First flight in a Gyrocopter: RAF 2000 

Hey RJ. Glad you enjoyed it. The experience was fantastic. Keep an eye out for another Gyro video hopefully coming in the next few months: I am looking at flying in a few others .... just gotta track them down :-)

@@HUDPilot More power to ya friend!

What's the vibration like? That's what I am curious about. Are all gyros the same in that respect? The RAF is all I know. Would love to hop aboard a Cavalon! Thanks for the input Jason!

@@HUDPilot Oh the Cavalon in different class. Vibration is dramatically reduced, powerful 915 motor, quite and modern cockpit. What a piece of engineering.

Hmmm... wish there was one around calgary area to try out! Thanks for whetting my appetite Jason!! lol

The Cavalon has a problem that needs attention, maybe a design problem!

Cool!! I am curious, did you find there was lots of vibration? I expect because of that large swinging rotor at top it would be for all. I found it "shaky"... not scary but shakey.

@@HUDPilot Yes there was vibration, but nothing I found worrying. There was a sort side to side yaw which I linked to the rotor, nothing concerning, I enjoyed the whole flight. I flew in a Chinook some years ago, now that had plenty of vibrations.

As in double rotor Chinook!! WOW!!!

@@HUDPilot Yes, Boeing CH-47 type Chinook. Great flight being able to look out the open back doors, very impressive on landing when it did a nose high approach, un-nerving until I realised what it was doing. Now if you want an odd effect in an "aircraft" try getting a flight in a racing hot air balloon. I've had 62 balloon flights over the years, but was intrigued with the effects of a short burn. As the bubble of hot air reaches the crown of the envelope it seems to shudder for a moment, it was only after this happened several times I worked out what was happening

Thanks Paul! Nice of you to say that. I try my best. Thanks for watching!!

WOW WOW WOW.... I remember seeing pictures of Mr Benson and I was freaking out when I saw it. I thought of how I could probably afford to do THAT! lol. I would love to know how your Cavalon flight goes! If I can find out out here in my area, I would definitely work at getting a ride. Thanks for writing Curtis... looking forward to news about your Cavalon flight!

@@HUDPilot My wife and I are thinking we want a side by side. I'm leaning toward a Xenon, but there is so much controversy about the different manufacturers and availability here in the USA. I really want the 918 Turbo. I have a lot of experience with turbos. Been wanting a rotorcraft for years. Even have the hanger space and runway for it. I like being able to land almost anywhere dead stick.

It absolutely is. Thanks for watching Tom!

Hey Murray! 360 FBII What’s the flying like your ways??

I could barely tell as well which is why I was all, "woooow". It was a little pull at the end and we were down and stopped on a dime where I expected a lengthy roll. It was a little busier that day due to the Harvard Air Ralley going on: planes flying to as many airports as possible to get a stamp in order to win the contest the next day. It took place over several days and the awards were gong to get handed out on saturday in Red Deer. Chris actually took off to fly the course right after our flight.

I agree 100%. It would be great to see a few more gyroplanes around!!

Home base is olds/Didsbury alberta (CEA3) and we fly the Gyro around Wetaskiwin Alberta CEX3

Is it safe to say that the gyroplane, therefore, is always in a state of autorotation? Thanks for the insight RW! Do tell me if my understanding is correct? I do know is that I would love to fly in other gyros out there if I can find them.

@@HUDPilot Yes, the gyroplane is already always in autorotation mode ( on a kind of gliding path/angle, flow always has to be from down towards the topside, The pusher/tractor motor thrust will make it level or climb The gyro blades are usually fixed pitch, you only tilt the whole disc/cone of the blades to the desired direction...thus the pilot skills are more simple... While a helicopter has 3 modes/regimes - when the rotors are powered then that provides lift and forward or any direction component- flow is from top to downwash... Counter-torque device required which is a tail rotor or a second rotor (coaxial, intermesh, tandem dual...) Blades are individually variable pitch and/or altogether variable pitch... (you change the AOA on one of the blades and the opposite side blade changes towards different AOA thus with a delay (90) the disc changes... - the other mode is autorotation - the 3. mode is a powered too high sink rate which is dangerous...(vortex ring state)

Hi Jeong. No haven’t been in it since that flight. Looking to go fly other gyros in the coming future. I really enjoyed that flight.

