Replies

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 12, 2004 03:02am | #1

   Junkman:   The specs?   She is 21...a junior studying nursing...5 ft. 9....152 pounds....:)

   If its the gyro you are wanting to know about....ha...its a RAF2000 ...130 horse Subaru...cruises at 75...will go almost 100.   The range at cruise is 3 hours plus the half hour reserve required.   It flies like a dream...winds are actually fun to fly in...gyrocopters are about the best engine out machine there is..lands like a crow at 0-5 mph...

1. 
   joeh | Apr 12, 2004 03:41am | #2

   Stan, what kind of gearset turns the rotor?

   Engine out both prop and rotor freewheel, or rotor only?

   And you just slowly and quietly settle to earth while dialing your cell to the auto club?

   Joe H

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 12, 2004 04:57am | #4

   Joe:   The rotor is absolutely not powered while in flight.  It has a pre-rotator which is nothing more than a giant speedometer cable that spins the rotor up to about 150 rpm.  After that..its nothing but the aerodynamics of the rotor that drive it around 320 rpm flight speed.  The aerodynamics of how this happens is awesome.

   I can shut the motor off and throw the keys out the door...it will land like a crow everytime.

1. 
   joeh | Apr 12, 2004 06:02am | #5

   Stan, So the rotor is freewheeling at a speed induced by your forward motion and it provides the lift to keep you up?

   I'm baffled........the engine driven prop will get you off the ground when combined with the initial rotor speed?

   The rotor picks up speed as your airspeed increases?

   Is there a web site with an explanation of how this works?

   Seems like a take off on my driveway kinda thing.

   Joe H

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 12, 2004 01:53pm | #8

   Joe:  The propeller drives the gyro forward and weight drives the rotor.  The rotor will keep spinning in a vertical descent with a dead engine.  It spins like a maple seed does while falling.

   Just look up autorotation and you should find lots of information.  Basically it goes like this....

   The rotor disc is divided into three aerodynamic regions.  The out 30 % is the driven region.  This is where most of the lift occurs.   The middle region of the disc is the driving region.  This is best described as being similar to how a sailboat can advance forward into the relative wind by tacking.   The lift vector is forward of the axis of rotation and this drives the rotor forward.

   Then there is the center region which is the reverse flow area. The air is actually flowing backwards over the blades. 

   There is much more to this but requires lots of drawings.

   But again...the rotor doesnt care if the engine is running or not. As long as there is weight being applied...it will propel itself in a circle just like the sailboat propels itself forward into the wind..both due it at a slant.

2. 
   donpapenburg | Apr 13, 2004 04:42am | #11

   That perty girl can't weigh no 152 # looks  more like 125 .

2. 
   Gunner | Apr 12, 2004 03:53am | #3

   No wonder you pack a Glock.

   Who Dares Wins.

3. 
   DougU | Apr 12, 2004 06:07am | #6

   Stan

   Great pics, as always, but you better watch out giving a girls age and weight out so freely! :)

   As always its great to see the passions of others.

   Doug

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 12, 2004 01:43pm | #7

   Doug:   I have already been scolded for the weight info.  :)

4. 
   WorkshopJon | Apr 12, 2004 04:57pm | #9

   "I took my son Jeff up and my daughter Jennifer up for her first flight. They really enjoyed it."

   Stan,

   So I presume this means you've flown off your first 40 hours?

   Any problems?  Like everyone say's, looks like a blast.

   Jon

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 12, 2004 11:45pm | #10

   Jon:  Yep...I jsut logged the hours last week and now can legally take passengers. No problems yet.

1. 
   Lateapex911 | Apr 13, 2004 05:00am | #12

   Stan....as you internet legal counsel, I advise you not to answer any more weight questions! Women and girls are not fans of divulging such numbers!

   (But for the record, it does appear that you have indeed a typo on your hands!)

   Now, back to flying...in the picture of the gyro and your daughter, why is the word "experimental" painted on the gyro mast area???Jake Gulick

   [email protected]

   CarriageHouse Design

   Black Rock, CT

1. 
   StanFoster | Apr 13, 2004 05:12am | #13

   Jake:   It is required by the FAA to have it posted  "Experimental".  This machine is not certified.

1. 
   Lateapex911 | Apr 14, 2004 12:07am | #14

   Gotcha!

   Cool pics, keep posting!Jake Gulick

   [email protected]

   CarriageHouse Design

   Black Rock, CT