Rotor blade plate placement

gillhog

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Jan 22, 2020
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Fort Worth, TX
I just purchased a Sparrowhawk from an estate. I am preparing it for an annual inspection. I will be removing the rotor blades (2 bolts each side?). Is there a particular torque setting for the bolts when I reinstall them?

Thank you for any info!
 
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The Sparrowhawk gyroplanes used Sport Copter's rotorblades, called Sport Rotors.

The hub bar has the rotorblades straps bolted to it. Don't remove those bolts. They are torqued @ the factory. Only remove the four bolts that run longitudally that go through the root end of each rotorblade.

Older, smaller Sport Rotors had up to six bolts on each end of the hub bar.

Call the factory for clarification. They keep meticulous records on each set sold.
 
The Sparrowhawk gyroplanes used Sport Copter's rotorblades, called Sport Rotors.

The hub bar has the rotorblades straps bolted to it. Don't remove those bolts. They are torqued @ the factory. Only remove the four bolts that run longitudally that go through the root end of each rotorblade.

Older, smaller Sport Rotors had up to six bolts on each end of the hub bar.

Call the factory for clarification. They keep meticulous records on each set sold.


Thank you very much for the information. They are apparently in a transition to SkyWorks and are not much help for another month or two.
 
Here you are. Let me know if you need anything else. Don't expect anything from Skyworks, ever.
Stephen
[email protected]
 

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  • Sportcopter rotor and hub installation S01-300-0003.pdf
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  • Sportcopter rotor assembly S01-310-2004.pdf
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  • Rotor head assembly S01-320-2002.pdf
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On my Sparrowhawk, the plates indicated in the attached photo are both located above the rotor blade, no plate below. This places the rotor blade lower than normal. Is this a mistake or is there a reason for this?
 

Attachments

  • Sparrowhawk Rotor Assembly.jpg
    Sparrowhawk Rotor Assembly.jpg
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I don't see what you mean. Both diagrams show the plates in contact with the blades and the larger plates outside of them.
smiles,
Charles
 
Maybe an image of your blades would help for comparison to the drawing.
 
I have indicated the 2 plates with red arrows. The drawing shows a plate below the blade and a plate above the blade. My gyroplane has both plates above the blade and no plate below the blade.
 
It may be that someone felt the towers we not the correct height and used the plates to adjust the mass to reduce stick shake.

I don’t know if that is an acceptable practice.

If you can talk to the person who assembled your blades you may find answers.

As I recall a SparrowHawk did not use a Sport Copter rotor head.

As I understand it the blades I had on The Predator were originally intended for a Sparrow Hawk.

The rotor blades I am using now were intended for an RAF.

They appear to be identical.

I am using a Rotor Flight Dynamics rotor head.
 

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  • hat.jpg
    hat.jpg
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On my Sparrowhawk, the plates indicated in the attached photo are both located above the rotor blade, no plate below. This places the rotor blade lower than normal. Is this a mistake or is there a reason for this?
The plate not being below would greatly reduce the strength of the lower section. I would avoid deviation from the original design.
 
Yeah.... plates need to be on each side.
 
It appears to me the plates are just spacers and do not contribute to the strength of the joint.
 
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