SILVERLIGHT AVIATION AR-1 BUILDING PROCESS American Ranger

[GK2]

This is a video I made of Abid explaining the building process of the American Ranger AR-1. Abid also goes over some of the changes they've made to improve the 2-place gyroplane.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3FoOedTSA0

 

[EdResnick]

When was this filmed? Those yellow and copper bodies were there when I was there back in June.

 

[GK2]

That's about right my camcorder says June. I'm unsure what the story is with those bodies.

 

[Steve_UK]

maybe exported

 

[fara]

Those two are not exported. They are in the US (0005, 0006) along with 0002, 0003, 0004. All flying. This does not include the prototype which is also flying with Tim Verroi now. I think Danny in Texas has put on already 140 hours on his in 6 months. Export ones are 0001, 0007, 0008. Next ones 0009, 0010, 0011, 0012 are in progress all for the US market. Would love more orders from the US market, our home market. We are catching up and time to delivery will be getting lower after this batch to 3 to 3.5 months. In essence so far this year we have one prototype gyro sale and 12 production gyroplane orders (but one is for us to demo) and 3 trike sales and one airplane sale. I have put the airplane kit on hold to concentrate on gyroplane production line and making it faster, better, stronger etc. etc. Would appreciate support from our US customers and would like to welcome any new US customers to our family. Our aim is to be the largest US gyroplane manufacturer and create export as well as local sales.
We sold 7 AG-1 last year but our AR-1 standards are higher, our engineering change controls are better and continued airworthiness is more in control. A product is not just the machine and with AR-1 I have the control to do things the way I think they ought to be done including things and processes no end user sees but are somehow important to a product lifecycle.

 

[Rehan K.Janjua]

Bravo Abid you are de man. That's the way it should be.

You need need lots of advertisement, make up a good demonstration presentation video, put as many videos as possible on youtube and sorts. June was way back and now people know.

Wish you all the success and popularity.
Regards.

 

[magknight]

AR-1 Head

AR-1 Head

Abid, it was good to see you go through the features on the video. I've seen it in person at Oshkosh and here in Texas, but hadn't looked close enough to pick out the features described. Really like the nose gear, adjustability, manual pre-rotator, etc. One thing you didn't touch on was the rotor head (that I remember). Can you describe the setup? Did you use barings or bushing? How are adjustments to tracking and balance made, etc. I'm familiar with the blades, same company as Arrowcopter (and Trixy I think?), but what about the hub, etc?

Thanks!

 

[fara]

Thanks Rehan. Yes we are working on the marketing aspect. Soon. This was just the first year but you are right, no rest for the wicked.

Hi Jason:
Regarding rotor-head. Yes that was not shown much in the video. Gerald said he was coming to Tampa for something and that we should do a quick video (thanks Gerald) in the assembly shop so this was kind of off the top of the head.

So the rotor head is similar to but not the same as ELA. Some critical dimensional relationships are different. Its a welded assembly from 304L SS. Fairly heavy duty. We have thought about and actually modelled a full billet Aluminum machined piece. Basically a huge one piece billet CNC model. But we are able to achieve fairly good tolerances with welding jigs we use so so far we have not gone for that bling factor but you never know. The roll and pitch block is 6061-T6 Aluminum machined to quite close tolerances. It uses 2 AN8 bolts. They go into two Oilite bushings that need to be checked at annual (oiled with SAE 30 oil with cavities drilled in the roll and pitch block) and changed every 500 hours like other bearings in this assembly as a preventative measure. The Teeter Tower is a billet one piece affair which is held to the ring gear plate using 6 AN5 bolts. An AN12 bolt goes through the rotor head hanging spot, through the ring gear plate, into the teeter tower cavity that has two (not one) dual row precision bearings that do not have a up or a down (they can go either way ... you may remember fatal accident in Texas because bearing assembly was upside down ... you can't do that with this). The two bearings are packed one over the other with thin lasered washers in the middle. The flapping stop plate goes on top and presses the bearings in the teeter tower cavity. Bearings are a slight interference fit into teeter tower cavity and have to be tapped in. Thus the outer ring of the bearings cannot rotate. The AN12 (3/4") bolt has a custom made Castle nut made of 1045 steel, heat treated and plated with Cadmium that is tightened down to 120 to 125 foot pounds and a cotter pin. Most of our critical hardware comes from AirFasco (AFS) in Ohio. They manufacture AN hardware and other hardware.

