Later they just machined it from a solid piece of bar stock.

Yes, it is steel. I knew that piece was steel and dont know why the original builder would nort have used aluminum for that.
I didnt know that was named a torque tube.
There was dust on the side plates that made it look like they too had rust. I wiped that off then went over the entire unit with a magnet. I found four other pieces of steel.
I then measured every piece on this air frame. Going to call and get prices on the 6061 T6 aluminum components.
I'm throwing out a wild guess at about $600.00 for everything.
Then this one can hang in the yard as an ornament. Glue the old rotors back together and hang them on, maybe find a old V4 Wisconsin and bolt that to it too, with a hand, draw knife carved propeller. LOL