Would you dare climb on board of these if given the opportunity?! If any of you lovely people have an aircraft you be happy showing me around I’d love to hear from you 🙏🙏
One of the most amazing air vehicles we have made. Loads after them LSAs. Opening a school in the next year or so across the pond. Oh and you cal totally hover a C172 and reverse it, I have had a C206 down to 4kts ground speed. Backed up a few Cubs as well.
I live a few miles from Sport Copter and have riden in them many times. I've also flown in an old McCulloch J2 with Jim Vanek , the owner of Sprot Copter. 😁 I have yet to see a gyro do what can't also be done in a Cub.
I still have some the PIECES of one that I owned back around 1995. Weight and balance was off and I did a "lawn dart" after the engine quit -- without the engine thrust, it would not flare. Shredded the aircraft, broke a rib and a bone in the foot... Ended up buying a fixed wing aircraft (Grumman) after that... They are not very forgiving of negative G maneuvers... Most pilots who make that mistake end up doing a nose over and dying...
I normally fly gliders but had the opportunity to take one of these up a few years ago. Truly brilliant - I’d love one. Pointed it into wind and sat stationary at 1000 feet. There’s something surreal about sitting, perched on a plastic chair, with no bodywork around you and people walking their dogs directly below you.
I took a trial flight in a Cessna, a Glider, and one of these. The Autogyro was by far the most exciting. He even let me land it, and I'd never flown one before.
I was a PPL A pilot with a slightly sniffy attitude to microlights when I started. However, after learning a little more, realising they were better in almost every way, I converted, bought my own (several) & never looked back.
Depends what you need it for. I never had a sniffy attitude towards any aircraft and spent my life flying. I've noticed that attitude among small plane owners. Some are like yacht owners.
@@paulgraham6353 Yup. I don't have anything against any specific aircraft, except where safety is concerned - e.g. I would probably not fly a paramotor because they don't seem that safe. Especially since youtubers that I watch have had partial wing collapses in conditions that really didn't seem that extreme...
I am a fix and rotary private pilot, in 2007 I bought a Magni 16 gyro which I flew 700 hours in 8 years. If you get proper training and fly by the book there should be no problems at all.
I built and flew my Air Command gyro back in 1988, (first legal one in NZ) great fun and safer than a helicopter, great machines. Taught to fly it by a grandmother in Tracy, USA,
Marion Springer? Excellent instructor by all accounts. Utterly pragmatic and sensible approach she had. I flew in an early dual aircommand as well with my CFI found it a pussycat.
Used to holiday twice a year where a flying school sold flights in autogyros, just for that, until the school closed. Looking down over mountains and coastline from an open cockpit with the side only up to knee level was an amazing experience, and easy to fly - instructor said try a landing on the first ever flight. Safety - the instructor said 80% of incidents are ground handling, not in flight, mostly due the wind catching the rotors high up and the leverage of the mast. The Germans allegedly call it the Flying Motorcycle, a good analogy due to it's size and handling. I really miss flying one.
@@markashford827 This is true but its more due to historically difficulties getting good instruction - still can be an issue. For many years the only engines many of us could get were VW and Subaru, most of these were direct drive and so dual powered machines were all but impossible. The Mac Engines while powerful were not available everywhere and were highly unreliable. Where you could get gyroglider training you could learn most of what you needed with an instructor but you still had to do supervised ground instruction. Unfortunately the advent of the Rotax 532 (65hp) did allow for dual machines but the typical two seater back then probably had an empty weight of 130ish kg. Stick in fuel and two heefty blokes and the machine was a slug with a similarly powered single seat machine weighing 1/3 less in the air meant more than an additional 1/3 performance increase. Now I personally was lucky my instructor didn't throw out the glider and ground training when such two seaters became available he kept the glider then after solo in that we did dual powered training (a few hours) then we transitioned to our single seat machines doing hours of ground runs. Never saw an accident at that club. But saw plenty at others. The advent of the 4 stroke rotax engines meant they could build much heavier two seat machines like this one. The very dangerous aspect of gyros in going negative G, you need to maintain positive g load on the disk or the airflow reverses and the rotors stop in about 1 second. If that happens there is no recovery. Unfortunately people still push these machines fast thinking modern designs have solved all the issues- they haven't. My advice is stick below 100mph get as good training as you can and be disciplined. All the maneuvers you experienced in your flight here are safe. People however don't always stick to these. As a sport I believe we need to get back to basic blade management none of the 200rpm and go - this leads to most accidents (trying to avoid other issues due to traditionally poor understanding of rotor dynamics). We are loosing the lighter end of the sport and very few can afford these machines now. They are perfectly safe if flown within their limits. You can't compare the accident statistics to make assumptions about the aircraft. They are a reflection of not just the machines which are fine but the training quality. Helicopters are more dangerous but pilots are trained to extreme levels compared to gyros or fixed wings. We are still on a journey to really being good at the whole instruction thing. There are excellent instructors and there are others. Our sport still has lots of myth surrounding it and this doesn't help us. The gyros though are amazing and safer if flown within their limits.
Incredible video! I will try one someday! My only disagreement is his statement that you can't fly a fixed-wing aircraft that slow without stalling. During flight training in college we had a Cessna 150 Aerobat that was quite heavy. I was on a cross-country alone flying into a strong headwind and was able to dump flaps & slow down enough to fly backwards. I was over I-20 or I-30 going west into Dallas & it was strange watching vehicles pass me & see I was travelling backwards.
Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed! Yeah fair point, I should have emphasised how low we were because we were at about 1500 ft at about 15kts, I know in the right conditions that many aircraft could technically impersonate a hover like this but they would need faster winds etc..
Flying normal aircrafts didn't attract me so much -> too much cabin around (coming from paragliding, rc-modeling). But several years ago, when I flew in an autogyro, I was thrilled and couldn't resist to make a SPL for it. Since then, I love to fly those incredible autogyros only! The sight, the wind, the flap-flap, when it decends and does tight turns sounds sometimes like a Huey 🙂. I love the capabilities of handling strong winds and gusts, where nobody of our airstrip is willing to take off in their LSA, the gyro is very capable of flying safely and much more comfortable through thermals than a fixed wing. Love this so much!
I have my PPL SEL, IFR student, and gyro student. Now I'm considering a complete switch to gyro. Exciting, fun, capable, safe, but less practical for longer journeys.
Helped build one. They are fabulous. However, unlike a fixed wing aircraft, they cannot take any negative G. Put the nose down and it's all over. 40 years ago, in Newry, where I live, there was a vertical quarry face opposite where I was working, and a storm blowing straight onto it. An army spotter plane sat vertically above it without any forward movement for 10 mins. Pilot was enjoying himself.
Very well presented video. I have flown "open cockpit " in hang gliders and ultralights. This looks like it was an amazing experience. Maximum amount of fun !
Went up with Edward in that machine not long after he got his licence at Clench. Very similar characteristics to a weight shift except doing what he demonstrated in your video, that of flying stationary in to wind. Felt weird and I found myself looking up for the imaginary hang bolt that is present on a weight shift. Great footage by the way. 👍🛩
I'll never forget my trial lesson in a gyrocopter out of Rufforth Airfield. Swooping low over Castle Howard's lake and snaking down the River Derwent after flying through the centre of York. Truly amazing (and safe).
My uncle flew gyros his whole life. He would do these flippy-spinny stunts over the house that I can't explain but the nervous family members would rush inside not to watch. National Geographic asked him to do an expedition with gyros in Antarctica in the late 80s, he declined. Know the song "Red Barchetta" by Rush? That's how I always thought of my uncle - he's got treasures out behind the property in the garages no one's ever been. I think it's time to visit my uncle
Very Cool! However, I am suprised / concerned whether regulations permit low level flying - such as over farm fields around the 10 minute mark in the video. Please educate me - is there a minimum altitude when not taking off or landing? Thanks.
I'm a PPL and must pay to have a ride in one of these as it looks like a lot of fun Just read the fatal accident report for Cavalon G-CKYT - didn't look like the student pilot did anything too terrible to result in the rotor head separating?
