The Rotor Scooter Project status

Ron E

Just Want To Have Fun!
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
773
Location
Lillian, AL, USA
The Rotor Scooter ultralight tractor prototype is coming together a little more every few days as the parts get fabricated and selected. We are using great care to do this, with emphasis on producing a safe, stable design that is near "idiot-proof' to operate.

The 5-gallon aluminum fuel tank design and mounting position on the airframe has been finalized. It will have a tube sight gauge to easily view fuel level in flight. A seat tank wasn't practical due to location.

The main landing gear design is ready. The unique "stowable" mast design is finished and ready to fabricate. The mast permits the gyro to fit in a regular enclosed trailer or residential sized garage without disassembly of the gyro, but this is accomplished in a different way than others have used.

The selection of aluminum wheels, tires, joystick, hydraulic disk brakes, dual hand-operated master cylinders has been determined. These items are currently installed on my Ultrawhite so they can be thoroughly evaluated. So far, no trouble at all. I like it this way too !

The cyclic control design is finalized and ready to use with the Dragon Wings rotor blades and rotor head, with Wunderlich flex cable prerotator drive system.

The engine used will be a Rotax 503 DCDI UL w/B-box, 3 to 1 ratio, with a 2-blade 66" Propeller, if permitted by all up weight limits of Part 103.

We will have an ultralight Rotor Scooter model that can be operated by a paraplegic or amputee, as well. I have received numerous inquires from persons who can't use their legs, for one reason or another, but want to fly a gyroplane. It was easy to accommodate this into the Rotor Scooter. They became interested and excited after seeing the gyro videos linked on my web site. Ron Awad, Matt Pearson and others put on a real good show on YouTube flying their machines.

After I get the single-place flying as intended, I will put together a 2-place trainer version, which is the next project in line.

We are slowly (but carefully) getting there! This is really fun stuff to do !!

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Rotor Scooter

Rotor Scooter

Thanks for the update Ron... keep the updates coming.
 
Ron- I am excited for you! I wish you the utmost success in this endeavor. I ESPECIALLY love your adapting this for paraplegics. What an opportunity for them to experience flight! - something that most of us full functioning people never pursue. If I were in a wheel chair, I would be ecstatic about this opportunity you are pursuing for these people! Ron, big heart felt congratulations and this will be a pleasure to see unfold. Stan
 
Ron- I am excited for you! I wish you the utmost success in this endeavor. I ESPECIALLY love your adapting this for paraplegics. What an opportunity for them to experience flight! - something that most of us full functioning people never pursue. If I were in a wheel chair, I would be ecstatic about this opportunity you are pursuing for these people! Ron, big heart felt congratulations and this will be a pleasure to see unfold. Stan

Thanks Stan, but I'm not there yet. When it flys in a rock-steady, but agile manner, then I will feel like I've done something good.

About 10 years ago, I had a disk repaired in my lower back. When I woke up in the recovery room, I was paralyzed from the waist down. The surgeon freaked, as did I, and he took me back into the operating room. After a few days, I slowly started to get the "feeling" back in my legs, etc. Now I'm OK, but it was a very, very bad experience. So, I know how that situation makes one feel, though it was only a short term paralysis in my case.

So, when asked by someone who had permanently lost the use of their legs to try to make the Rotor Scooter flyable for a pilot in that condition, since it was in the design stage, I came up with a simple way to do it. The word spread and more calls started coming in.

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Any real estimates on weight? UL with pre-rotator and brakes ????

We've been building Ron's new UL and it is going to be really difficult to hit below 254 and it is BARE BONES!
 
Any real estimates on weight? UL with pre-rotator and brakes ????

We've been building Ron's new UL and it is going to be really difficult to hit below 254 and it is BARE BONES!

You got that right! It's a battle for OUNCES!
I have even thinned down my prerotator ring gear and cut excess metal off the bendix drive. I have gone to some ridiculous extremes with the drive shaft, I hope I don't end up with it wrapped around my neck!:eek:

If they had allowed another 15 pounds it would be a piece of cake. :sad:
 
Any real estimates on weight? UL with pre-rotator and brakes ????

We've been building Ron's new UL and it is going to be really difficult to hit below 254 and it is BARE BONES!

Well, it's got to be under 254 pounds empty. But I'm using lighter components than you and Ron A. are putting into his machine.

So far, my math comes up 14 pounds short of the 254 lb. number using published material weights and weights shown by my 11 pound digital postal scale, with all the basic flight instruments.

I'm using foam and "deck cloth" fiberglass for the tail and rudders, Cherry rivets where loads are in shear, except on the rotor head cheek plates and the cluster plates where the mast attaches to the keel, etc. In those places and others where I don't want rivets, I'm using 1/4" bolts.

I can save 10 pounds more if I were to use a Rotax 447, if I need to, in lieu of the 503 as planned.

Passin'Thru-- You are absolutely correct on having to count those ounces. That is why I had to get that digital postal scale that measures to the 10th of an ounce. I had to weigh the bolts and rivets, washes and nuts, etc.

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It would be good to double check the accuracy of the postal scale by weighing something of a known value. In my experience some postal scales, not all, read "friendly" just as they do at the post office. 1/10th of an ounce may be the resolution, but resolution does not necessarily mean accuracy.
 
It would be good to double check the accuracy of the postal scale by weighing something of a known value. In my experience some postal scales, not all, read "friendly" just as they do at the post office. 1/10th of an ounce may be the resolution, but resolution does not necessarily mean accuracy.
John,

As a test, I've been using the same scale in our office to weight our outgoing 1st class mail in our FL divorce business as a practical check of its accuracy. So far the Post Office is happy with the amount of postage we are putting on the mail.

Plus, I've weighed items of known weight and it appears to be right-on, up to 10 pounds. For the cost, it was a pleasant surprise regarding its accuracy.

Also, when I weigh hardware, I weigh a group of 5 or ten items at a time and then divide the total weight by the number of items to get an "each piece" weight. It may be over-kill, but that's how I do it.

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