Rotorcraft vs Paramotors (and Pop Culture)

[XXavier]

Sportcopter looking small as gyroplanes go, and even has a prerotator, but still not as small as a paramotor.
Very impressive maneuvers from the pilot, though.

Meanwhile, contra-rotating propellers could reduce a paramotor's size even further:

But reducing the prop diameter has an important drawback, since, for a given engine power, thrust is proportional to the disk area.

 

[Doug Riley]

A helicopter that cannot autorotate to a landing, such as a quad-rotor "giant drone," has a dead-man zone even with a ballistic chute. For example, a freefall from 100 feet is not recoverable using a BRS, but it will kill you. Freefall is what you get when you lose power to prop-sized rotors.

Helos with small, direct-lift props (instead of the usual big, slower rotors) have been prototyped for many decades. Our mentor, Igor Bensen, fooled around with more than one such machine. They have never caught on, for reasons of high power consumption, control problems and the dead-man zone issue.

A very light, possibly backpack, helo actually would be better off using a comparatively big, lightly-built, slow rotor. The tradeoff: the slower the the rotor, the lower the aircraft's possible top speed.

 

[Zzorse]

Giant passenger carrying drones are proposed to fill our cities with an exciting new transportation means. Uber recently parachuted out of this space.

 

[WaspAir]

Giant passenger carrying drones are proposed to fill our cities with an exciting new transportation means. Uber recently parachuted out of this space.

I like that choice of verb : "parachuted".

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

A gyroplane/helicopter with folding blades and mast can be packed very small and can possibly be transported inside a mini-van. The hinge for the folding blade is a challenge, but the design can be borrowed from the Pal-V, and automatic folding and unfolding are not needed, especially for the type of application the OP was talking about. If flight time requirement is low enough, even an electric one is not a remote possibility.

 

[XXavier]

A gyroplane/helicopter with folding blades and mast can be packed very small and can possibly be transported inside a mini-van. The hinge for the folding blade is a challenge, but the design can be borrowed from the Pal-V, and automatic folding and unfolding are not needed, especially for the type of application the OP was talking about. If flight time requirement is low enough, even an electric one is not a remote possibility.

A 'folding gyroplane' was built and tested by Kaman, in the 1960s. It had telescoping blades

Kaman KSA-100 SAVER

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Thanks for the info. This is great for people who do not have access to hangar.

 

[WaspAir]

Check out the Hiller ROE Rotorcycle, which packed into a drop-tank like canister.

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Yeah. Those aircrafts were way ahead of their time. With modern electronics, anyone could be trained to fly them in a very short time.

 

[sanman]

I was watching this video of a Cavalon being flown over scenic mountain terrain:

It's ironic that while mountainous terrain can be among the most scenic to fly lower and slower over, that such sights can nevertheless be the most hazardous to enjoy, due to the mountain air currents, which can be very difficult for paramotors. Furthermore, paramotors are often restricted to early morning or later evening flying, due to the problem of thermals. Meanwhile, rotorcraft like Gyroplanes are much more resilient against those effects, and can fly throughout the day, provided all other conditions are reasonable.


Hiller Rotorcycle appears to have been a portable single-person helicopter:

Here's a concept for a folding gyroplane:

What are the regulations on where such an ultralight rotorcraft can be operated? Can you only operate it out of an airstrip? Or is it permissible when you are way out on empty farmland in the countryside, away from built-up areas?

 

[Tyger]

What are the regulations on where such an ultralight rotorcraft can be operated? Can you only operate it out of an airstrip? Or is it permissible when you are way out on empty farmland in the countryside, away from built-up areas?

As far as takeoffs and landings, it depends on local rules: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/centre-island-helicopter-law-1.29954780

But the biggest legal restriction in the countryside is likely to be getting the permission of the landowner. You may have the right to fly over his land, but you don't have a right to land on it, unless it's an emergency.

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Normally just G space. But, if you can read things like skyvector.com, there are many more areas you can explore.

On a different note. Why not at least learn the rules and get a sports license. You can register your UL as EAB and do your 80hr. You can then fly almost everywhere.

 

[Vance]

What are the regulations on where such an ultralight rotorcraft can be operated? Can you only operate it out of an airstrip? Or is it permissible when you are way out on empty farmland in the countryside, away from built-up areas?

Advisory circular 103-6 will have information about the operation and limitations of ultralight vehicles under FAR 103:
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_103-6.pdf

It is too long to print out here.

 

[sanman]

And yet the immediacy of paramotor flight seems hard to match:

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Why don't you just read the link Vance has posted. That pdf file tells you where you can fly an UL aircraft.

 

[sanman]

When I look at the Calidus, it seems to be pretty low slung. The low vehicle body does make the thrust line look higher by comparison:

And yet I've read that Calidus is among the more stable Gyroplanes out there, and does better in rough weather compared to others.

 

[Vance]

The Calidus design speed for maximum gust intensity is 70kts; typical of AutoGyro products.

In my experience compared to most gyroplanes I need to be more active on the rudder pedals to maintain coordinated flight in a Calidus.

Like most Rotax 9 series powered gyroplanes with a high thrust line and a short rudder; if I reduce power in a Calidus she pitches nose up and yaws right and if I add power she pitches nose down and yaws left.

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Why can't they make them center line thrusted.

 

[NJpilot]

Why can't they make them center line thrusted.

In AutoGyro's case I believe aesthetics plays a part in it.

 

[Aviator168-aircraft]

Hey sanman, maybe you would like this one better. A power assisted verion is not that difficult to build.