Excellent video, really enjoyed that. Never flown in a gyro but the video certainly made me want to. They aren't cheap to go up in compared to fix wing but worth it by the looks of it. 👍
Thanks Ben! Much appreciated!! Yeah defo worth a go if you get the chance, especially if you’re used to fixed wing, you eyes will be opened 😅😅. Happy flying my friend
There are some pretty wild gyro pilots out there .one of my favorites was an Australian outback guy called 'birdie' .. he used his gyro for cattle mustering. Boy can he handle that thing like he was in a rodeo . His videos are on RUclips . Worth a look . He was also flying a gyro on the first Mad Max movie too I believe.
I don't have any interest in flying but these look like they would be awesome fun. Despite my lack of interest in flying I'm probably going to have to look up the physics behind how they work.
25 years ago I got my pilots licence. I flew for awhile. But a little cesna is not bird like. I didn't continue. This looks like the flying experience I was hoping for. I have been aware of autogyros for years and years. But this video does a great job of really showing the experience.
Always cool to watch these however I do take issue with the comment that airplanes cant hover ( 8:55), as my ultralight had a stall speed of 16Mph and I hovered many times with a good head wind and even flew backwards several times.
I love my MTO Sport (the same as the one in this video other than mine has a 912 rather than the 914). I've wanted to fly since I was very young and always imagined myself flying fixed-wing. Since flying the autogyro, I no longer have any desire to fly anything else. I love the jealous looks we get from the guys at the fixed-wing flight-school next door when they're out tying down their Pipers and Cessnas and we're preparing our machines for flight. Yes, they will fly in conditions which will ground almost everything else at our airport, but just don't expect to actually go anywhere (at least, not quickly if you are against the wind). It's also an awesome feeling being cleared for a zone-transit, in something so small, directly overhead the local international airport with loads of heavy-metal milling about below. One drawback of these aircraft is that they are very hard to spot in the air. The most reassuring thing I hear on the radio is, "visual with the gyro".
One of the things you could try was to paint one blade a different color than the other. This was done in Viet Nam and when seen from above was more effective than a strobe.
gyros have a dangerously underrated phenomena: the stall speed relares to g load and rotor rpm, not necessarily related to airspeed...... hence those many accidents (stalling the rotor) followed by a deadly not recoverable tumbling rapid descent. u hv to understand that and at all times keep ur rotorspeed above a min. In a tight turning manoeuvres u can easily loose oversight and..... impact rapidly!
Here in Germany there was a huge hype about gyros, but the hype is over. There are some disadvantages compared to fixed-wing aircraft. Range, no rescue parachute, very loud, high maintenance costs. The noise in particular has led to gyros no longer being welcomed or even banned at some airports. It's a fun device, but not for the long term. Please take a look at high-performance Ultralights. VL3, WT9, Blackshape, Risen... You can forget about your dinosaurs.
Wowza, I didn't know this!! Interesting seeing how other places deal with them. Thanks for the comment, I'll check that out and nice channel too! Happy flying
So impressive to watch this incredible flying technic. Piloting on such a gyroplane requires serious skills, I think. It all seems so simple and easy. But I think this is a deceptive feeling. My credit for you guys and full respect Very nice video compilation
Its not that hard. The vertical stuff is just stick right back and hold some power for rudder authority. The low stuff you need to watch your speed but they are very maneuverable. Myself I wish they wouldn't show all this low stuff. Look its great fun and this guy would have check out the area for powerlines maybe even gotten permission of the farmer in question. But this is never mentioned. I know one guy flew through powerlines buzzing a farmers house, he survived with serious injuries. Another I know was decapitated flying low over a river that had a power line recently strung across it. If you are going to do this you really need to know the land and KNOW there is nothing to collide with. In my country a number of people have clipped not only powerlines, but one hit his rotors on a combine harvester (killing himself) others have hit trees etc. clipped blades on the ground. So you need to be careful. But the turns aren't that hard these things can fly much more aggressively than this. But risky.
@@cameronlapworth2284I know someone who wrote off his car driving in a straight line at around 40mph, in a 40mph zone, in broad daylight with good weather, dry roads and good visibility. They crashed because they weren't paying attention. Thousands of people travel along that road at 40mph each day, and accidents are relatively rare. The same person has written off two other cars. Give this gyro pilot some credit, he clearly knows what he's doing and has probably been flying there for years. If someone does the same things and kills themselves, it doesn't mean that thing shouldn't be done, it does mean it should only be done when it's safe to do so.
Usually it's the ground that ruins flying for people. No you don't _have_ to pre-rotate the rotor. It's advantageous to do so as it greatly reduces the take off run. But it is not compulsory.
Had a couple of goes (at Popham and Cromer). They're great but can't quite get used to the constant vibration. I know it's perfectly safe but still unnerving. Noisy and thirsty. Guy at my airfield has one, he's quite new and not yet offered me a go.
Gyroplane is the latest and greatest term for these. Yes, in the beginning back when de la Cierva was building them and licensing the design, etc. they were called autogyros, or autogiros, and later gyrocopters (contemporary to the usage of the Bensen Gyrocopter called Little Nellie in the Bond movie), but things change with time. Back in the day the early designs had wings and rotors, but it was soon found the wings were completely unnecessary, so they were removed from the design. In the beginning the engine arrangements were all tractor, but they've been transitioned to pusher designs for a long time now.
@@RoutesAbove Years back when I instructed we did a morning test flight just to make sure conditions were safe for students. I would take a student they flew and we did a circuit. One morning we were at about 300 we had flaps down for landing and as we slowed down, the 150 stopped then we started to go backward. The tower was impressed. A short time later the upper wind went to ground. Memories.
At 3:36 where you show the video of an MD600N autorotating to a hard landing and splitting the skids, that happened at the same airport I was based out of while I did my helicopter flight training. That was at Gillespie Field a little east of San Diego, KSEE, in the US, and it was a US Border Patrol helicopter.
If you are impressed by the open air flight and free view all around you, you should really try paramotoring some time as well. There are downsides to that type of flying, when it comes to range and weather, but being able to see everything around you, which is not blocked by your own body, that is really something. There are tandem options there as well.
i flew this thing once, because i was kinda forced to. at the end of the demonstration flight, on which i could fly it too for some time, the demo pilot asked me if he can show me one stunt. i answered yes: the greatest stunt which i will appreciate the most will be the finals and a full landing!) i feel thousand times better in my glider.
These are vastly underrated unfortunately. The is now a vertical take off gyro for sale, has a clutch to adjust blades for correct angle of attack vie a simple button on the cyclic. These aircraft are perfect for the newer, lighter, 500wh/kg now available. Batteries offer massive /instant torque that a gyro begs for. The gyro future looks bright,eco clean, affordable.
Not really, that gyro requires a 120hp 914 to carry two people at 80mph. My fixed wing Eurostar requires a standard 80hp 912 to carry two people at 90 mph. They need more power, regardless of whether that is from an ICE or electric motor
The normal reaction to an impending stall in a fixed wing plane will kill you completely dead in an autogyro. Fixed wing pilots looking to add a rating must somehow never fall back to certain fixed wing reflex actions.
Totally agree with this. The easy answer is "it's a training issue" but I'm not that sure that entirely covers it (it's probably a bit glib), some of these habits run very deep. I have an old British motorcycle amid my more modern ones. Folks say "no problem you can adapt to having the brake on the other side", in normal operations yes, but in an emergency, my natural reaction is to push down with my right foot, which on the British bike is the gear change (and on the Norton a racing box which means it goes UP a gear) which means there's a greater chance I'll be using the car in front to slow down... Not great.
Low level flying is low level no matter what you do it in, front seat of a drifter will give you the same view (and two up with HALF the power at the same speed), if you want STOL flying (27kts to 115kts) you should have a fly in an Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen, or if your happy with just 95kts, it's early brother the A22 Foxbat (both faster than a gyro, using less power and twice the range). Also, given a bit of wing, the Foxbat will takeoff and land in about the same distance, as well as having a bit more aeroplane around you. Yes, I've flown them, but not a fan.