The hub bar we use comes with Averso rotor system. It has a machined teeter block on it with a grease fitting sticking up. There are two ball bearings pressed in the teeter block and in between the ball bearings there are needle bearings pressed in. So when we tighten this teeter block with a M12 Class 10.9 bolt on to the teeter tower. The bolt is not being used as the bearing surface at all. It stays put. Its the teeter block's bearings inside that move. Every 30 or so hours one may want to put some grease in the teeter block grease fitting for the needle bearings. This as I understand it is different than AutoGyro who actually allow the bolt to rotate and act around Brass bushings and need greasing more critically there and there is possibility of wear there.

We have started increasing the under-sling of the teeter block from standard Averso provided one by placing a machined Aluminum block beneath it. We feel that it may help smooth the rotors when performing high load maneuvers.

The rotor system (blades, hub bar, teeter block) comes dynamically balanced, serialized and numbered. However, tracking is something we have to do. You can move the hub bar slightly side to side using the teeter block threaded mechanism within the teeter tower though we rarely have to do that.

Any other tracking issues remaining in the whole assembly are solved using shim strips that can be placed under the teeter block above hub bar on one side or the other. We usually use 2000's, 3000's and 5000's shimming stock or combinations thereof to take out any misalignment in the whole assembly. Then we mark the rotor system so you know which side goes which way each time you put it back on. We do this tracking as part of the builder's assist test flight which is included. This once done, usually should not need changing for a long time.

 

[magknight]

Great! Again well thought out and well done.

Have you experimented with any pre-rise or pre-cone (not sure what you'd call it) on the hub bar? ArrowCopter builds in a 3 degree rise which lowers the stress on the root of the blades in flight. They're not the first, but the only one I know the degree of rise. They also have a clever method of tracking adjustment. Basically a block where you can tighten down one of the 4 corners to make micro adjustments. I did a quick drawing to explain what I'm talking about (clearly I'm no artist so I may have made it more confusing!).

Keep it up, looks like you're building a great product.

 

[fara]

Hi Jason:
Thanks.
No there is no pre-cone in the hub bar. Arrowcopter I do not believe always had that either. I also think Chris himself ran an analysis of the bending and the blades and hub bar can handle it. Averso has never had cracking issues in the blades or clamping mechanisms like AutoGyro did and they have been using this system since at least a decade I believe. The alloy is different series altogether. If someone knows of an Averso system having cracking issues from normal use, let me know please.

Yeah those four point system for tracking that you sketched would work and essentially is the same concept as what we do but done a bit more elegantly and for ease of use. I find that system more feeble than simply placing a shim and tightening it however. Yes it takes 5 more minutes to loosen bolt, slide shim between hub bar and teeter block. So what. This is work you do once and then you forget it. When a simple thing works and is more solid while keeping the weight the same, use it. In aircraft always simplify, specially when it comes to critical assemblies or functions. Keep the engineering and design tricks for things not so critical. That's my philosophy at least for recreational aircraft.

 

[magknight]

Agreed! I'm always for simple. Looking forward to flying an AR-1

 

[JAL]

Nice work Abid.

Nice features like the manual pre-rotator and the adjustable/removable control (especially rear rudder pedals).

 

[chrisk]

I loved the video. It was great for showing the features.

 

[Mike G]

Magknight
We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this pitch change device here
http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=636454#post636454

From experience tracking many different rotors using a dynamic balancer, I find that the design you propose is more difficult to track accurately because you cannot measure easily the adjustments you have made. I struggled with an Arrowcopter, we got there eventually but it took much longer than using shims. Your method works but is more hit and miss than Fara's shimming method.

Averso used to have this setup (that's how it got into the Arrow copter) but they went away from it because it was too hit and miss and it's their later design that's in the AR1.

Fara I thought that Averso were putting the coning angle in the hub bar now, I must check on that.
Another question, why did you go for two double row bearings and not two 40° angular contact bearings (7206 style) ?
Mike G

 

[Resasi]

Hi Abid, congratulations on getting to this point.

I remember your kindness letting me use your internet when Stu and I were making our Hornet over in Roy’s hanger. Little while back now, and you were just into Trikes.

Looked like a nice machine when you first brought it to Bensen days but you seem to be bringing it along well, and enjoyed the vid.

Wish you success in your venture.

 

[magknight]

Magknight
We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this pitch change device here
http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=636454#post636454

From experience tracking many different rotors using a dynamic balancer, I find that the design you propose is more difficult to track accurately because you cannot measure easily the adjustments you have made. I struggled with an Arrowcopter, we got there eventually but it took much longer than using shims. Your method works but is more hit and miss than Fara's shimming method.

Averso used to have this setup (that's how it got into the Arrow copter) but they went away from it because it was too hit and miss and it's their later design that's in the AR1.

