Jay said,
+++++"How in the hell does Jim Vanek accomplish rolls and loops in a gyro?"+++
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First ingredient.... 1000's hours of gyro pilot time.
2nd, a really stable high performance gyro
3rd, a understanding of the complete loop dynamics, and what your machine is going to do at every point along the way.
4th, a recovery(escape) plan. YES ,there is method to recover when things don't go right.
Now ,with that said, why would you ever want to do it? He wants to sell gyro's and this showcases that the limits of SportCopters are very high. I believe, he holds the only current FAA aerobatic authorization card issued for airshows for gyroplanes in the USA; but even that card has a written limitation on it stating no negative "G" maneuvers.
Not every loop he has done has been completed correctly, but he is still around. I fly the same gyro as Jim's, except mine is even more aerobatic without the enclosure, just not quite have the top speed as his. I know what needs to be done, and how to do it, but I don't need to prove anything. There is no upside to doing these things, I don't get commission for his gyro sales, and I don't have anything to prove regarding my piloting skills. I have gone straight nose up, and have gone straight nose down, which are the hardest part to learn, and understand what the rest of the loop takes to complete. I know how to get out of it when things go wrong. No I am not posting the methods/speeds necessary and other parameters here cause I don't want anyone trying it.
But the biggest clue to see how this is done is to take a close look at the picture.Notice the oil tank behind the pilot's head? Notice the oil is still in the bottom of the tank even though the gyro is upside down. The reason is he always keeps positive "g"s all the way through the loop. No big secret here., but easier said than done, so why risk your life? The only time most gyro pilots get to see the same "loop" view as Jim V does in a gyro is in the last seconds of their lives, so don't try to join the club!!! Just watch the SportCopter loop video and enjoy what a gyro is capable of doing in extreme conditions.
https://sportcopter.com/sportcopter-loop-dvd.php
Scott Heger,Laguna Niguel,Ca N86SH