GYROKITE - Flying a Gyrocopter with No Motor 

Yes. An idea that may have been before it's time. It is still an idea being tossed around today.

Hey John, I believe our navy pulled these with submarines with cables up hight over the German port's to take pictures of their fleets

@@edtommerdahl974 I think I've seen one of those photo's ; an old B&W of a German sub pen . The photo's that I saw were at the Imperial War Museum in London . Also info that described when the wind was right while out at sea , enough cable was deployed to get altitude of over 200 ft off the water . The pilot could then view with binoculars more than 30 miles away . The goal was to be able to see the top 1/3 to 1/2 of another surface vessel before it came over the horizon . A Destroyer/Battleship or Cargo Vessel would be the the optimum target .

Good boy

@@johnh1001 Anton Flettner design ?

Nice job there Chris. I'm just a novice, but fascinated by this. Home build I'm assuming. Do you have to change the angle of attack to make the blades rotate. Is this how you attain the controlled lift?

@@geepea101able Home built yes. Rotor is fixed in pitch at about 1 1\2 degrees positive pitch. The cyclic allows for tilting the spinning disk but it remains at 1 1\2 positive relative to the rotor hub. The rotor is changing pitch through out its rotation to create the tilt required and in the direction desired by moving the cyclic.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for the info. any plans available on line for the frame . Were the blades purchased or did you make them too? Are you going to fit a motor to it?

@@geepea101able You can search "Bensen B8 Glider Plans" and you should find them in several places. I always use factory rotor blades, I would never attempt to make them as this is a skill left up to the "experts". I never fitted a motor on this one but I did sell it to someone that may have those intentions. I had too much fun "kiting" to spoil all that "quiet".

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks Chris. I'll check it out. Much appreciated.

If you like you can build one,and try on windy places!

​@@Bpositive5464здравствуйте а какова длина несущего винта и можно пожалуйста в метрах спасибо

I remember when I was young back in roughly the 60's when you could buy these directly from the Benson company. You could get them with a motor or without a motor like this one. You could also buy them with wheels or with pontoons for use on the water. I think the original Mad Max movies with Mel Gibson had a Benson gyrocopter flying around. It was pretty cool stuff back in those days.

Yep, you just can't move that tow line around without some BIG consequences. Sounds like you found that out the hard way.

The standard rotor hub on the Bensen is 24”. I installed the longer 34” on mine later. It made a world of difference. Some of the old Mac’s didn’t do well in the standard configured engine. I had a Mac setup by Bill Parsons which included a “third” piston ring. That little modification made it much stronger. Each time I flew someone else’s Mac, I always notice a lack of good power/thrust. If you built the rotor, some lift can be lost there if it’s not correct. Cold days help a lot and low density altitude. If you were doing figure 8’s while being towed, I am very impressed. That is an astonishing accomplishment by itself. Great job.!! I started flying Bensens in 1971. You got me beat.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I had the original short hub with a hole in the center, simple head with a swivel bearing and overhead stick. Dumb kid out of high school, no money, built and flew mine before ever seeing one or talking to anyone else that had one. My Mac was a salvage drone with bullet ripped fins. Pushing 80 yrs old - Gods grace I'm still alive.

@@goodvolts , you described one of the first head designs. Most folks abandoned them and a much better design followed. Rotor on the glider as shown was 21’9” all metal with the short/standard hub, no hole in the newer design. My cousin is 81 now and he still flies his basic Mcculloch powered B8M Bensen. He does not have a prerotator or electric starter so you know he has “the right stuff”. I’m 71 but quit instructing 2019. Lots of fun but you need to be sharper than I felt. Students keep coming up with new ways to hurt you !!!

Johnny G. Check out “GYROKITE PT2” to see my cousin doing the same thing. He had a better “wind” day than me and even flew over my head once. He was a little lighter than me at the time. That helps too. He added an engine to his in 1992 and is still flying it today. He’s pushing 80 so a remarkable gyro aviator indeed.