Another one that equates fun with speed and power, and a snob too. What a wonderful combination. Like the idiotic kids that tell you their particular choice of car is better than everything else, yet they still can't drive for toffee and they won't accept anybody else's views on the subject.
i had a thrilling afternoon ride in on of these machines over the lakes of the lake district in england, i had just of my motorcycle and into on of these and it was like a flying motorcycle great fun when we beat up the air field at low level.
Cool video. But its not painting the full picture. Gyros have loads of disadvantages. And the community has some issues as well. Regarding training, proficiency, safty and maintenance.
Gyros are fun to fly and try to stay within the banks of meandering rivers and canals, but not really an aircraft that is practical for transportation since it goes so slow... It really sucks when you are at cruising speed and you look down and see cars on the highway passing you... My fixed wing aircraft can do 130 kts (about 150 mph), so I don't usually have cars passing me... :)
I rode in a two seat ultralight with an engine that sounded like it was on its last flight. Being a Vet I have had my fill of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, but this thing was moving side to side, up and down. I was getting a good view for sure, but my stomach was wanting out. This thing looks a whole lot more enjoyable than the PO$ I got a ride in. Any landing is a good landing if you can walk away from it.
Good eye right there! The X-Air being that yellow thing? This was a while back soon after I passed my PPL, summer 2022 ish.. Welshpool is fantastic isn’t it..
Who knows, one day maybe! If you hang around an airfield long enough someone would take you up, the pilots love these things and in my experience are more than happy to share the fun!
A friend and I built a Benson Gryocopter and I personally flew it for 66hours. I will say the copter is one adrenaline pumping S O B. I decided to sell it because my friend was taking to many chances with flying it and I didn't want to see him killed. I will say it was sure fun. I had an engine out over an interstate highway. I flew over a bridge on it and landed in a muddy field not turning a wheel on it. My friend and I picked it up and carried it out of the field.
Come on man! I'm 72 and just started to get into it. What a way to spend my QTR=Quality Time Remaining. Sport Pilot Training starting next month in Arkansas.
when on vacation in Florida I bought a ride in an open cockpit WACO biplane, when I got back to work I told a private pilot co worker. He said that the only open cockpit plane he ever flew in was his very first flight which was at a county fair in a Pitcairn Autogyro, I thought, well that trumps about anything short of a P-51.
If it's safer, why do so many people die in them? An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on accidents between 2004 and 2013 found half of all gyrocopter accidents to be fatal, with the aircraft responsible for the worst fatality rate per hours flown.
I like gyros but to be fair, you are more physically exposed in many of them than most fixed wings. What I'd be more interested in is what models popped up the most between 2004 and 2013. Were they more of the old Air Command / Bensen style which were pretty problematic? How many of them were used for cattle ranching (somewhat unique to Australia) which can feature a pretty extreme form of flying that is likely pushing the limits of what they should be doing? As I mentioned in another reply there's a Brit that has pulled together safety numbers. Most countries are not seeing numbers as high as 50%, so I'm wondering if it's design (the older non stabilised designs) and use case. I'm sure that while they can get close to fixed wing safety, unless they're sealed cockpits like most fixed wings, and cruising at the typical altitudes of fixed wings, they're not going to get all the way there because people frequently fly these at low altitude (because they can (less impacted by turbulence and less need for long landing rolls if the engine dies)) and end up hitting towers and power lines, etc. (not an inherent problem with the design)
Must ALWAYS keep positive loading, reduced loading (not even negative) may lead to a blade strike, and THAT’S goodnight… See the Farnborough crash in 1970…
@@stevenpayne9063agreed. Same with helis. A major problem with the 1970 crash was no horizontal stabilizer (amongst other things) and (I haven't seen the video in years) I assume PIO unloading the blades. Most gyros from the 50s through 80s were based on the Bensen designs which had some pretty serious issues. The current designs are pretty different and have a lot more research (pushed by the British CAA and folks like Tervamaki) - basically they are longitudinally stable. Wallis's gyros were ultimately only flown by him as they were a handful. PIOs are a real concern in a gyro with questionable longitudinal stability. In terms of negative gs. A typical light sport has a wing loading of perhaps 10lbs/sq.ft. A modern gyro is probably more like 60lbs/sq.ft so they are much less likely to be thrown about. Edit - Just found the accident report on the 1970 gyro (and it makes reference to the horizontal tail) - asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/19511 Modern gyros (CAA complying) are designed to avoid this i.e. appropriately designed back ends
Because they control like fixed wings but have the flight dynamics of helicopters. That leads to fixed wings pilots treating them like fixed winged aircraft, which although usually fine, can sometimes get you killed, as it would in any rotary wing aircraft. You'll find most accidents are b/c the pilot doesn't manage the rotor properly or pulls sustained low or negative G's, which will kill you in any rotary wing aircraft. People who train only on gyros or transition from helicopters have much lower accident rates. People who transition from fixed wing skew the curve.
@@virginiahansen320 "Sustained low or -ve G will kill you in any rotary wing aircraft". Utterly incorrect. Only in teetering-rotor designs and for entirely different reasons between a gyro and a helo. A gyro loses rotor rpm in that condition which will quicly decay to a point beyond recovery. It may also create a bladestrike (dependent on design) due loss of control of the rotor, a teetering rotor helo (Bell 47, Bell 206, Robinson) will (obviously not lose rpm whth the engine running but will lose control of the rotor in the same way and due to completely different design - ie long tail boom - is almost guatanteed a boom-strike or caatastrophic mast bumping. An articulated head helo (ie most of them) suffers fron none of these.
So do any of you US Airmen happen to know if this bird has a Part 103 model? I know very little but I suspect the 2 seats would make this one require some type of license? But IDKnow so I'm asking anyone who cares to say..... it's a kool concept & I hope to get a closer look. peace & be safe
This does look like huge fun.....but, I visited the AAIB a couple of years ago. I was given a tour around the tragic hanger of wreckage, which is incredibly sobering and very moving. In one bay, there were some bin bags with thousands of small bits of wreckage, the largest of which seemed to be half the size of a small lawn mower, and along one side, lying on the floor along the length of the bay, what was left of a main rotor blade system from an autogyro. After a brief conversation with the inspector showing me round, she explained she flew helicopters as well as fixed wing. Then she said quietly as we stared at the tragic remains, "Why would you fly an auto gyro?" I don't know the specific sequence of events leading up to that fatal accident, (although I do know it was not a CFIT - 'Controlled Flight Into Terrain' event, but some form of mechanical failure) and of course it would be totally wrong to comment or speculate further on it, but I did leave with a feeling that despite their wonderful freedom and unique attributes, I would be very unsure about flying one. Is there a reason that fixed wing or even more expensive, light helicopters still far out number the autogyros on register? It's a genuine question, not a criticism based on fact. I guess, as with a lot of aviation, with many hours of instruction and flying experience, to some degree, you improve your chances and make your own luck, but I have heard several scary stories about autogyros.
I went Bruntingthorpe once to look at one for sale (I was testing there at the time) It was fitted with an old Arrows two stroke engine and looked distinctly home built (it wasn't) What put me off was the owner stated, if you overspeed, you have about four seconds to sort it out before the rotor deflects into the tail. Newer machines are far, far safer.
@iamthefatstig I'm sure they are, but of all the things I've flown in including an airship, a couple of things remain off my to do list; autogyros and an R22 and possibly also an RR44. Not quite enough helicopter for me!
