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Autogyros - Gyrocopters > Gyrocopter Question

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Have you seen the movie The Road Warrior? In it theres this freaky guy flying a gyro. I was watching the movie and I wondered how it flies without a tail rotor? I thought you had to have one to counter the forces trying to spin the craft instead of the engine?

01-06-2002 Over year old.

WV EDIT

RappyTappy
Elite Veteran
Location: Las Vegas, NV

The rotorhead isn't connected to a drive. The pusher propeller is the only one connected to the engine. Since, the rotor isn't engine driven there is no engine torque to counter. So basically its just autorotating around. Not to sure on the technical stuff, like pitch and stuff. I know that it can't outright hover for any length of time though.

Chris
Rex 500
Burning them electrons :D

Forever Brothers
Mickey Tylo

01-06-2002 Over year old.

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ItsBent
Senior Heliman
Location: Baltimore MD.

Autogyro

Yes, the rotor on a gyrocopter ( Autogyro was a brand name) spins by autorotation while tha propellor provides forward thrust. The rotor is started on the ground by spinning it up with a clutch from the engine, a separate small engine or electric motor and sometimes just spinning it by hand. A brisk taxi to the take-off spot brings the rotor up to speed. The rotor is never powered in flight. There is usually no pitch control and pitch and bank control is accomplished by simply tilting the entire hub which is attached to a gimbald plate. No swash plate. Hovering is not possible except into a strong headwind. In the '30's there were a few gyros that could take off straight up using a "jump take off' system. This had a 3 position pitch control. The rotor was overspeeded in flat pitch, then the pilot threw a lever that disconnected the rotor from the engine and shifted the rotor into climb pitch at the same time. This caused the gyro to literally "jump" about 50 feet straight up! Then pilot then put the control lever into flight pitch which also put full throttle to the engine and off he would go. Quite a sight and very impressive. This type made regular mail runs between NYC and Washington DC and landed on the post office rooftops. Then the true helicopter came along and pretty much killed the gyro as a a viable means of air transportation. I have built and flown 4 model gyros a nd found them to be as much fun as a helicopter without all the complexity. There is a company tring to revive the full scale gyro at: www.cartercopters.com

01-06-2002 Over year old.

Dyehard
Veteran
Location: Cedar Bluff, Va.

Bent, the Cartercopter is a real helicopter in the vertical takeoff and landing mode, the rotor is powered. In forward flight, the rotor is slowed to a very low speed and set at flat pitch. To allow such a slow rotation, depleted Uranium sluggs are placed in the rotor tips. There used to be some wild footage of their early taxi and short hop attemps, along with crash of the prototype, on their site.

01-06-2002 Over year old.

scotter
Senior Heliman
Location: Elkton, MD

Dyehard, the Cartercopter is very impressive, but it is not a "real helicopter" in any mode. They do the 'jump' takeoff system, where they build up inertia in the rotor by overspeeding it at low pitch, then add in positive pitch to takeoff. Note that at the time they takeoff, they are disengaging the rotor from the drivetrain, thus it is unpowered.
Heli or not, it is still one impressive machine.

06-23-2003 Over year old.

BnE_Autogyro
Heliman
Location: Altamont,ny

actually partially powered

I believe the rotor partially powered is what got Carter to go past 1u or speed os sound rotor blades. They have a very fast proof of concept machine. It's just very pricy now.

07-08-2008 01:54 AM

RappyTappy
Elite Veteran
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Talk about a blast from the past!

Chris
Rex 500
Burning them electrons :D

Forever Brothers
Mickey Tylo

07-08-2008 02:32 AM

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Autogyros - Gyrocopters > Gyrocopter Question

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