why I fly with Sport Copter rotors ("Sport Rotors")

Kolibri

FW and Gyros
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
1,636
Location
Wyoming
Aircraft
Cessna 152, 172, 172RG, 177, 206 -- Piper 180 -- RV-7A -- Calidus -- RAF2000 -- Sport Copter II and
Total Flight Time
1000+
I've been flying Sport Rotors in my RAF2000 for two years so far, and have grown to really appreciate their superb flying qualities,
and amazing strength. Having visited Sport Copter on multiple occasions and toured the factory, I know what goes into their production.

Sport Rotors are not a completely extruded blade, but aerospace adhesive bonded skins around 6061-T6 with a robust crush bar in the root.
Their hub bar is brutally strong, and the larger rotors have a massive X-rayed NAS AN14 bolt with lead/lag Heim joint.
Proper cadmium-plated AN bolts are used throughout.


A 2017 webpage publishing an older review (i.e., before the 8.5" chord blades) has much info, such as this:

What makes Sport Rotors different.png






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The toughness of Sport Rotors is renowned. Here are a couple of examples.


I was flying over the trees to come in for a landing in a rough field and on approach I saw a hawk fly out of a tree. I thought he was going to go left, but he flew up and then I heard him hit the rotors and felt a slight bump at the same time. The hawk was completely severed and the Vortex never missed a beat. I proceeded to land and upon inspection found a couple small dents underneath the rotors (maybe from the talons). After having lunch with my mom I then flew it 30 miles back home and did not have any stick shake. I just flew it again yesterday and still no shake. I am still confident in the rotors to fly. I cannot believe how tough Sport Rotors are!!!! This was no small hawk (as you can see in the picture).

hawk IMG_7019.JPGhawk strike on Sport Rotors.png


Below is from another incident, in which a newbie pilot unknowingly had a prop strike on the takeoff roll, circled the pattern,
and landed without knowing one of his blades had been damaged from the trailing edge two-thirds in. Overbuilt strength pays off!

Sport Rotor surviving prop strike.png
 
Last edited:
Good Evening Kolibri,

Thank you kindly for the excellent post on the Sport Rotors! I may be in the market for a new set of Rotors. They will be for a SportCopter Vortex so I naturally figured I would get a set of the Sport Blades however this kind of confirms that! I was also looking into the AvioMania Rotor blades but do not know of anyone using these on a SportCopter Vortex. I greatly appreciate the helpful information and post my friend!

Best Regards,

Nicholas Dawson
 
Hello Nicholas, welcome here on RWF, and thank you for your post.
The Sport Copter Vortex is a great machine, and SC rotors on it make the most sense, IMO.
I can't think of any compelling reason to fly it with anything else, but with me financial "savings" for me is never a compelling reason.
If I discern superiority in engineering and materials, cost is no object regarding my rotor system.
It's the only thing keeping me up in the air. :)

Good luck in your gyro quest!

Regards, Kolibri
 
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