Larga mão de ser ignorante girocoptero é a aeronave mais segura do mundo... o rotor é como uma asa de avião e um paraquedas ao mesmo tempo... o vento gira o rotor mesmo estando em queda livre sem motor o rotor continua girando...funciona como um paraquedas então é impossivel alguem morrer em um desses... a não ser que a pessoa resolva saltar la de cima ela morre e o girocoptero pousa sozinho...

50 years ago it was a round tube Benson B7 with wooden self built rptpr blades, went out of balance/track every time a cloud showed up, my wooden blades delaminated 1.5 feet off the ground, almost bought the whole farm, , went to extruded alum blades and never looked back, i was taught by the granda dame herself and hill higdon of pra chapter 5 in tracy almost 60 years ago, oh i forgot to say marion springer on the club 2 place kite towed behind hill higdons blue and white 66 chevy half ton pickup, many years agoit was 60 years ago 71 when i got back from viet nam

@@marionwilliams7907 wow but you flew

Can you tell me more? I volunteer at RAF Snaith Museum, and we are looking to build a similar machine called the RotarChute that was tested here in ww2

@@beardedbodger Sounds like a great project. It was a very long time ago I flew these.(Over 50 years ago) so my memory is limited. We (Air Training Corp 398 Squadron) owned a single seater and a twin seater, both towed behind the car along the runway centreline. I cannot recall if the rudders were operational on our ones, as shown in this vid. This one looks uncannily like the single seater I used to fly though. We bolted a winch into the boot of the Consul and towed it at around 30 MPH along the length of the runway. We did suffer a cable break and minor injuries/damage, so after that we always practiced for such an eventuality but fortunately was never required again. We always carried out a cable inspection so it was never established why it broke. I do know we had no CAA involvement but at the time we were operating legally (or so I was told). The single seater was much lighter and really nice to fly but the twin seater was very heavy on the controls and harder to fly. Good luck with the project.

John, Fun once you know how for sure.

Thanks. My cousin captured the video, he also had kited his gyro glider. It’s actually old tech but lots of fun if you know how to handle the rotor. That’s the hard part.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 great science video! Ty

Fun for sure.!!!

Wouldnt throwing on a counter rotating blade fix that?

@@mikepaul3200 easy to say but very complicated to accomplish. The whole premise with homebuild experimental is simplicity. Easiest to train out the issue. Fly within the envelop and you don’t have this problem.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I figured it would be an engineering nightmare. Probably easier to test out on a small scale drone first. But I enjoy tinkering.

In the early days, a pick up truck and towing was very typical. When power supplies became better stronger and lighter, the two place powered gyroplane became a better way to train. However, nothing beats being able to talk to your instructor without an engine screaming behind you.

I still think we should be using them now. Great way to learn the basics and the more basics you know the less time and dual training you need. We had glider dual then solo (about 1-3 hours), dual powered about 3-5 hours and lots of ground runs in your powered machine which our CFI would test fly and ensure was safe. I operated as a gyro-glider instructor at that and another club for 16 years. At the club I learned at (which had dual training and an excellent CFI) I never saw a set of blades so much as bent in all that training. Yes some guys would argue with the CFI and go off an do their own thing and come back bend gyro asking for help re-building and would then listen. Some would just disappear and do it on their own and we'd hear a couple of months later they smashed it up. But those that stuck with the training (which as a club was limited to once a month so would take at least 6 months usually closer to 12months of monthly training weekends). But it worked. All the pilots who learned that way learned on machines that now are considered death traps no stabilisers, had down thrust but not high cg machines - but flown slowly enough not to be an issue. No one died. We had two guys fly through power lines, one was killed again not in training but years latter. I remember watching my CFI arguing with the guy who killed himself. He was flying low over a river in the area he lived Terry told him "Mate they'll string a power line across it at some point and you'll fly right through it". The guy got angry told him he didn't know what he was talking about and a couple of months latter caught the news and there was his gyro being fished out of the river, he had been decapitated. Anyway the old glider is undervalued. I learned all my blade management, take off and landings, turns (although not balanced), proper attitude. I knew what attitude behind the power curve was I could see the blades when they were hinging (the shape of the disk changes). I could generally get off quicker than guys with pre-rotators as I knew how to wind up with limited ground speed and hence less distance. Gliders should be in every club it should be a + with the powered machines.