The early ones are claimed to have had a very good safety record (they were typically tractors with big tails with a thrustline inline with the CG and the fuselage drag). Where things appeared to go South for them was with cheap homebuilt ones (think "buy these plans for $10" in the ad section of a popular mechanic magazine) after the war that can trace their roots back to German Gyrogliders used on U-Boats. Folks were strapping bigger and bigger motors onto a relatively complex set of dynamics (a vertically shifting center of drag as you speed up) and edging closer to one of the two areas of concern in a gyro - powered pushovers (and negative gs). The other issue was that many of these designs did not appear to have a horizontal stabilizer (which helps address the first problem too) and it was possible to set up a situation with pilot induced oscillations which makes for a rapidly reduced life expectancy. Ultimately all aircraft will kill you if you push them outside of their envelope. Modern gyrocopters, thanks to the work of folks like Tervamaki, and the folks at Magni (who I believe worked on Helicopter design before starting their own thing) have identified many of the post war design issues in combination with the work the Civil Aviation Authority did with the University of Glasgow. In the US you'll see people trying to centralise thrustlines with centers of drag and / gravity as well as push for better horizontal stabilizers. Just as there are many fixed wing layouts, there are more than a few gyrocopter layouts, but thought around horizontal stabilizer design, thrust line and potentially the cg of the rotor in relation to its aerodynamic center are why the modern Gyros are not even close to the "devices" from the 50s and 60s. I think we need to look at longer-term trends on these craft. Now that they are designed with inherent stability, are designed by folks with serious rotorcraft design experience and with a body of knowledge around the causes of the failures in the 50s and 60s I would be and have been comfortable flying in them (there is one make in particular which emphasizes safety that I prefer). The stories that people refer to frequently turn out to be verrry old, and verrry poor designs (another analogy like comparing a modern dual surface hang-glider which can stall and recover versus an early Rogallo wing which you stall, you die). What killed a lot of people in the past was gyros being designed and built by amateurs (a little like the flying flea in the 20s and 30s - over time they fixed that design but people don't fly them anymore), irresponsible marketing "this is a STOL aircraft", (they're typically not, they need a reasonable length of runway in order to takeoff (and unlike a fixed wing, the takeoff is the difficult bit (not the landing)) but the landing can and will be very safely and easily short) and poor (or in the case of the 50s and 60s, likely non-existent) training. Modern stable designs, and effective gyrocopter specific training make this a very different situation today.
@jtjt210 Thank you for your fantastic detailed reply!! I love it! Yes, over the many years I have been involved in the fringes of aviation, I have read quite a lot about autogyros and truth be told, they do still fascinate me and it's no doubt more about my own prejudice that I still find myself unlikely to strap one in and go flying!! I really do wish I felt better about them. I see them quite a lot locally to where I live in the UK and now I am retired, sort of think I should give it a go. Maybe I will one sunny day! I understand all the tech descriptions you have covered so well and appreciate the effort and passion involved. I don't want to be seen to be adding to the bad press on these interesting and very clever machines, but it still remains that they are far and away out numbered in the world of aviation, by machines that are better, if vastly more expensive to purchase and operate. If there was a serious investment from a very large and well established aviation company, behind pushing these machines into the mainstream, perhaps they would succeed and gain a better press and track record. Of course, all aviation carries with it the risk of catastrophe, serious injury and death, but it is mitigated by the sheer numbers of certain types of aircraft flying and the millions of hours experience of these types. The amazing experimental machines dating back through the years from WWII, right the way through Commander Ken Wallis and his fantastic passion for the autogyro, the Australian and US designs that have sold in limited numbers over the decades , all point to an enduring fascination with a very clever concept. But, for whatever reason, no very well established aircraft manufacturer has taken the idea very far commercially and to me, that speaks volumes about the inherent risks that have not been simple to fix. They are not willing to put their name on a design and sell them in large numbers. The applications as passionately demonstrated by Ken Wallis back through the late 60's and 70's, are clear and seem hugely obvious and attractive. After all, a small, manoeuvrable machine that can operate in a similar way to a helicopter for some tasks and at a fraction of the cost, must seem the holy grail of attraction! Yet still, the perceived problems persist and have effectively grounded autogyros and kept them firmly in the centre of the minority bracket. The very area in aviation, that has the highest number of accidents per flying hour.....a sort of vicious vortex ring if you like!! Anyway, give thanks again and maybe one day, I will push my fear aside and find out what all the fuss is about! 😀👍🏻 Whatever and wherever you fly, stay safe and happy flying!!
@@jtjt210 Possibly the wreckage was from an Inverness based Magni which had afatal crash. It was a mechanical failure summary www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-rotorsport-uk-cavalon-g-ckyt
You don't need to "disengage" the Rotor system in a helicopter, It's automatic. Fixed wings fly one way, Helicopters fly their way And Gyroplanes do it different from the both of them. Flown all 3 and I prefer helicopters, 45+ years at it...
An issue with using statistics to judge the safety of general aviation is that general aviation is *NOT* dominated by random chance. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) said there are three kinds of lie, from least bad to worst they are lies, damn lies, and statistics. It makes more sense, when talking about general aviation you can get a lot more out of how forgiving each sort of aircraft is. An autogyro is less forgiving than Cessna 172, but so long as you know what you are doing, and you don't take stupid chances, it can be just as safe as a 172.
dont know about no other plane can hover like that in a head wind, ive done it a few times with different RC planes, if your head wind is strong enough im thinking a bush plane could do it
Yeah fair point, I was more making a point that it was capable of doing this at such a low altitude with an airspeed as slow as 20mph. Thanks for the comment and happy flying.
Would you dare climb on board of these if given the opportunity?! If any of you lovely people have an aircraft you be happy showing me around I’d love to hear from you 🙏🙏
Yup, I would. If they made one that can handle my massive frame at 2m, and 145Kg.
One of the most amazing air vehicles we have made. Loads after them LSAs. Opening a school in the next year or so across the pond. Oh and you cal totally hover a C172 and reverse it, I have had a C206 down to 4kts ground speed. Backed up a few Cubs as well.
I live a few miles from Sport Copter and have riden in them many times. I've also flown in an old McCulloch J2 with Jim Vanek , the owner of Sprot Copter. 😁
I have yet to see a gyro do what can't also be done in a Cub.
WEIRD punctuation. "Here, Edward tries to put to rest the assumptions that people make on [sic] these funky light aircraft" -- "about"
I still have some the PIECES of one that I owned back around 1995. Weight and balance was off and I did a "lawn dart" after the engine quit -- without the engine thrust, it would not flare. Shredded the aircraft, broke a rib and a bone in the foot... Ended up buying a fixed wing aircraft (Grumman) after that... They are not very forgiving of negative G maneuvers... Most pilots who make that mistake end up doing a nose over and dying...
I normally fly gliders but had the opportunity to take one of these up a few years ago.
Truly brilliant - I’d love one.
Pointed it into wind and sat stationary at 1000 feet.
There’s something surreal about sitting, perched on a plastic chair, with no bodywork around you and people walking their dogs directly below you.
Completely agree!!
Why are they more expensive than a plane since there are less to them
Dorr I mean less parts to them
I took a trial flight in a Cessna, a Glider, and one of these. The Autogyro was by far the most exciting. He even let me land it, and I'd never flown one before.
Yeah they are a different box of frogs aren’t they!!
I was a PPL A pilot with a slightly sniffy attitude to microlights when I started. However, after learning a little more, realising they were better in almost every way, I converted, bought my own (several) & never looked back.
Fantastic! Happy flying Paul
Depends what you need it for. I never had a sniffy attitude towards any aircraft and spent my life flying. I've noticed that attitude among small plane owners. Some are like yacht owners.
@@paulgraham6353 Yup. I don't have anything against any specific aircraft, except where safety is concerned - e.g. I would probably not fly a paramotor because they don't seem that safe. Especially since youtubers that I watch have had partial wing collapses in conditions that really didn't seem that extreme...
I am a fix and rotary private pilot, in 2007 I bought a Magni 16 gyro which I flew 700 hours in 8 years. If you get proper training and fly by the book there should be no problems at all.
700 hours in 8 years that's very good going!! Yeah agree a lot falls down to who is flying..
I built and flew my Air Command gyro back in 1988, (first legal one in NZ) great fun and safer than a helicopter, great machines. Taught to fly it by a grandmother in Tracy, USA,
Amazing and what a mission to build your own! Happy flying
Marion Springer? Excellent instructor by all accounts. Utterly pragmatic and sensible approach she had. I flew in an early dual aircommand as well with my CFI found it a pussycat.
