Vortex M912 build

[feedpro]

I will post pictures from time to time to mark the progress on my Sport Copter Vortex M912.
I have to make a special effort to remember to bring my camera home from my hanger and remembering things at my age is not easy.

 

[feedpro]

It appears that I can not figure out how to post pictures, even after reading instructions. Not new for me

 

[feedpro]

I figured out how to post pictures

I figured out how to post pictures

finally figured it out after many, many tries.

 

[Doug S.]

Wow

Wow

Looking good!
Doug S.

 

[feedpro]

The spot under my left foot makes a person think I have been working on it for too long a time and need to go outside when I gotta go.

But really, that is condensation from my steel roof, dripping because of my furnace.

 

[GyrOZprey]

Sweet gyro.

Sweet gyro.

Great to see your progress !!
Approx how many hours to get to that stage???
How are you finding the build manual directions????

If I was not "married" to Butterfly -- one of those would be my next option!! (SC's a bit more expensive & I really wanted the G-force landing gear!!!)

Looking foward to more photos & updates & commentary.

Isn't building FUN -- I'm having a blast!! :whoo:

 

[feedpro]

I don't spend many hours each day. First I feed the cattle and then wait for it to warm up a little. My hanger does not have insulation, so it is hard for the furnace to heat it if it is below zero or if it is windy and blowing out of the south. I start at 9am, then go to coffee at 10:30, then go to dinner at noon and quit at 4pm and go feed calves again.
It hasn't taken long to get this far, maybe 30 hours max. Not the same as building the Sonex in the background, which has over 3000 rivets and all the small parts were fabricated by hand out of angle stock. I have a large pile of mistakes. I worked many more hours each day on that and it took three years. I will be done with this gyro by spring.

 

[Brian]

looks good another build yaa

 

[All_In]

That is going to be a nice gyroplane!!!

Thanks for sharing the build with us!

 

[feedpro]

More progress & pictures

More progress & pictures

I work on my Sport Copter Super Vortex everyday, but don't remember to bring my camera home from the hanger.

Here are a few more pictures. These are of the pre-rotator

Then a look at progress to date.

 

[Doug S.]

Looks like your doing a great job, keep it up you'll be flying soon.
I like the way its turning out.
Doug S.

 

[feedpro]

update on Vortex build

update on Vortex build

I work on my Vortex M912 everyday, but start late and come home early, but I am to the point that I am now running wires from panel to engine and making everything look neat, Last week, I mounted my aux tanks and plumbed them and installed vent lines.

Some of the instruments were left over from my Sonex build

 

[Master Roda]

Looks good so far Karl!!

 

[Jason O]

Hello Karl

Hello Karl

What is the black thing in one of the tank pictures. It looks like it has a coolant line hooked to the end and an oil hose on the side. If it is an oil water heat exchanger, could you give me more details on its size weight and manufacturer.

Regards
Jason

I work on my Vortex M912 everyday, but start late and come home early, but I am to the point that I am now running wires from panel to engine and making everything look neat, Last week, I mounted my aux tanks and plumbed them and installed vent lines.

Some of the instruments were left over from my Sonex build

 

[feedpro]

Jason,
That is the oil cooler. Sport Copter quit using that type of cooler and went to the cooler in the radiator from Rotax. I will find out if it does the job when I get her flying. We shall see. Other then that, I know nothing, but probably would not be inclined to use it if I did not already have it.
I can't wait to get in the air and this project will be done in several weeks, then test run engine and head to Scappoose for training, then fly this great machine.

I just noted Saturday, that one of the upper control rods was longer then the other, a call to Evan at Sport Copter resulted in the fact that the more powerful engine requires the rotor to be tilted to counter the torque. I was ready to cut it off to the same length. Evan would suffer from neglect if I didn't call him every day, so I try to do my best to make him feel needed. <grin>

 

[GyrOZprey]

Classy!

Classy!

I just noted Saturday, that one of the upper control rods was longer then the other, a call to Evan at Sport Copter resulted in the fact that the more powerful engine requires the rotor to be tilted to counter the torque. I was ready to cut it off to the same length. Evan would suffer from neglect if I didn't call him every day, so I try to do my best to make him feel needed. <grin>

Yes Karl - I had a similar ??? for Larry when I was at that stage of doing the control rod ends - in fact - because of the 912 left rotating prop - the rods lengths were reversed to those of the other models using other engines ... so the "standard" manual had me doing some head-scratching a few times!!!!

Looks like we are both getting very close ' tho I need to find help to understand the wiring thing better -- me-thinks!!!

Great job - looking good!:yo:

 

[Jason O]

More info please

More info please

Are you saying that Rotax is actually providing a water radiator that has an oil cooler built into it? Or is it just a seperate radiater for oil?

Thanks for the information
Jason

Jason,
That is the oil cooler. Sport Copter quit using that type of cooler and went to the cooler in the radiator from Rotax. I will find out if it does the job when I get her flying. We shall see. Other then that, I know nothing, but probably would not be inclined to use it if I did not already have it.
I can't wait to get in the air and this project will be done in several weeks, then test run engine and head to Scappoose for training, then fly this great machine.

I just noted Saturday, that one of the upper control rods was longer then the other, a call to Evan at Sport Copter resulted in the fact that the more powerful engine requires the rotor to be tilted to counter the torque. I was ready to cut it off to the same length. Evan would suffer from neglect if I didn't call him every day, so I try to do my best to make him feel needed. <grin>

 

[birdy]

I cant tell from the pix, but that radiater looks way over sized for the 912.
How big is it.
We have alot of trouble here keepn the oil warm enuff in winter [ < 5c sum days].
Even on a 45c day, the standard water cooler[ bout 5"x12"] is plenty big enuf, wether your cruisen along or full noise at min AS for 15 mins.

I know of a 914 [ turbo] single seat machine with only the standard water exchanger with intergrated oil cooler and he's never had heat problems in summer, and also has trouble keepn the oil warm in winter.

 

[CLS447]

That sure is some purdy stuff there !

So the prerotator is belt driven ?

Have you flown any gyros yet ?

 

[feedpro]

Jason.
Yes, oil cooler is in the bottom of the water radiator on the current production Vortex 912, same as a car for cooling automatic tranny fluid.

Birdy.
The oil cooler on my gyro, is the black cylinder that is above the radiator with water running through it and oil circulates around the out side of the water jacket. My feeling is, that it will not cool enough on hot days, but we will see.
The radiator is large, but I have found over the years, it is easy to cover whatever portion necessary to keep good water temps. My practice with fixed wing, has been to cover the oil cooler completely in the winter with duck tape.

Thanks for your interest in my gyro, I just wish you were closer to me, so I could learn a few techniques from you, and operate my gyro in and out of tough spots as I now do my fixed wing. I have found over the years, that the pilot who operates on the edge of performance everyday is rare indeed, but he learns through experience to become very good at that type of flying as it becomes "normal".

Make a trip to Oshkosh some year, I'll see that you have a stage, with many to listen to your experience. Man that would be fun.