KC MO, the fresh air and breeze, clear blue skies, crisp winter temps, who could get tired?

That's why I used steel cable. I tried rope once but the stretch between wind gust made it harder to stay airborne.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 yes that would work. Like the video I didn't get quite enough wind to stay up indefinitely gusts would hit and you get some height then you'd lose a bit and get the disk back and try to hold it. It was challenging and fun though. Must have been a hard way to learn in the early days. Be waiting a long time for enough wind in many places.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 do you opperate with a club? Do training?

Sorry just saw the cfi obviously you train. Good on you for incorporating the glider underutilized IMO.

I thought it was just a joke.

Fine. Just browse through to the good parts. I personally have a very short attention span. Thanks for looking.

Thanks. Gyroplanes are about the coolest thing flying, free air conditioning included !!!

Interesting comments. I've seen what you describe with kite like sails. The gyro is not very efficient and I can't really say going slow downwind is even possible. It takes at least 22 mph headwind to fly. Turning downwind, it would be on the ground before you even got thru maybe 45 degrees of the turn. So if I were to turn downwind, all that lift goes away and down ya go. Descent rate is pretty extreme comparing to a sail/kite. Folks have used 1000+ foot tow ropes. Yes higher is desirable, smoother and faster air usually. Eventually the rope becomes a problem with it's own weight and drag.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for your insights! What I mean by slowly going downwind does not involve turning around. I just mean that using a floating "keel" as the anchor means it will slip downwind rather than staying perfectly fixed in place. So you're facing directly into the wind at all times, but you'll move slowly backwards rather than hovering in place. I guess the relatively low efficiency makes a hang glider or paraglider perform better than a gyrokite.

Think of a maple seed as it spins and falls slowly down. Yes, as long as the rotor is spinning at its normal speed gained in flight, it could descend all the way down from great height vertically. However you need some “extra” energy from forward speed in the descent to make a soft landing. You might survive a vertical landing (with at very least a back injury) but it is unlikely the standard Bensen gyro will. Specialty landing gear has been designed to let you even do that.

Look at the control stick and think of the rotor spindle as following the stick as it is tilted. Lets say the rotor spindle is vertical and the stick is also (actual degrees are different because the mast is aft 9 degrees relative to the keel). Just some more confusion, the rotor is "fixed" in pitch to about 1.5 degrees positive and bolted solidly into the hub. System is referred to as "semi-ridgid". The rotor also "teeters" within about a 10 degree window. It does this to allow for dissimilar of lift, created when the rotor turns around it's spindle. The right side is more positive creating more lift and the left side is less positive creating less lift. Best to demo this action at the gyro. As you move the stick that action is translated to the rotor via two control rods. The control "head" is essentially a universal joint that allows the rotor spindle to follow movements of the stick (cyclic). The cyclic changes the rotor pitch cyclically as the rotor turns. There is no collective. Less fixed pitch would allow the rotor to spin up quicker but the overall result is less efficient. 1.5 degrees positive seems to work best but you can go a little more positive but not much. Less pitch slightly easier spin up but not good lift. Sorry if this isn't understandable. Computer "jumbled" it and dropped some also.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thank you Chris for the quick and honest reply. Yes it does make sense and I do follow your explanation. I have a 1960"s Bensen Gyro with out motor. I have let it spool up in light winds and that is the extent I am prepared to go before I take proper Gyro lessons. I asked my question out of pure knowledge gaining :) You know how thoughts bounce around in your head... So I thought I would ask. Thanks for taking the time to teach and help... your answer is greatly appreciated.