Used to holiday twice a year where a flying school sold flights in autogyros, just for that, until the school closed. Looking down over mountains and coastline from an open cockpit with the side only up to knee level was an amazing experience, and easy to fly - instructor said try a landing on the first ever flight. Safety - the instructor said 80% of incidents are ground handling, not in flight, mostly due the wind catching the rotors high up and the leverage of the mast. The Germans allegedly call it the Flying Motorcycle, a good analogy due to it's size and handling. I really miss flying one.
Amazing, thanks for the comment. They are amazing bits of kit and I honestly did have no idea they were this much fun..
Ground upsets aside historically the serious accident stats for gyros is far worse than helos and vastly worse than f/w.
@@markashford827 This is true but its more due to historically difficulties getting good instruction - still can be an issue. For many years the only engines many of us could get were VW and Subaru, most of these were direct drive and so dual powered machines were all but impossible. The Mac Engines while powerful were not available everywhere and were highly unreliable. Where you could get gyroglider training you could learn most of what you needed with an instructor but you still had to do supervised ground instruction. Unfortunately the advent of the Rotax 532 (65hp) did allow for dual machines but the typical two seater back then probably had an empty weight of 130ish kg. Stick in fuel and two heefty blokes and the machine was a slug with a similarly powered single seat machine weighing 1/3 less in the air meant more than an additional 1/3 performance increase. Now I personally was lucky my instructor didn't throw out the glider and ground training when such two seaters became available he kept the glider then after solo in that we did dual powered training (a few hours) then we transitioned to our single seat machines doing hours of ground runs. Never saw an accident at that club. But saw plenty at others. The advent of the 4 stroke rotax engines meant they could build much heavier two seat machines like this one. The very dangerous aspect of gyros in going negative G, you need to maintain positive g load on the disk or the airflow reverses and the rotors stop in about 1 second. If that happens there is no recovery. Unfortunately people still push these machines fast thinking modern designs have solved all the issues- they haven't. My advice is stick below 100mph get as good training as you can and be disciplined. All the maneuvers you experienced in your flight here are safe. People however don't always stick to these. As a sport I believe we need to get back to basic blade management none of the 200rpm and go - this leads to most accidents (trying to avoid other issues due to traditionally poor understanding of rotor dynamics). We are loosing the lighter end of the sport and very few can afford these machines now. They are perfectly safe if flown within their limits. You can't compare the accident statistics to make assumptions about the aircraft. They are a reflection of not just the machines which are fine but the training quality. Helicopters are more dangerous but pilots are trained to extreme levels compared to gyros or fixed wings. We are still on a journey to really being good at the whole instruction thing. There are excellent instructors and there are others. Our sport still has lots of myth surrounding it and this doesn't help us. The gyros though are amazing and safer if flown within their limits.
Incredible video! I will try one someday! My only disagreement is his statement that you can't fly a fixed-wing aircraft that slow without stalling. During flight training in college we had a Cessna 150 Aerobat that was quite heavy. I was on a cross-country alone flying into a strong headwind and was able to dump flaps & slow down enough to fly backwards. I was over I-20 or I-30 going west into Dallas & it was strange watching vehicles pass me & see I was travelling backwards.
Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed! Yeah fair point, I should have emphasised how low we were because we were at about 1500 ft at about 15kts, I know in the right conditions that many aircraft could technically impersonate a hover like this but they would need faster winds etc..
They had some badass pilots at Oshkosh this year flying gyros. I went there with one opinion of them and left with another really impressed
I’d love to have seen that and yes, they are incredible aren’t they!! Happy flying chap
Flying normal aircrafts didn't attract me so much -> too much cabin around (coming from paragliding, rc-modeling). But several years ago, when I flew in an autogyro, I was thrilled and couldn't resist to make a SPL for it. Since then, I love to fly those incredible autogyros only! The sight, the wind, the flap-flap, when it decends and does tight turns sounds sometimes like a Huey 🙂. I love the capabilities of handling strong winds and gusts, where nobody of our airstrip is willing to take off in their LSA, the gyro is very capable of flying safely and much more comfortable through thermals than a fixed wing. Love this so much!
I have my PPL SEL, IFR student, and gyro student. Now I'm considering a complete switch to gyro. Exciting, fun, capable, safe, but less practical for longer journeys.
Oh amazing, yeah goes to show doesn’t it!! Amazing machines
This video has been sitting at the top of my recommended list for the best part of a week now, and refuses to go away.
Helped build one. They are fabulous. However, unlike a fixed wing aircraft, they cannot take any negative G. Put the nose down and it's all over.
40 years ago, in Newry, where I live, there was a vertical quarry face opposite where I was working, and a storm blowing straight onto it. An army spotter plane sat vertically above it without any forward movement for 10 mins. Pilot was enjoying himself.
True facts about the negative G. And wow I bet that was a strange sight!! 😅
Very well presented video. I have flown "open cockpit " in hang gliders and ultralights. This looks like it was an amazing experience.
Maximum amount of fun !
Thank you! Yeah such a fun experience and way more capability than you’d (or at least I) think
2:21 Where did you find stats showing auto gyros to be safer than fixed wing?
Never flew one of these, but we’ve been up in fixed wing, weight shift, and even powered paragliders. We love all forms of flight.
You'll love this when you do go in one
Went up with Edward in that machine not long after he got his licence at Clench. Very similar characteristics to a weight shift except doing what he demonstrated in your video, that of flying stationary in to wind. Felt weird and I found myself looking up for the imaginary hang bolt that is present on a weight shift.
Great footage by the way.
👍🛩
Oh cool! Yeah such an experience, thank you and I’m glad you enjoyed!
I'll never forget my trial lesson in a gyrocopter out of Rufforth Airfield. Swooping low over Castle Howard's lake and snaking down the River Derwent after flying through the centre of York. Truly amazing (and safe).
Love it
This production quality deserves a lot more subscribers
🙏🙏
INgenious
And thank you for the test flight 😍
Glad you liked it!
My uncle flew gyros his whole life. He would do these flippy-spinny stunts over the house that I can't explain but the nervous family members would rush inside not to watch. National Geographic asked him to do an expedition with gyros in Antarctica in the late 80s, he declined. Know the song "Red Barchetta" by Rush? That's how I always thought of my uncle - he's got treasures out behind the property in the garages no one's ever been. I think it's time to visit my uncle
Love this story!!
Cool video! While flying is amazing which I do on a Diamond DA40 TDI, you have inspired me to try this one too.
I'm glad I could be of assistance! Diamond aircraft ay, that's pretty mega. Maybe we could swap? 😅
that was an awesome video I never knew they could do some of the things i just seen in this video it was incredible
Thank you! Love to hear that feedback and yeah pretty crazy right! I was blown away too haha
Very Cool!
However, I am suprised / concerned whether regulations permit low level flying - such as over farm fields around the 10 minute mark in the video.
Please educate me - is there a minimum altitude when not taking off or landing? Thanks.
The “500ft rule” was fully complied with in this which is what permitted the low level flying in this way, good observation!
I'm a PPL and must pay to have a ride in one of these as it looks like a lot of fun
Just read the fatal accident report for Cavalon G-CKYT - didn't look like the student pilot did anything too terrible to result in the rotor head separating?
Excellent video, really enjoyed that. Never flown in a gyro but the video certainly made me want to. They aren't cheap to go up in compared to fix wing but worth it by the looks of it. 👍
Thanks Ben! Much appreciated!! Yeah defo worth a go if you get the chance, especially if you’re used to fixed wing, you eyes will be opened 😅😅. Happy flying my friend
I have flown an autogyro several times and had a ball. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
They are amazing aren’t they!
There are some pretty wild gyro pilots out there .one of my favorites was an Australian outback guy called 'birdie' .. he used his gyro for cattle mustering. Boy can he handle that thing like he was in a rodeo . His videos are on RUclips . Worth a look . He was also flying a gyro on the first Mad Max movie too I believe.
