New Gyro

Timchick

Tim Chick
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
10,894
Location
Panama City, Florida
Aircraft
Sport Copter Vortex, 582 Greyhead
Total Flight Time
~30
I just got back from a road trip to pick up my gyro. It's a KB-2 with a 72 Mac-o-matic (without the optional heating trays), Wunderlich prerotator, rotor brake, Dragon Wing blades, air speed indicator, and a rotor tach. It needs a little TLC but it'll be good for me to start with. Before I fly I'm adding a HS stab and Hagar wheels with disc brakes on the mains. I'm going to use a hydraulic line-loc for a parking brake since I'll be prop starting it. Later on I plan on upgrading the tail to the newer type and I'd like to add mufflers. I plan on going over every inch (and bolt) and doing a hang test before I fly. I'll have plenty of time to do that while I'm saving for my lessons. I hope to get my lessons and be in the air some time this summer.
 

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When I was picking up my gyro the Sheriff's dept. brought out their chopper and took off. It was pretty sweet looking.
 

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Cool Tim, looks nice! Yes Mufflers should be # 2 on the list, after the stab! A mac with muffler is too loud as it is.....

How is those videos you shot at Bensen Days coming along? I sure would like to get a copy!!!
 
Good goin' Tim. I'm a newbie to this as well, but I noticed a couple of things in the photo that I was curious about. First was how "straight" the blades were, with very little sagging. Perhaps it's an optical thing with the lens of the camera, but since the background geometry appears straight as well, those blades appear to be quite rigid. What length are they?

Secondly, a lot of the gyros I've seen have a longer hub bar, and I am unfamiliar with that of the Brock machines. Is yours a typical Brock head & hub bar? I only ask because I remember seeing a photo of a KB3 (different machine entirely) that used a different hub bar arrangement if memory serves. I'm just curious and trying to learn.

Thanks. Your new gyro looks very nice from the photo. It'll just make your training all the more sweet, and you'll get to solo in your own machine! :D I'm really happy for you!

Best wishes,
Brian
 
Cool Tim... that's very cool. Cool Cool Cool! .. shawn
 
Tim, that's a nice looking machine! Best of luck with it!
 
Ron, Who makes exhaust systems for the macs? Does anyone out there have one they would part with?
 
Screw-In

Good going Tim. Very nice meeting you at Bensen days and good luck with your KB-2.

Screw-Out
 

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Timchick said:
72 Mac-o-matic (without the optional heating trays.

You did get the garlic press though right? :D
 
Brian Jackson said:
Good goin' Tim. I'm a newbie to this as well, but I noticed a couple of things in the photo that I was curious about. First was how "straight" the blades were, with very little sagging. Perhaps it's an optical thing with the lens of the camera, but since the background geometry appears straight as well, those blades appear to be quite rigid. What length are they?

Secondly, a lot of the gyros I've seen have a longer hub bar, and I am unfamiliar with that of the Brock machines. Is yours a typical Brock head & hub bar? I only ask because I remember seeing a photo of a KB3 (different machine entirely) that used a different hub bar arrangement if memory serves. I'm just curious and trying to learn.


Best wishes,
Brian

Brian,

That machine has Dragon Wing rotors on it. The hub bar is only about 1 foot long, and the blades are fairly rigid.

Tim mentioned these things in his first post.
Apparently you are still in shock from the loss of your pet Beluga whale, and missed that part. :p
 
Timchick said:
Ron, Who makes exhaust systems for the macs? Does anyone out there have one they would part with?

Tim,

The exhaust on my machine uses a pair of Cherry Bomb glass packs, which should be easy to find.
They connect to the manifolds with 2" stainless flex-pipe.

The manifolds are the tricky part though. I don't know who makes them, as I found my set used. Construction should be fairly straightforward though, being 2 rectangular sleeves which slip over the exhauhst stacks and are welded to a 2" pipe.

If you need pictures, I can take some closeups of mine.

I have heard that the "freon can" type of exhaust is a more effective muffler, but I've never heard one in person. Maybe one of our more 'seasoned' fliers like Tom Milton may know more.
 
I think you can go to your local AutoZone, in thier aviation department, and get some cherry bomb mufflers for about $25 a pair! :)

There used to be a guy in Georgia that made some expansion chambers, but he hasn't made any for years.
 
scottessex said:
I think you can go to your local AutoZone, in thier aviation department, and get some cherry bomb mufflers for about $25 a pair! :)

There used to be a guy in Georgia that made some expansion chambers, but he hasn't made any for years.


Actually, I spoke to that gentleman several months ago.
He said that he can still make them up if anyone wants a set.

His name is Ewlan (Hulon?) Burnett, and his phone number is 706-648-3433.

He quoted me a price of $500 + freight (~$35) for a set of pipes.
They weigh 16 lbs. with manifolds.
 
gyromike said:
Brian,

That machine has Dragon Wing rotors on it. The hub bar is only about 1 foot long, and the blades are fairly rigid.

Tim mentioned these things in his first post.
Apparently you are still in shock from the loss of your pet Beluga whale, and missed that part. :p
:D :D :D
Hi Mike. Actually I did read his first post a couple times before I asked. I was just curious about the head brand and arrangement. I've been reading and learning a lot here about coning and undersling, which is why I was curious. I promise no whales were harmed in this inquiry :D

Cheers,
Brian Jackson
 
Brian,

Bensen/Brock blades are very limber (SkyWheels also), as evidenced by their "droopiness", and have straight hub bars. The blades are flexible enough to cone upwards under a load, and tends to be a gentle arc along the whole blade.

Stiffer bonded blades like Dragon Wings and Rotordynes have the coning angle built into the hub bar.

Stiff blades will still cone up with a straight hub bar, but adding coning angle to the hub bar relieves the stress that would be placed on the root end of the blades.
 
If you have ever messed with tuned pipes............$500 a pair seems quite reasonable.
What is the power gain? 15, 20%?
I think Rick Whitridge has a set of Burnett pipes, He should know how well they work.
 
Thanks, Mike! Your explanation shed some light on that subject for me. Attached is a photo from the Ken Brock Manufacturing site showing a KB2 hub bar. I remembered it was a little different configuration than other styles I've seen. For some reason that stuck with me, and was why I asked about the hub bar in the photo.

It's difficult to tell from the KBM site how the blades attach, so I can only surmise that the blade straps for Dragon Wings require a different, shorter hub bar to span the same rotor diameter.

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