The glider empty was about 125 pounds estimated. I could pick it up myself. I was maybe 165 pounds. As the wind nears 20-25, it lifts the nose and with steady 25-30, it is very “happy”. Steady 30 is best of course. In the video, it only touches down when the wind drops below what it need to stay up. With steady 30, you could fly all day and never land until you wanted to. In the very beginning you may have noticed I held the nose up to get a higher angle of attack on the rotor. This helps you maintain the rotor rpm when the wind is too slow to keep the nose up without some help. This was in Maryland and the correct winds only came around two or three times a year, usually Fall to Winter or Winter to Spring, changing of seasons.

How can I get a propeller

What Is Islam? Islam is not just another religion. It is the same message preached by Moses, Jesus and Abraham. Islam literally means ‘submission to God’ and it teaches us to have a direct relationship with God. It reminds us that since God created us, no one should be worshipped except God alone. It also teaches that God is nothing like a human being or like anything that we can imagine. The concept of God is summarized in the Quran as: { “Say, He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him.”} (Quran 112:1-4) Becoming a Muslim is not turning your back to Jesus. Rather it’s going back to the original teachings of Jesus and obeying him

@@ahmdabdallah5811 ok, so I we can live in peace, me as Christian, you as Muslim and someone else as Jew or whatever Religion they like, Right?

My cable was about 50 feet. I would say no limit to how long it could be but at some point, the cable becomes "weight" that could prevent flight. I have seen video of folks on about 1000 feet, but they were being towed into flight behind a car. That gives them many more options for good smooth and controllable wind conditions. I would not venture too high under the unpredictable conditions I was in. If the wind suddenly dies, you need to be close to the ground or you could be "smacked" into it. If the cable breaks, it would begin to move quickly backward over the ground. Another good reason not to venture too high. I can't say for sure that it would all work out "well". In that case, the rudder would become a "necessary" working control surface.

Several problems. Yes, you can descend vertically from altitude but before a safe landing can be accomplished, you must lower the nose and gain airspeed so you have that energy to flare (raise the nose) which decreases your rate of descend and slows your airspeed simultaneously for a soft touchdown. As for dropping you as a parachute you can't without first spinning the rotor up for rigidity. The rotor will fold because it is too flexible when not spinning. When flying, the rotor is spinning around 230 rpm in this configuration and weight. I hand spin it to at or above 40 rpm to begin this higher spin up for lift-off. All rotor rpm from about 40 and above is dependant on the wind blowing through the rotor.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thank you for your reply . went way over my head . are the problems you described Solvable or is my idea just a bad one

@@justinhart8652 Not a bad idea just not able to solve that one without lots of money of course, naturally, and then it becomes obsolete or impractical. I think some attempts were made in that direction but never been a viable solution. Good question

Thank You. Some of the most satisfying flying in my 50+ year gyro career

Joe Mason, be certain, this is not easy. The hard part is knowing how to get the rotor up to speed safely in strong winds. You also need some understand of what it can and can not do. A cable break could be very unforgiving and might/could end very badly. This should not be attempted unless you have “some” training.

No, it will climb as high as the cable will allow. In my case I could not climb above maybe 30 feet, but I also didn't climb because if the wind dies, you must be ready for the landing. You will be "dropped" quickly in that case. That "drop" doesn't matter if you are close to the ground. You can see the wind "dropped" me a few times in this video. If the wind was stronger and steady, I would have climbed to 30 feet.

All real my friend

Thanks, glad my cousin made it and my grandson was able to put it here for others to enjoy.