Amazing!! I’ll be sure to check him out. What a great use case haha!
I don't have any interest in flying but these look like they would be awesome fun. Despite my lack of interest in flying I'm probably going to have to look up the physics behind how they work.
Glad you enjoyed! Yeah they are a pretty interesting bit of kit!!
25 years ago I got my pilots licence. I flew for awhile. But a little cesna is not bird like. I didn't continue. This looks like the flying experience I was hoping for. I have been aware of autogyros for years and years. But this video does a great job of really showing the experience.
Always cool to watch these however I do take issue with the comment that airplanes cant hover ( 8:55), as my ultralight had a stall speed of 16Mph and I hovered many times with a good head wind and even flew backwards several times.
"it's nice to have an unrestriced view isn't it?"
"errm yeah..." (looks down, then nervously checks his nappy)
😅😂
I love my MTO Sport (the same as the one in this video other than mine has a 912 rather than the 914).
I've wanted to fly since I was very young and always imagined myself flying fixed-wing. Since flying the autogyro, I no longer have any desire to fly anything else.
I love the jealous looks we get from the guys at the fixed-wing flight-school next door when they're out tying down their Pipers and Cessnas and we're preparing our machines for flight.
Yes, they will fly in conditions which will ground almost everything else at our airport, but just don't expect to actually go anywhere (at least, not quickly if you are against the wind).
It's also an awesome feeling being cleared for a zone-transit, in something so small, directly overhead the local international airport with loads of heavy-metal milling about below.
One drawback of these aircraft is that they are very hard to spot in the air. The most reassuring thing I hear on the radio is, "visual with the gyro".
One of the things you could try was to paint one blade a different color than the other. This was done in Viet Nam and when seen from above was more effective than a strobe.
@@tfogelson3139 Ooh, that's a good idea.
gyros have a dangerously underrated phenomena: the stall speed relares to g load and rotor rpm, not necessarily related to airspeed...... hence those many accidents (stalling the rotor) followed by a deadly not recoverable tumbling rapid descent. u hv to understand that and at all times keep ur rotorspeed above a min. In a tight turning manoeuvres u can easily loose oversight and..... impact rapidly!
Yes true facts. Thanks for the comment
Here in Germany there was a huge hype about gyros, but the hype is over. There are some disadvantages compared to fixed-wing aircraft. Range, no rescue parachute, very loud, high maintenance costs. The noise in particular has led to gyros no longer being welcomed or even banned at some airports. It's a fun device, but not for the long term.
Please take a look at high-performance Ultralights. VL3, WT9, Blackshape, Risen... You can forget about your dinosaurs.
Wowza, I didn't know this!! Interesting seeing how other places deal with them. Thanks for the comment, I'll check that out and nice channel too! Happy flying
@ thx
So impressive to watch this incredible flying technic. Piloting on such a gyroplane requires serious skills, I think. It all seems so simple and easy. But I think this is a deceptive feeling. My credit for you guys and full respect Very nice video compilation
Couldn't agree more! Thanks for the comment and kind words 😊
@@RoutesAbove Of course, keep going
Its not that hard. The vertical stuff is just stick right back and hold some power for rudder authority. The low stuff you need to watch your speed but they are very maneuverable. Myself I wish they wouldn't show all this low stuff. Look its great fun and this guy would have check out the area for powerlines maybe even gotten permission of the farmer in question. But this is never mentioned. I know one guy flew through powerlines buzzing a farmers house, he survived with serious injuries. Another I know was decapitated flying low over a river that had a power line recently strung across it. If you are going to do this you really need to know the land and KNOW there is nothing to collide with. In my country a number of people have clipped not only powerlines, but one hit his rotors on a combine harvester (killing himself) others have hit trees etc. clipped blades on the ground. So you need to be careful. But the turns aren't that hard these things can fly much more aggressively than this. But risky.
@@cameronlapworth2284I know someone who wrote off his car driving in a straight line at around 40mph, in a 40mph zone, in broad daylight with good weather, dry roads and good visibility. They crashed because they weren't paying attention. Thousands of people travel along that road at 40mph each day, and accidents are relatively rare. The same person has written off two other cars. Give this gyro pilot some credit, he clearly knows what he's doing and has probably been flying there for years. If someone does the same things and kills themselves, it doesn't mean that thing shouldn't be done, it does mean it should only be done when it's safe to do so.
Wildest looking flying machine ever. I used to watch them flying at Frederick Maryland FDK.
Yeah amazing bits of kit aren’t they
Love to see more of the amazing little machines
Totally agree
Usually it's the ground that ruins flying for people. No you don't _have_ to pre-rotate the rotor. It's advantageous to do so as it greatly reduces the take off run. But it is not compulsory.
I did not know this! Thanks for the comment!
Had a couple of goes (at Popham and Cromer). They're great but can't quite get used to the constant vibration. I know it's perfectly safe but still unnerving. Noisy and thirsty. Guy at my airfield has one, he's quite new and not yet offered me a go.
Yeah it's a bit of a different sensation I'll give you that.. All part of the experience maybe?
Gyroplane is the latest and greatest term for these. Yes, in the beginning back when de la Cierva was building them and licensing the design, etc. they were called autogyros, or autogiros, and later gyrocopters (contemporary to the usage of the Bensen Gyrocopter called Little Nellie in the Bond movie), but things change with time. Back in the day the early designs had wings and rotors, but it was soon found the wings were completely unnecessary, so they were removed from the design. In the beginning the engine arrangements were all tractor, but they've been transitioned to pusher designs for a long time now.
The low flying is fun but I've always flown at under 10 ft in both flex and fixed micros.
10ft!!
I became fascinated with the autogyro from Mad Max.
Didn’t know one was featured there too!!
These are safe, as long as the main rotor is attached of course 😁
True facts
nicely edited mate. been watching a few of your shorts over the last few months
Thank you mate, much appreciated. A lot of work goes into these so great to hear. Stay tuned for plenty more 🙏
They look like fun. Fixed wing can hover go backwards etc. Just depends on the wind aloft.
This is true, I guess we were also really low when we did it in the video so should have made more of a point in that.. glad you enjoyed!
@@RoutesAbove Years back when I instructed we did a morning test flight just to make sure conditions were safe for students. I would take a student they flew and we did a circuit. One morning we were at about 300 we had flaps down for landing and as we slowed down, the 150 stopped then we started to go backward. The tower was impressed. A short time later the upper wind went to ground. Memories.
Amazing, that's what it's all about isn't it!!
autogiro is a BLAST. i flew at the autogyro school at rochester, kent.
With Kai? My mate Matt runs the microlight school there
At 3:36 where you show the video of an MD600N autorotating to a hard landing and splitting the skids, that happened at the same airport I was based out of while I did my helicopter flight training. That was at Gillespie Field a little east of San Diego, KSEE, in the US, and it was a US Border Patrol helicopter.
Thanks for sharing that! I'm in Escondido
If you are impressed by the open air flight and free view all around you, you should really try paramotoring some time as well. There are downsides to that type of flying, when it comes to range and weather, but being able to see everything around you, which is not blocked by your own body, that is really something. There are tandem options there as well.
Back in my day 99% of gyros were open frame so much like that too.
Or a flexwing microlight.
i flew this thing once, because i was kinda forced to. at the end of the demonstration flight, on which i could fly it too for some time, the demo pilot asked me if he can show me one stunt. i answered yes: the greatest stunt which i will appreciate the most will be the finals and a full landing!) i feel thousand times better in my glider.
Ah great that you've got the experience to compare the two! I look forward to gliding some day.
These are vastly underrated unfortunately. The is now a vertical take off gyro for sale, has a clutch to adjust blades for correct angle of attack vie a simple button on the cyclic. These aircraft are perfect for the newer, lighter, 500wh/kg now available. Batteries offer massive /instant torque that a gyro begs for. The gyro future looks bright,eco clean, affordable.
