Rotor Airfoils

[okikuma]

Thank you Chuck.

There was a brief mention of the McCulloch J2 gyroplane. I seriously think that if the J2 was given a set of rotor blades using the Boeing VR-7B airfoil with an 8" cord, and a rotor diameter of 30' it could easily perform a real jump takeoff, and fly with a performance envelope that would make the aircraft a very useful gyroplane.

Wayne

 

[C. Beaty]

D.K.Jovanovich, designer of the J-2, was a well known rotorcraft designer who also knew how to make a buck.

The J-2 used the same rotor system as McCulloch’s little tandem rotor helicopter, the MC-4 and the Hughes-269.

Jovanovich first licensed the J-2 to Learjet for a considerable sum of money with the provision that if production did not exceed a certain amount by a certain date, manufacturing rights would revert to him and he could keep Lear’s money.

The J-2 was then licensed to McCullogh and everything went down the drain.

Ed Trent, Bensen’s #2, once told me that Jovanovich had approached Bensen about selling them a license.

And yes, of course the J-2 would have been a capable gyro with an appropriate rotor.