The wind speed is at least 22 mph to about 30 mph when airborne. 30 is best, but in Maryland we only get those winds in our season changes and they are most always very gusty.

bobby Walker, I’ll say most of “today’s” gyro pilots have never experienced this great feeling.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I know a lot of them hasn't experienced that great feeling been towed by vehicle staked out like a kite they just have not experienced it and Banning California Cabazon California

Not sure if your 50’s plans will have the later control head but that’s important. Bensen is gone now and so is Brock (almost identical) so finding critical components may be challenging. “Used” is how I found mine and I think I paid about $1500 and that was 10 years ago now. I would stick with a factory Bensen or Brock rotor and a factory head unless you are a competent machinist. Don’t change the configuration at all as that changes everything else. Good luck. Never try this on you own. Find competent qualified help. It’s easy to get critically injured and many have died proving that point.

Ken Brock towed his glider to 2200 feet behind an airplane and released to glide down safely. Some on pontoons have been towed behind boats. Bunches of fun when you know how.

Actually my friend just didn't film the whole spin-up but it's all the wind after about 40 rotor rpm. You can see it accelerate each time it lands and then becomes airborne again. I have seen a hand "crank" mechanism used once but it works only for the first 40 ish rotor rpm. After that it's all up to the wind. No need to connect a pedal system to the rotor to keep the rotor spinning, like I mentioned, it's all up to the wind to do that. It's called autorotation. Same way a helicopter glides safely down to a landing when or if the engine quits. They trade off their altitude for the up-flow of wind to keep the rotor spinning.

Yes, but consider the wind is almost never calm. If you can do 10kts lets say and have a 15kt headwind, problem somewhat solved. An aircraft carrier will "turn into the wind" for that advantage when launching fighters. Also note that the Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 Bachstelze had a three blade rotor and the rotor loading was much lighter enabling it to fly with slower speeds. The higher you climb, the wind speed normal increases. Believe me there are other agencies still looking at towed aerial platforms at sea.

Rotor is turning around 310 to 330 rpm.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 interesting what was approximately the wind speed ? The wind doesn’t looks very strong.

@@flappingflight8537- Wind when flying was at least 22mph and increased to occasionally 30mph. Best at 30mph if you can find a constant wind. It was very gusty that day. In Maryland USA, the wind does not normally blow that hard, only during season changes usually. The angle of the keel tells you somewhat how hard the wind is blowing at the time. The higher the keel angle, the slower the wind. The flatter the keel angle, the stronger the wind.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thanks !

I have plans for Gyrobee and many other ultralights on my chanel. Search under "plans, blueprints" I made them into videos. People are pulling engines out of wrecked motorcycles and dirt bikes all the time, it may be a good use for one. The Sorrel SNS Guppy was originally powered by a OUTBOARD motor.

Gino Gizio d'ignazio, takes about 22mph wind or more and steady if you can get it. It was pretty gusty this day but a gyro can handle some pretty “ugly” gust, more than many airplanes. I paid I think $1500 US for this one second hand but did need to add some hardware etc to get it flying. Picking one up used is maybe the cheapest way to get one. To built all new today may take about $6000 US, just guessing.

Thanks you so much Mr @@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12

some one did when they first learned how to fly. I think you shouldn't let anyone stop you from doing anything ! We could definately do with a few less know it all's !

@@stevelamperta865 I like what Ken Brock always said, "don't tell me, show me"!!! I do miss my glider.

Send me your direct email. Plans have been posted on the www.RotaryForum.com in the past. A search or post asking for those plans there will likely find them there. I have some I could send if you give my a direct email.

Check on PRA.org. They are there. Look for downloads.

I have plans for Gyrobee and many other ultralights on my chanel. Search under "plans, blueprints" I made them into videos. People are pulling engines out of wrecked motorcycles and dirt bikes all the time, it may be a good use for one. The Sorrel SNS Guppy was originally powered by a OUTBOARD motor.

I was younger and filled with drive then, a bit older and worn out now but the drive to fly gyros never fades.

Pitch and roll using cyclic only

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 what do you mean cyclic?

@@balfasladicra5270 The control stick. It’s called cyclic because it “cycles” or moves the rotor spindle which changes the rotor “tilt” and that pitches and rolls the aircraft by changing the pitch cyclicly.