Not really, that gyro requires a 120hp 914 to carry two people at 80mph. My fixed wing Eurostar requires a standard 80hp 912 to carry two people at 90 mph. They need more power, regardless of whether that is from an ICE or electric motor
The normal reaction to an impending stall in a fixed wing plane will kill you completely dead in an autogyro. Fixed wing pilots looking to add a rating must somehow never fall back to certain fixed wing reflex actions.
Totally agree with this. The easy answer is "it's a training issue" but I'm not that sure that entirely covers it (it's probably a bit glib), some of these habits run very deep. I have an old British motorcycle amid my more modern ones. Folks say "no problem you can adapt to having the brake on the other side", in normal operations yes, but in an emergency, my natural reaction is to push down with my right foot, which on the British bike is the gear change (and on the Norton a racing box which means it goes UP a gear) which means there's a greater chance I'll be using the car in front to slow down... Not great.
There is no such thing as an impending stall in a gyrocopter, so what is the problem?
MAD MAX!😉🚁
I have been convinced for a very long time that an autogyro is a superior aircraft for many applications. IMHO
I'm getting there I'll tell you that!!
I want one now. 3 person with a modest cargo bay. Enlcosed cabin heated by the motor. I want a luxury auto-gyro.
Ok so what I just wished for is a Xenon C-22/X4 Gyroplane
I’m sure these exist!! Enjoy!!
Low level flying is low level no matter what you do it in, front seat of a drifter will give you the same view (and two up with HALF the power at the same speed), if you want STOL flying (27kts to 115kts) you should have a fly in an Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen, or if your happy with just 95kts, it's early brother the A22 Foxbat (both faster than a gyro, using less power and twice the range). Also, given a bit of wing, the Foxbat will takeoff and land in about the same distance, as well as having a bit more aeroplane around you.
Yes, I've flown them, but not a fan.
Another one that equates fun with speed and power, and a snob too. What a wonderful combination. Like the idiotic kids that tell you their particular choice of car is better than everything else, yet they still can't drive for toffee and they won't accept anybody else's views on the subject.
Very nicely presented video.
Thank you!!🙏
i had a thrilling afternoon ride in on of these machines over the lakes of the lake district in england, i had just of my motorcycle and into on of these and it was like a flying motorcycle great fun when we beat up the air field at low level.
Ah amazing, love it
Presume that was with the guy who runs Troutbeck ?
I rode the skids of a huey many times, I never got tire of it,,,that gyrocopter can take off inside 100'
I think this is what I've been looking for my plans regarding an agricultural cooperative along the Fraser River and Cascades Mountains.
Cool video. But its not painting the full picture.
Gyros have loads of disadvantages.
And the community has some issues as well. Regarding training, proficiency, safty and maintenance.
Appreciate the comment, yeah maybe another video is needed 🧐🧐
Gyros are fun to fly and try to stay within the banks of meandering rivers and canals, but not really an aircraft that is practical for transportation since it goes so slow... It really sucks when you are at cruising speed and you look down and see cars on the highway passing you... My fixed wing aircraft can do 130 kts (about 150 mph), so I don't usually have cars passing me... :)
Coolest thing, ever. But like any aircraft, if you're stupid, it will bite. Get pro instruction & know what you're doing....
Yeah 100% agree
I take it that the Gyrocopter Girl content in my history has brought me here 😃
😅
I rode in a two seat ultralight with an engine that sounded like it was on its last flight. Being a Vet I have had my fill of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, but this thing was moving side to side, up and down. I was getting a good view for sure, but my stomach was wanting out. This thing looks a whole lot more enjoyable than the PO$ I got a ride in. Any landing is a good landing if you can walk away from it.
Yeah I agree that you do feel a lot more vulnerable.. maybe it’s part of the fun
1:57 .. I wasn't expecting to see Pete's X-air in this video lol
When did you visit Welshpool?
Good eye right there! The X-Air being that yellow thing? This was a while back soon after I passed my PPL, summer 2022 ish.. Welshpool is fantastic isn’t it..
I realize that I'd never be able to afford or be able to get in one (poor and weigh 345 lbs), but I love them!
Who knows, one day maybe! If you hang around an airfield long enough someone would take you up, the pilots love these things and in my experience are more than happy to share the fun!
I flew in a MAgni m24 2 weeks ago and same happened to me! I couldn't care about planes anymore!
A friend and I built a Benson Gryocopter and I personally flew it for 66hours. I will say the copter is one adrenaline pumping S O B. I decided to sell it because my friend was taking to many chances with flying it and I didn't want to see him killed. I will say it was sure fun. I had an engine out over an interstate highway. I flew over a bridge on it and landed in a muddy field not turning a wheel on it. My friend and I picked it up and carried it out of the field.
I wish I was 50 years younger, I'd be into this in a heart beat.
Never too late!
Come on man! I'm 72 and just started to get into it. What a way to spend my QTR=Quality Time Remaining. Sport Pilot Training starting next month in Arkansas.
This is what we like to hear!! Happy flying my friend!
Now I know what I want for Christmas !
Hahaha
when on vacation in Florida I bought a ride in an open cockpit WACO biplane, when I got back to work I told a private pilot co worker. He said that the only open cockpit plane he ever flew in was his very first flight which was at a county fair in a Pitcairn Autogyro, I thought, well that trumps about anything short of a P-51.
what's the fuel consumption? and cost of ownership?
Good point, did need to include. It does about 12L/hour of MoGas so pretty frugal. This model cost about £80k.
But would you trust David Cameron at the controls of anything? Even if he is calling himself Edward now?
Try paramotors next. Parajet is in the UK.
🙏🙏
What was the "once in a lifetime encounter" at 2:46?
ruclips.net/video/IWwxERAabqA/видео.htmlsi=rRqG--8IAafyNo_0 Enjoy!! 😊
7:25 you do not look happy about this lol
That's my resting pilots face 😐
yeah. but they have a design flaw, they can (rarely) go into an un-recoverable flat spin.
Not seen this before but thanks for the comment!
If it's safer, why do so many people die in them?
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on accidents between 2004 and 2013 found half of all gyrocopter accidents to be fatal, with the aircraft responsible for the worst fatality rate per hours flown.
I like gyros but to be fair, you are more physically exposed in many of them than most fixed wings. What I'd be more interested in is what models popped up the most between 2004 and 2013. Were they more of the old Air Command / Bensen style which were pretty problematic? How many of them were used for cattle ranching (somewhat unique to Australia) which can feature a pretty extreme form of flying that is likely pushing the limits of what they should be doing?
As I mentioned in another reply there's a Brit that has pulled together safety numbers. Most countries are not seeing numbers as high as 50%, so I'm wondering if it's design (the older non stabilised designs) and use case.
I'm sure that while they can get close to fixed wing safety, unless they're sealed cockpits like most fixed wings, and cruising at the typical altitudes of fixed wings, they're not going to get all the way there because people frequently fly these at low altitude (because they can (less impacted by turbulence and less need for long landing rolls if the engine dies)) and end up hitting towers and power lines, etc. (not an inherent problem with the design)
Must ALWAYS keep positive loading, reduced loading (not even negative) may lead to a blade strike, and THAT’S goodnight…
See the Farnborough crash in 1970…
@@stevenpayne9063agreed. Same with helis. A major problem with the 1970 crash was no horizontal stabilizer (amongst other things) and (I haven't seen the video in years) I assume PIO unloading the blades. Most gyros from the 50s through 80s were based on the Bensen designs which had some pretty serious issues. The current designs are pretty different and have a lot more research (pushed by the British CAA and folks like Tervamaki) - basically they are longitudinally stable. Wallis's gyros were ultimately only flown by him as they were a handful. PIOs are a real concern in a gyro with questionable longitudinal stability.
In terms of negative gs. A typical light sport has a wing loading of perhaps 10lbs/sq.ft. A modern gyro is probably more like 60lbs/sq.ft so they are much less likely to be thrown about.
