I can remember The Late great Commander Wallis doing a demonstration in his "Little Nelly". ( The James Bond autogyro) at the Hastings airshow In the UK probably about late 70s. The display was pretty dramatic , noisy and impressive. Somewhere I have some 35mm still pictures of him waving to the crowd across a stream ditch opposite us.
Kermit....we of the earth bound, and techno freaks, are so appreciative of these videos. Very generous of you to take us along. I especially like the lack of the background music, and the actual engine sounds etc., and your narration that makes it all so real. Thanks!
I have been a Fixed wing pilot for 48 years, in my teenage days I did acquire 10 hours in the Bell 47 G but it too expensive for me at $65.00 and hour. So I went fixed wing. That was in the early 70’s. The Benson was the only gyrocopter that I knew about. Seeing these three videos are pretty neat to watch. I found the videos because of a link on Beechtalk. 😁🛫
Kermit - Welcome to the brotherhood of no-stall full-time autorotation flight! I was 28 when I joined the club in my little Bensen B8M gyro. Back then, most of us didn't even have rotor pre-rotator drives installed. Instead, after hand starting the engine and strapping in we then pushed full forward on the stick and manually began hand spinning the rotor as much as we possibly could. From there we applied full aft stick and began taxiing into the wind slowly and carefully at first to allow the rotor blades to spin up past the initial critical phase of taxiing too fast before the blades were spinning fast enough. This would cause the blades to start flapping up and down and the tips could strike the ground causing damage. Ask me how I know that. :( So once the gyro's taxi speed was sufficient, and the blades were a blur, the gyro would soon rock back on its tail wheel indicating the rotor was spinning at nearly takeoff speed. It was then time to add full throttle, release some stick back pressure and she would accelerate and lift off on her own. This technique was fine but takeoff rolls were long. I added a flex-cable drive similar to the one in your gyro and it make a massive difference. IIRC liftoff typically occurred at 300 feet vs 600+ feet by hand. Anyway, congratulations!
Too cool! Really enjoyed the flight, thanks for sharing Kermit.
5 лет назад+3
Congratulation Mr. Kermit! Well done on this solo and getting your license! Please allow me for an advice. When you did the "touch and goes" in a "full-stop fashion" you did engage the pre-rotator to get back to 220 rotor rpm while the rotor was still spinning. The problem with this is that on the top end of the drive shaft in the time of engaging pre-rotator the bendix will rise and meet with the already spinning pre-rotator disc and kill the teeth on both the bendix and pre-rotator disc. Also, once it is engaged/in the time of engagement you may overload the drive shaft (bowden) and drive shaft assembly. Depending on the situation and how fast you are pulling the pre-rotator handle you may do demage instantly (in an unlucky event) or during a period of time.. Basically, its ok for moment to stand still WHEN there is some wind which will maintain your rotor speed for this short time and take of again as long as you KEEP the stick on your belly, but once you let the stick forward just bring the rotor to a full stop (by the help of the rotor break it should be not a long time) and start your pre-rotation procedure from the beginning. In case there is no wind than just make sure you keep the craft moving forward, again with the stick on the belly creating some relative wind going through the rotor and go again! I can't stress enough that this is only an advise! Wish you all the best with your wonderful gyro projects! (I am VERY jealous about the Cierva C30 you got there! I have seen one in the UK at the Helicopter Museum but that is not complete and has been victim of a shed fire as I rememberer..) Thank you for sharing your experiences! We love all this! Best regards. Adrian (Fix-wing and Autogyro Pilot/Flight Instructor)
Congratulations on your new adventure i hope to fly soon its never to late im 61 and was raised by a pilot my pops had a stearman its in my blood i have all the toys boat,harley ,took flying lessons im an investor now and hoping toget a revo trike soon
Thanks for the education on the Autogiro. I didn't know that 60 MPH forward motion was necessary to bring it aloft, unlike a helicopter....6:30 knee pretty close to the key switch.
They used the avro giros to set the altitude and distance for the radars at dover in uk during WW2.......just saying anyway well done kermit i know its a few yrs ago but totally enjoyed the 3 vids
Slightly off topic.. but what’s the progress on the Spit XVI and also the Mosquito? Being a Brit with RAF family history (uncle was a Lanc pilot, sadly KIA ‘43), would love to see them featured more. Really appreciate the time and effort you give with filming these amazing aircraft!
Jeez, Kermie! You're frickin' Neil Armstrong Jr., aren't ya? You guys could fly absolutely anything. Can you borrow a P-38 and a U-2 and fix up an SR-71 and and X-15? Something tells me you wouldn't have any trouble flying them. I don't think the Saturn Vs would be worth the risk, though. ;)
As a 30+year instructor in many different (non-aviation) disciplines, it's very difficult to teach someone with experience in something very similar to what they've already learned. It's immediately evident this pilot is a knowledgable, experienced, individual and is narrating for the tape rather than letting the person he's learning from the "leeway" to teach him something new. IMHO, too much narration; not enough listening.