Yes Jim. Nothing beats that sound in my book. You can learn so much about the rotor by the sound. Too many folks today never get to appreciate it.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I have a question I always wondered about; How much time do I have to recover from an unloaded rotor condition and is throttle setting a factor?

It is GOOD for rotor management training but not easy to learn without help from someone that knows how to get the rotor spun-up under windy conditions. It is not easy to do and you need to understand how it is done and done safely. Trying this alone without experienced help can be dangerous.

Hadley Scott McIntyre , thanks. It is definitely fun for sure.

Send me a direct email and I can help you out. No, the wind only blows hard enough during season change, early spring or late fall. You need about 22 mph to get airborne but 30 is better for a good sustained flight. It was pretty “gusty” this day but nearer the end of the video, it was getting more steady and above 25 mph. I would not build my own rotor or control head but the rest is pretty basic stuff.

I have plans for Gyrobee and many other ultralights on my chanel. Search under "plans, blueprints" I made them into videos. People are pulling engines out of wrecked motorcycles and dirt bikes all the time, it may be a good use for one. The Sorrel SNS Guppy was originally powered by a OUTBOARD motor.

Christopher Burgess GYRO-CFI Only when it would be convenient for you sir, would you possibly send me an email? I for some reason have not yet figured out how to send direct messages on RU-vid. My personal email is nicholascburgess@ymail.com. Thank you sir!

Diary of a Grim Reaper Have you ever considered building your own ultralight powered by lithium-ion batteries, and possibly self sustaining by solar panels on wings?

@@thatsuberpwnage You know, some people don't have a problem putting their life in the hands of Electric and batteries... But I'm not that guy. I need a engine. And I'm not saying electric doesn't have it's place.. It does. I honestly never realized a Gyro KITE was a real thing until today, that is very cool, but I understand a combustion engine. I understand how much fuel is in the tank. not how much wind is in the air, or juice in a battery. Maybe one day I'll build my own ultralight. I bought plans, I just never got around to it. Personally, I really like the SNS Guppy, they have a amazing record, last I checked, there were I think 4 known crashes, and NO FATALITIES. THAT IS A WIN! But I can't even make a chess board without screwing something up =) I know if I ever had a problem with a Gyro, I would hit the ground like a salad.

Kiwi Keith, you are quite right.!! Many could view this as “easy” but they are mistaken. I’ll add an experience I had when my prop shaft broke off right at the nose of the engine. I saw the prop leave the aircraft and “sail” off on its own. It was struck by the rotor as it left and about 6” were “chopped” off both ends of the prop. It was a wooden prop. It caused a slight CG shift but otherwise we were able to glide in with the engine at idle. So some extreme things can happen. Thankfully I was competent and experienced enough to handle this emergency. Flying anything requires a learned level of skill and knowledge. Flying a gyro as a toy, can lead quickly to a fatal accident.

jose rivas , It’s pretty much a standard ”Bensen B8 Glider”. I purchased it from a former student that just never completed it. He installed the horizontal mid-span on the vertical rudder. In the standard location it is perhaps not as effective. I feel there are more incomplete kits scattered around the country, world perhaps. You can Google Bensen B8 Glider Plans and you should find links to the plans. I don’t know of anyone still producing this kit but I am also not looking at this time. I’ve seen plans offered for free !! I would expect a glider like this may run $6000 with no motor, but like it has been pointed out in other post, this is no toy and you can be fatally injured if you don’t know what you are doing. I have over 45 years experience in gyros and even I needed help and guidance from an experienced WWII airplane instructor in the beginning. I was also a licensed Army helicopter and airplane pilot before that. It is all aircraft hardware and materials so that makes things a little more pricey.

Mr. Burges thank you much for your help. You have been very helpful.

Martin Leicht, KFDK Frederick Maryland, west of Washington DC and Baltimore MD.

I enjoyed this "kiting" more than any flying in my 50 years of gyro flight. It's much harder than you may think but so much fun.