It's the Gyro causing the shake.

lol. Don’t think it will. But sure felt like it to me. Given that I haven’t been in any other similar type, I am not sure if this is a normal thing for Gyros.

Thanks Peter! It seems a kit to build one of these is around the 50K mark but that doesn't include the engine. Given that most gyroplanes these days go for over 100k, that's not too bad!

There was Kim! Not as bad as it looks by the control stick but definitely more vibration than I am used to in an airplane!

It's quite funny, I actually didn't pick up on Chris' accent until I was editing the video lol. I was too excited to get into the gyro!!

I see an egg with a propeller... lol. It's quite interesting that say flying car because when we got to the end of the runway and started to get more vertical than forward movement, I thought that this is what the Jetson's car would be like!

@@HUDPilot Their vehicles were propelled by a mini impulse engine with a Maximum speed of 0.38 Warp. MAX Range 255,000,000 EM (earth miles, statute).

If you are referring to the white airplane by the suzuki truck, no it's either a piper colt/Tri-pacer (I always get them mixed up). I checked the "cutting room floor" clips and i didn't see any other aircraft around.

@@HUDPilot it was just as you were taxying from the hanger on the right side just past the white suzuki jeep, I think the reg no was KE126

Ahhh... the jet. Phew... thought I was losing my eyesight. It's an Avro CF 100 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-100_Canuck. If you hit my instagram link on the youtube channel page and go to july 3, you will see closeups I took of the plane when I first went out to that airport.

@@HUDPilot right!! i thought it was a Buccaneer!! and i thought what on earth is one doing there!! thanks for the info by the way

Hey no worries Barry... this was fun!! You had me investigating aviation so allllll good.

Interesting you should ask Tom... no..lol. Actually when I had moved into the hangar about a year ago, it had not flown in over two years. The owner ran the engine without the cowls on and the engine breather tube got "caught" in the prop area somehow and blew the engine seal. It had been sitting waiting on repairs. A few months back it was finally started and taxied for the first time: have a short clip of it on my instagram account. I have since moved my plane to another hangar and believe the owner has done high speed taxi tests since. Unsure of when she will get airborne again (maybe in the spring I guess). I asked if I could go up in the plane but ummmmm... says I weigh too much lol.

Hi Heron, who am I to argue with the naming convention as I don't own one. I only use the name that was told to me by the owner and other. I believe all these names, gyroplane, gyrocopter and autogyro are interchangeable and represent the same thing. I believe the FAA has settled on gyroplane. There is a whole channel out there based on gyrocopter as well and a search on google with the word gyrocopter manufacturer produces a long list of flying machines that all have the same functionality and similar look as the the RAF. Doesn't change much in the fact that MAN these things are neat to fly in. I am looking at flying another type once Covid restrictions pass. Thanks for the input and alternate wording for the RAF.😀

@@HUDPilot can I call your Lanceair an RV? If you call my Ferrary a Bettle, we're gonna tango . . .lol FAA is known for some readnecking some time or another, in gyros their are fumbling babbling and never getting to the point! The invention was named Autogyro, later Gyroplane this is the class, the Gyrocopter was invented by Igor Bensen and it was the first (I think) byro on pusher configuration, its a TradeMark . . .so, its up to us, aviation buffs to make things right! You are not flying a Cub for sure, right?

Meh... you can call my Lancair whatever you like.... it will still go really fast lol..... ..... Hey... comparing my peole's Ferrari to a Beatle.... no I completely agree... those are fighting words HAHAHHA.. too funny. As for flying a cub .... if I slow it down as much as possible and turn it into a 60 knot headwind.. yup... flying a cub LOL. you made me laugh today.. thanks Heron!

It was for two big boys... I guess for the long ago "average" pilot could have been just the right size lol.