To be clear . . . The narration was added in a studio, after the video was edited. The footage is from 2013, the edit and voice-over was done in 2017. So, he is not talking over the tape while the lessons are happening.
Brian, your comment is just an advertisement for yourself and irrelevant to the video. This was not an instructional video. With your great resume" you should have seen that. Skip Wood, Wright Brothers Master Pilot.
Kermie. let the man talk. thats his expertise. How would you like it if someone told u how a mustang worked. Or told you how a plane worked. Keep your expertise to yourself.
I can remember The Late great Commander Wallis doing a demonstration in his "Little Nelly". ( The James Bond autogyro) at the Hastings airshow In the UK probably about late 70s. The display was pretty dramatic , noisy and impressive. Somewhere I have some 35mm still pictures of him waving to the crowd across a stream ditch opposite us.
Kermit....we of the earth bound, and techno freaks, are so appreciative of these videos. Very generous of you to take us along. I especially like the lack of the background music, and the actual engine sounds etc., and your narration that makes it all so real. Thanks!
Well Said!
I really enjoyed this 3 part guide !
Almost finished binge watching the entire library :(
Keep the vids coming👌
Cool! I’m looking forward to doing the rating next spring.
You're the man Kermit! NEVER GETS BORING!
I have been a Fixed wing pilot for 48 years, in my teenage days I did acquire 10 hours in the Bell 47 G but it too expensive for me at $65.00 and hour. So I went fixed wing. That was in the early 70’s. The Benson was the only gyrocopter that I knew about. Seeing these three videos are pretty neat to watch. I found the videos because of a link on Beechtalk. 😁🛫
You are an amazing man Mr. Kermit weeks with some pretty big balls.
You make everything look easy.
Congratulations and thanks for another great Kermie Cam video!
Awesome stuff!! would love to come and visit your place!! great videos!!
There is just something about these aircraft. I really like them.
Had a great pleasure to meet you back in 2005 at Polk city, FL
Great to see you piloting another great plane. Beautifuly explained. Thanks :)
Another video that's all kinds of awesome.Keep 'em coming Kermie, keep'em coming.
Thanks for taking us along Kermit!
VERY COOL! T74 is a great little airport!
You make very interesting videos Mr. Weeks :)
Kermit - Welcome to the brotherhood of no-stall full-time autorotation flight! I was 28 when I joined the club in my little Bensen B8M gyro. Back then, most of us didn't even have rotor pre-rotator drives installed. Instead, after hand starting the engine and strapping in we then pushed full forward on the stick and manually began hand spinning the rotor as much as we possibly could. From there we applied full aft stick and began taxiing into the wind slowly and carefully at first to allow the rotor blades to spin up past the initial critical phase of taxiing too fast before the blades were spinning fast enough. This would cause the blades to start flapping up and down and the tips could strike the ground causing damage. Ask me how I know that. :( So once the gyro's taxi speed was sufficient, and the blades were a blur, the gyro would soon rock back on its tail wheel indicating the rotor was spinning at nearly takeoff speed. It was then time to add full throttle, release some stick back pressure and she would accelerate and lift off on her own. This technique was fine but takeoff rolls were long. I added a flex-cable drive similar to the one in your gyro and it make a massive difference. IIRC liftoff typically occurred at 300 feet vs 600+ feet by hand.
Anyway, congratulations!
Thank you so much for this exciting video series about gyro copter. Very inspiring and defenately my upcoming project! Can't wait to get in the air.
Too cool! Really enjoyed the flight, thanks for sharing Kermit.
Congratulation Mr. Kermit! Well done on this solo and getting your license! Please allow me for an advice. When you did the "touch and goes" in a "full-stop fashion" you did engage the pre-rotator to get back to 220 rotor rpm while the rotor was still spinning. The problem with this is that on the top end of the drive shaft in the time of engaging pre-rotator the bendix will rise and meet with the already spinning pre-rotator disc and kill the teeth on both the bendix and pre-rotator disc. Also, once it is engaged/in the time of engagement you may overload the drive shaft (bowden) and drive shaft assembly. Depending on the situation and how fast you are pulling the pre-rotator handle you may do demage instantly (in an unlucky event) or during a period of time.. Basically, its ok for moment to stand still WHEN there is some wind which will maintain your rotor speed for this short time and take of again as long as you KEEP the stick on your belly, but once you let the stick forward just bring the rotor to a full stop (by the help of the rotor break it should be not a long time) and start your pre-rotation procedure from the beginning. In case there is no wind than just make sure you keep the craft moving forward, again with the stick on the belly creating some relative wind going through the rotor and go again! I can't stress enough that this is only an advise! Wish you all the best with your wonderful gyro projects! (I am VERY jealous about the Cierva C30 you got there! I have seen one in the UK at the Helicopter Museum but that is not complete and has been victim of a shed fire as I rememberer..) Thank you for sharing your experiences! We love all this! Best regards. Adrian (Fix-wing and Autogyro Pilot/Flight Instructor)
Looks like I'm now a certified gyro copter pilot, thanks Kermit (only took three videos).
