Parsons Tandem also from early 80s

scandtours

scandtours
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
2,325
Location
Cyprus
Aircraft
Bensen,Brock, Parsons Tandem
The “excavations” continued further with some new findings. Videos of my first Bensen gyro which I built with wooden rotor blades in 1965.
Also found some other videos with my Parsons tandem. The color quality not the best , faint colors from age…. or I m color blind.
I was much skeptical if I should post this video or not, for reasons you understand why by watching it.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=brp3C19_ah0
 
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That was great mate.... yeah, I have been trying to rescue old video tapes too.... I like all of the 'safety equipment' ,,,, sandals and dresses for the ladies....check A 't' shirt and track pants for the pilot..... check.... ok, lets go! :plane:

Imagine if all the nannies and occupational health and safety pen pushers saw that these days..... :rolleyes: they would have a cow! :whip:

Those were the days :yo:
 
here is a video of one of my many engine outs.... :cool:

Sam and I had just put a replacement EA81 turbo on my machine coz I cooked the last one... I did an uneventful circuit, then decided to do the big high power horse off and climb out..... at a couple of hundred feet or so... it all went quiet:noidea: in a fairly fast climb (the boost pipe blew off the turbo), so not wanting to stick forward.... in full pucker mode, I let the nose down as it stopped climbing.... I didn't know if I would be able to start it again so I didn't want to go over the fence just below me, so I basically pointed the nose at the ground below and just flared at the bottom for a nice touch down. I just put the boost pipe rubber joiner back on the turbo and tightened it properly this time while Sam (who nearly had a heart attack filming it) went and found the air cleaner.... and I went for another fly ;)

The strip was at Lake George at about 1850' asl, was blowing about 20 knots, machine was a direct drive EA81 turbo with 23' Gerry Goodwin blades and about 125kg pilot :rapture:

Hope you don't mind me putting it in here, not trying to hijack your thread.... just thought you might like to see more old footage :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=51Pb5kLjR5Q
 
Thanks.... I found a box of VHS tapes had some water damage, so I cleaned them as best I could and run them thru the ol' vhs both direct onto the computer and also onto DVD.... terrible quality, but at least they are saved.... here is another one of me test flying a machine a mate and I built for him. It is a 582 with a 68 ivo, 23' Jack Allen rotors. video is at the same place (Lake George, New South Wales, Australia.... north west end of lake) Was good there. There is an escarpment running north/south.... when the wind is from the east, you can fly up and down the ridge at about half throttle... when the wind was from the west, there was a massive rotor which was something you had to watch out for.... like a wall of air tumbling down towards the strip.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UWzCwtnoG0&feature=youtu.be
 

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Just goes to show that you really don't need the big HP engines to fly two.
I use to watch Bill Parson's fly his with a 532 Tandem giving instructions and he must have been 250#'s. Yes he most likely had 29' rotors.
 
Just goes to show that you really don't need the big HP engines to fly two.
I use to watch Bill Parson's fly his with a 532 Tandem giving instructions and he must have been 250#'s. Yes he most likely had 29' rotors.

I am not sure, Hjajr, but I think Bill test flew his gyro first with a McCulloch engine and with 25ft long blades. Later he replaced them with 27' and with an Arrow engine, (also a two stroke four cylinder.)
I could fly very well with two heavy persons o/b even at summer with high temperatures with a 532.
 
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A helmet would just have messed up her hair...

I remember well the old short-keeled Parsons tandem with side stick. No "rest your forearm in your lap" technique with that @&% stick! Just stir the cake batter as best you can.
 
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