Thank You

El viento hace la rotazion, se llama autorrotacion, es como una turbina de generar electricidad, el viento la mueve en rotacioncon respecto al angulo de ataque de las palas o helice, si te fijas en el vide, el rotor tiene un angulo de ataque frontal con respecto al viento

Autoroataion. The wind makes it spin. Think of a helicopter with the engine off, same thing. It needs a push to get it started but then the wind takes over and just spins it up faster until it eventually flys at around 22mph wind speed or faster.

I think so.!! Some of the coolest air time I ever got. Winds were never strong enough in the summer months to kite in Maryland.

You only need to go forward with the stick and it will land. Once on the ground, keep the stick all the way forward and the wind will go out of the rotor. As the wind goes out the energy goes out and the rotor will slow almost to a stop. The last 40 RPM must be stopped quickly by hand as the rotor will lose rigidity and become unmanageable.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thank you sir

A gyro glider has the glide ratio of a "brick" so I would say no. Rate of descent as measured by Ken Brock was about 1200 fpm in the glider. He released from being towed to 2200 feet AGL back in 1979. You would need to find a thermal going up at least that fast.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 - So, updrafts in a Thundercloud?! 🙄😁

Robert Weekley, Believe me you don’t want to tackle “any” thunderstorm, you will lose the battle.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 - Agreed! It was just a snide Comment, as to where to find really big Updrafts, that you can "See!

That’s shocking English.

I had no rotor brake on this glider. All you need to do is push the stick full-forward which brings the rotor down to zero angle of attack. It will slow when you do this, coast down on it's own. However, when the rotor slows to about 40 rpm, I just reach up and begin to slow it down quickly by hand. It's not that hard to do but it is important that you slow it quickly when below about 40 rpm. The rotor gets pretty "limber" below that rpm (low centripetal force) and if you don't slow it quickly, the rotor could "sail", that's flap erratically and uncontrollably. A rotor brake can be installed but I find that doing this by hand is just as effective if not easier.

You have cyclic control only, no collective. It is not CG shift. You can change the angle of attack with the cyclic. The whole disk tilts aft with aft stick so you get more air to pass through the disk that way and up you go.!! You can control the climb with the cyclic as long as there is enough wind to lift the aircraft off the ground.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for your explanation, its mindblowing..

Also is it the basic technique for dead stick landing?

@@mohammadroisa2804 Kind of like. In a dead stick landing you need energy by virtue of airspeed and altitude to flare with on touchdown. In this glider, if the cable were to break, it would be important to get it on the ground quickly because any energy to flare with will quickly disappear. Maybe think of the cable as your engine.!! This is mostly why you do not see me climb over maybe 10 feet. The conditions that day were very gusty and the wind necessary to keep me in the air could vanish at any moment. In a cable break, the aircraft would want to go backwards pretty quickly. Nose down and get on the ground ASAP. I think it would be so quick from 10 feet that there is almost no time for a "formal" flare, just don't let it go backward. Maybe that's why I was using steel cable and two 1" steel stakes to hold it.

​@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks so much for explanation!

Unfortunately I don't know of anyone selling this kit today. You might post on www.Rotaryforum.com and ask if anyone has the plans. You may also find someone willing to part with their Bensen B8 or Brock KB2 airframe and rotor. They are both nearly the same aircraft. Good Luck.

Yes, but you still need to know what you’re doing. This can’t be done safely without instruction or experience.

Yes absolutely.. The operating cost is nill and basic training can be imparted post simulator training

Well it takes a "different" kind of pilot to fly r/c. I never did well in that task. Guess I'm a seat of the pants' sort. I cant fly well without all the senses at work.

Autorotation from the wind, Think of it as a flyable kite With helicopter blades

Gostaria de adquirir um biplace, mas desconheço o voo do equipamento, teria que aprender, eis uma das razões do biplace, realizar voo com instrutor

@@FirefighterBMSC Boa noite Giovanni. Nem tudo que reluz é ouro. Tenho e vôo girocoptero a mais de 25 anos e lhe afirmo com conhecimento de causa, o melhor e mais seguro voo de giro é mono. Duplo, somente pra instrução mesmo. O meu negocio é voar e não ministrar instrução.