Congrats! Looks like a lot of fun.
Kermit you are a natural Autogyro/Gyroplane pilot,this will set you up nicely for your Pitcairn plus the experience with your Fiesler Storch.
That's what flying is all about , FUN !!! :-)
Congraulations Kermit! Autogyros are awesome.
Excellent !
You're smooth on those controls, Kermit.
Impressive aircraft and flown like a pro Kermit and greetings from Australia
Congratulations on your new adventure i hope to fly soon its never to late im 61 and was raised by a pilot my pops had a stearman its in my blood i have all the toys boat,harley ,took flying lessons im an investor now and hoping toget a revo trike soon
That is a cool machine
Awesome job. Thanks for sharing this.
Awesome.
"See if I can do this without killing myself"... my exact words every time I flew my PA28-140 (only 300 hours)...
Thanks for the VO audio work Kermit. Makes for a much better video. The MTO Sport looks like a very nice flying autogyro.
Kermie Sir you are awesome
Thanks for the education on the Autogiro. I didn't know that 60 MPH forward motion was necessary to bring it aloft, unlike a helicopter....6:30 knee pretty close to the key switch.
Hi cmans79tr7, the MTO Sport doesn't need 60MPH forward motion to bring it aloft. Lift off/climb speed is 55MPH but it will fly at 35-50MPH.
Thanks for the ride!
They used the avro giros to set the altitude and distance for the radars at dover in uk during WW2.......just saying anyway well done kermit i know its a few yrs ago but totally enjoyed the 3 vids
Well done!!
Slightly off topic.. but what’s the progress on the Spit XVI and also the Mosquito? Being a Brit with RAF family history (uncle was a Lanc pilot, sadly KIA ‘43), would love to see them featured more.
Really appreciate the time and effort you give with filming these amazing aircraft!
Well Kermit did you buy it?? Lol. 🤣😉👍🏼 AWESOME JOB!!!! I knew you would get the hang of it pretty fast.
so upon landing, your closely performing a helicopter autorotation, still cool though. Thanks this was fun to watch.
Been waiting for this.. cool!
Scott Thomas looks like Richard Trethewey from "This Old House"! LOL
Very nice flying Autogiro with you! I live in the forrest . I dremt to fly to the countrystore for shopping!
Jeez, Kermie! You're frickin' Neil Armstrong Jr., aren't ya? You guys could fly absolutely anything. Can you borrow a P-38 and a U-2 and fix up an SR-71 and and X-15? Something tells me you wouldn't have any trouble flying them. I don't think the Saturn Vs would be worth the risk, though. ;)
:-))
Congratulations on getting your Autogiro Solo Flight Licence Kermit, it must be fun to be you.
Looks like these machines will help remove fear of flying. Kill the engine and float to the ground. Bit like the AN2 I suppose.
Is the instructor Scott Thomas, ex-Special Forces?....if so, pretty cool autogiro teacher.
Very cool! I didn't notice mixture control. How does the AG perform in cross wind conditions?
So how many flight lessions til solo? BTW, love your videos.
Is the cam taped to the gear? :D
Yaa just saying.......Thanks...!
how far out until flying the pitcairn
Look ma no hahns?..lol
They flew one in the movie rocketeer at the end when the airship was exploding was it the same model?
I "struck out " on my first date also ....... ;-p .............. JRW
why "shout clear" prop if we don't give people enough time to do so ...should shout then wait before start
Did he cut you shirt tail
oh yeah. listen kermis
Oh yes one more mention my grandpa crashed a jenny downtown detroit in 1929 he walked away just sayin flyings in the blood
Yep. Me too. Dad went into the USAAC in 1942-1974. 368 combat missions flying B-17, B-25, C-47, C-130's and many others. More than 18k hours total.
As a 30+year instructor in many different (non-aviation) disciplines, it's very difficult to teach someone with experience in something very similar to what they've already learned. It's immediately evident this pilot is a knowledgable, experienced, individual and is narrating for the tape rather than letting the person he's learning from the "leeway" to teach him something new. IMHO, too much narration; not enough listening.
To be clear . . . The narration was added in a studio, after the video was edited. The footage is from 2013, the edit and voice-over was done in 2017. So, he is not talking over the tape while the lessons are happening.
Brian, your comment is just an advertisement for yourself and irrelevant to the video. This was not an instructional video. With your great resume" you should have seen that. Skip Wood, Wright Brothers Master Pilot.
Kermie. let the man talk. thats his expertise. How would you like it if someone told u how a mustang worked. Or told you how a plane worked. Keep your expertise to yourself.