Fara I thought that Averso were putting the coning angle in the hub bar now, I must check on that.
Another question, why did you go for two double row bearings and not two 40° angular contact bearings (7206 style) ?
Mike G

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't find it difficult, but then I didn't mess with it after it was balanced. The initial balance took only a couple of quarter turns on one side. I do understand your point though, there's no way to know where you're at.

On the pre-cone, I thought it was a recommendation from the German CAA (or whatever they'd call themselves) during Arrowcopter's certification. It sounded like they were concerned with all brands rotor systems similarly and were wanting the cone put in to reduce stress on the system.

Abid, I didn't mean to start any querstioning of what you've done. It looks well thought out and a better design than many out there!

 

[fara]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't find it difficult, but then I didn't mess with it after it was balanced. The initial balance took only a couple of quarter turns on one side. I do understand your point though, there's no way to know where you're at.

On the pre-cone, I thought it was a recommendation from the German CAA (or whatever they'd call themselves) during Arrowcopter's certification. It sounded like they were concerned with all brands rotor systems similarly and were wanting the cone put in to reduce stress on the system.

Abid, I didn't mean to start any questioning of what you've done. It looks well thought out and a better design than many out there!

Its not a problem. Precone is nice but it is not necessity. Its not the German CAA. These things are not type certificated in European countries like Germany by German CAA. Instead delegated clubs like DULV or BUT (think something like EAA) are doing the certification work. So its a club type certification. Better than nothing but certainly not what we in the US think of Type Certification. I would put it on par with SLSA, rigor wise.

I do believe that in the UK a Cavalon has been certified with UK CAA. They have to use a certified version of the Rotax engine as I understand it which is about $7k more for extra paperwork and tracking.

 

[Steve_UK]

Yes the Cavalon Pro is indeed truly Type Certified. Available for commercial work. Three here currently plus plenty of permit Cavalons too.

 

[Mike G]

Fara
Sorry to hijack your thread with Magknight.
I'd like to congratulate you on doing away with the legacy ELA pneumatic system that's heavy, complicated, maintenance unfriendly and leak prone. I never understood why other eurogyros blindly followed ELA when the Magni cable operated pre rotator and rotor brake are so simple and effective. I can understand ELA being probably pushed in the early days by the marketing need to be different to Magni so as not to be accused of cloning the M16, but the others had no excuse not to think it through and simplfy their systems as you have done.

My only regret is that you didn't put in a Magni style flex drive pre rotator. The legacy ELA right angle drive with all those universal joints and sliding shafts is high maintenance feature after a couple of hundred hours, I've seen quite a few broken right angle drives (mine after 700 hours) and failed universals (mine also). The latest Magni flex drive is bullet proof, although the earlier ones did have problems.
I also don't like that the vertical shaft is spinning a couple of inches from the pasengers head, if it ever failed and started whirling around I dread to think what would happen, if a flexdrive fails it stays in the outer casing. Also the flex drive allows you to bring the stick back when pre rotating.

Anyway congratulations, I'm sure you're going to rapidly become the major American player, you've understood what your market :usa2: wants and you've hit the ground running.

Mike G

 

[fara]

Fara
Sorry to hijack your thread with Magknight.
I'd like to congratulate you on doing away with the legacy ELA pneumatic system that's heavy, complicated, maintenance unfriendly and leak prone. I never understood why other eurogyros blindly followed ELA when the Magni cable operated pre rotator and rotor brake are so simple and effective. I can understand ELA being probably pushed in the early days by the marketing need to be different to Magni so as not to be accused of cloning the M16, but the others had no excuse not to think it through and simplfy their systems as you have done.

My only regret is that you didn't put in a Magni style flex drive pre rotator. The legacy ELA right angle drive with all those universal joints and sliding shafts is high maintenance feature after a couple of hundred hours, I've seen quite a few broken right angle drives (mine after 700 hours) and failed universals (mine also). The latest Magni flex drive is bullet proof, although the earlier ones did have problems.
I also don't like that the vertical shaft is spinning a couple of inches from the pasengers head, if it ever failed and started whirling around I dread to think what would happen, if a flexdrive fails it stays in the outer casing. Also the flex drive allows you to bring the stick back when pre rotating.

Anyway congratulations, I'm sure you're going to rapidly become the major American player, you've understood what your market :usa2: wants and you've hit the ground running.

Mike G

Mike:
Thanks.
Regarding the pre-rotator: we make all those universal joints, flute shafts and couplers ourselves so we have complete control of heat treatment and metallurgy. If you induce high torque into the vertical tube, it should bend not break in our case. But those things are rather cheap to replace so if there does need to be a lifetime set, it won't be a lot to service and the assembly is extremely simple to change out.