@@Albertodogiro obrigado pela informação, bastante importante, achei que o duplo tbm seria legal para diversão e compartilhar com familiar a experiência do voo. Certamente o duplo muda o CG da aeronave, mas terei que aprender a voar nela.

Great to hear, Brazil. I never towed my own but did fly towed behind a car in Canada once. Lots of fun if you have a good ground crew that also knows how to fly the gyro. I moved to Florida and the winds here are never good enough unless it is in a hurricane.!!! Stay safe and always be ready for the unexpected.

Well I'm retired from about 30 years of instructing students. This product is no longer sold that I am aware of. It was kit built. I picked it up used for around $1500 us. It needed some work but was nearly ready to fly. This was 2010 or so. You may be able to find a used one by searching Bensen B8 Gyroplane. I used it mostly as a demonstrator and to just have fun. Good tool to teach the basics. Sorry I can't give you more on that. Also post on www.rotaryforum.com. That is a place many gyroplane enthusiast gather. Log in and then post that you are looking for one. Kit plans may also be available on that site.

Wow guy, that would have given me a heart attack. Great story. The strong winds are almost never "friendly". That's why most of the parasail guys/gals can be seen on calm early mornings or calm late evenings, when the winds are light. Not sure I would ever "kite" a parasail. You had a once in a lifetime experience with some "luck" thrown in. A gyroplane is much different in that it can handle some pretty tough wind conditions. When airplanes are getting all buffeted around, a gyroplane will be more stable. If I had rough conditions to fly in (and I have had them) give me the gyro or a helicopter any day.

I personally would not build my own rotors. Mine were "factory" made metal. Long ago folks were building them out of wood but I think that practice is no longer the choice. Wood warps and that messes up balance and function. You can search rotors for the B8 glider and you may find plans for the wooden version. I flew on a wood rotor only once when I was in Canada. That was a two-place glider being towed by a car. Balance is a skill but can be done "hit and miss". However it is best to get with someone that knows how since it is not easy for the novice. It requires time, patience, and very methodical adjustments.

Last supplier listing I have for this rotor was 2012. Contact Roger Farnes at rotorsnradials@msn.com. Don’t know if they are still making them today. Mine was 21 feet 9 inches in diameter, 7 inch chord.

amtpdb1, only guessing but I would think the materials and a rotor could be acquired for around 6,000 US. It is all aircraft grade aluminum and also aircraft hardware.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for the information. I have a set of Bensen plans that I purchased in 1966 that I never had the time or people around me to get into building it. Thanks again.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 After reading the comments I have a question. You mention a horizontal tail under the rudder. Do you leave the one that is under the prop and add this one? You dont put the one in the middle of the rudder as I have seen? As I have said, I have the old plans and non of the changes. I don't know what you are talking about. I did join the pra a couple of years back, but did not renew after seeing I would not get any help from the club on the dry lake about questions I had. Thanks

amtpdb1, I didn’t set this one up. The horizontal was put in that position by the previous owner. On my powered Bensen, I had the horizontal in its original location, which as you said is under where the prop turns. It became known as “ a rock guard” for the prop. It’s in a little close to be a very effective control surface, however, in the original configuration, under the prop area, it had “some” influence on pitch. I’ve seen one that was placed directly under the rudder. This location made it more effective and did not require drilling more holes, always a good way to go. Sorry you didn’t find help on www.PRA.org. It is run by all volunteers that all have other responsibilities. You may want to look on www.rotaryforum.com. I would hope that may be more helpful for you.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks

Most of the frame is 6061T6 aircraft aluminum. It is all aircraft quality. I did not build the rotor or control head, it was all included in a standard Bensen B8 kit.

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thanks for support