Edit - Just found the accident report on the 1970 gyro (and it makes reference to the horizontal tail) - asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/19511
Modern gyros (CAA complying) are designed to avoid this i.e. appropriately designed back ends
Because they control like fixed wings but have the flight dynamics of helicopters. That leads to fixed wings pilots treating them like fixed winged aircraft, which although usually fine, can sometimes get you killed, as it would in any rotary wing aircraft. You'll find most accidents are b/c the pilot doesn't manage the rotor properly or pulls sustained low or negative G's, which will kill you in any rotary wing aircraft. People who train only on gyros or transition from helicopters have much lower accident rates. People who transition from fixed wing skew the curve.
@@virginiahansen320 "Sustained low or -ve G will kill you in any rotary wing aircraft". Utterly incorrect. Only in teetering-rotor designs and for entirely different reasons between a gyro and a helo. A gyro loses rotor rpm in that condition which will quicly decay to a point beyond recovery. It may also create a bladestrike (dependent on design) due loss of control of the rotor, a teetering rotor helo (Bell 47, Bell 206, Robinson) will (obviously not lose rpm whth the engine running but will lose control of the rotor in the same way and due to completely different design - ie long tail boom - is almost guatanteed a boom-strike or caatastrophic mast bumping. An articulated head helo (ie most of them) suffers fron none of these.
So do any of you US Airmen happen to know if this bird has a Part 103 model? I know very little but I suspect the 2 seats would
make this one require some type of license? But IDKnow so I'm asking anyone who cares to say..... it's a kool concept & I hope
to get a closer look. peace & be safe
Just do not pull any negative "G" in an autogiro, that should be obvious. Other than that they are great way to go..
Yes exactly, negative G = negative experience
@@RoutesAbove short negative experience
This does look like huge fun.....but, I visited the AAIB a couple of years ago. I was given a tour around the tragic hanger of wreckage, which is incredibly sobering and very moving. In one bay, there were some bin bags with thousands of small bits of wreckage, the largest of which seemed to be half the size of a small lawn mower, and along one side, lying on the floor along the length of the bay, what was left of a main rotor blade system from an autogyro. After a brief conversation with the inspector showing me round, she explained she flew helicopters as well as fixed wing. Then she said quietly as we stared at the tragic remains, "Why would you fly an auto gyro?" I don't know the specific sequence of events leading up to that fatal accident, (although I do know it was not a CFIT - 'Controlled Flight Into Terrain' event, but some form of mechanical failure) and of course it would be totally wrong to comment or speculate further on it, but I did leave with a feeling that despite their wonderful freedom and unique attributes, I would be very unsure about flying one. Is there a reason that fixed wing or even more expensive, light helicopters still far out number the autogyros on register? It's a genuine question, not a criticism based on fact.
I guess, as with a lot of aviation, with many hours of instruction and flying experience, to some degree, you improve your chances and make your own luck, but I have heard several scary stories about autogyros.
I went Bruntingthorpe once to look at one for sale (I was testing there at the time) It was fitted with an old Arrows two stroke engine and looked distinctly home built (it wasn't) What put me off was the owner stated, if you overspeed, you have about four seconds to sort it out before the rotor deflects into the tail. Newer machines are far, far safer.
@iamthefatstig
I'm sure they are, but of all the things I've flown in including an airship, a couple of things remain off my to do list; autogyros and an R22 and possibly also an RR44. Not quite enough helicopter for me!
The early ones are claimed to have had a very good safety record (they were typically tractors with big tails with a thrustline inline with the CG and the fuselage drag). Where things appeared to go South for them was with cheap homebuilt ones (think "buy these plans for $10" in the ad section of a popular mechanic magazine) after the war that can trace their roots back to German Gyrogliders used on U-Boats. Folks were strapping bigger and bigger motors onto a relatively complex set of dynamics (a vertically shifting center of drag as you speed up) and edging closer to one of the two areas of concern in a gyro - powered pushovers (and negative gs). The other issue was that many of these designs did not appear to have a horizontal stabilizer (which helps address the first problem too) and it was possible to set up a situation with pilot induced oscillations which makes for a rapidly reduced life expectancy.
Ultimately all aircraft will kill you if you push them outside of their envelope. Modern gyrocopters, thanks to the work of folks like Tervamaki, and the folks at Magni (who I believe worked on Helicopter design before starting their own thing) have identified many of the post war design issues in combination with the work the Civil Aviation Authority did with the University of Glasgow. In the US you'll see people trying to centralise thrustlines with centers of drag and / gravity as well as push for better horizontal stabilizers. Just as there are many fixed wing layouts, there are more than a few gyrocopter layouts, but thought around horizontal stabilizer design, thrust line and potentially the cg of the rotor in relation to its aerodynamic center are why the modern Gyros are not even close to the "devices" from the 50s and 60s.
I think we need to look at longer-term trends on these craft. Now that they are designed with inherent stability, are designed by folks with serious rotorcraft design experience and with a body of knowledge around the causes of the failures in the 50s and 60s I would be and have been comfortable flying in them (there is one make in particular which emphasizes safety that I prefer). The stories that people refer to frequently turn out to be verrry old, and verrry poor designs (another analogy like comparing a modern dual surface hang-glider which can stall and recover versus an early Rogallo wing which you stall, you die).
What killed a lot of people in the past was gyros being designed and built by amateurs (a little like the flying flea in the 20s and 30s - over time they fixed that design but people don't fly them anymore), irresponsible marketing "this is a STOL aircraft", (they're typically not, they need a reasonable length of runway in order to takeoff (and unlike a fixed wing, the takeoff is the difficult bit (not the landing)) but the landing can and will be very safely and easily short) and poor (or in the case of the 50s and 60s, likely non-existent) training.
Modern stable designs, and effective gyrocopter specific training make this a very different situation today.
@jtjt210
Thank you for your fantastic detailed reply!! I love it! Yes, over the many years I have been involved in the fringes of aviation, I have read quite a lot about autogyros and truth be told, they do still fascinate me and it's no doubt more about my own prejudice that I still find myself unlikely to strap one in and go flying!! I really do wish I felt better about them. I see them quite a lot locally to where I live in the UK and now I am retired, sort of think I should give it a go. Maybe I will one sunny day!
I understand all the tech descriptions you have covered so well and appreciate the effort and passion involved. I don't want to be seen to be adding to the bad press on these interesting and very clever machines, but it still remains that they are far and away out numbered in the world of aviation, by machines that are better, if vastly more expensive to purchase and operate. If there was a serious investment from a very large and well established aviation company, behind pushing these machines into the mainstream, perhaps they would succeed and gain a better press and track record. Of course, all aviation carries with it the risk of catastrophe, serious injury and death, but it is mitigated by the sheer numbers of certain types of aircraft flying and the millions of hours experience of these types.
The amazing experimental machines dating back through the years from WWII, right the way through Commander Ken Wallis and his fantastic passion for the autogyro, the Australian and US designs that have sold in limited numbers over the decades , all point to an enduring fascination with a very clever concept. But, for whatever reason, no very well established aircraft manufacturer has taken the idea very far commercially and to me, that speaks volumes about the inherent risks that have not been simple to fix. They are not willing to put their name on a design and sell them in large numbers. The applications as passionately demonstrated by Ken Wallis back through the late 60's and 70's, are clear and seem hugely obvious and attractive. After all, a small, manoeuvrable machine that can operate in a similar way to a helicopter for some tasks and at a fraction of the cost, must seem the holy grail of attraction! Yet still, the perceived problems persist and have effectively grounded autogyros and kept them firmly in the centre of the minority bracket. The very area in aviation, that has the highest number of accidents per flying hour.....a sort of vicious vortex ring if you like!!
Anyway, give thanks again and maybe one day, I will push my fear aside and find out what all the fuss is about! 😀👍🏻
Whatever and wherever you fly, stay safe and happy flying!!
@@jtjt210 Possibly the wreckage was from an Inverness based Magni which had afatal crash. It was a mechanical failure summary www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-rotorsport-uk-cavalon-g-ckyt
Like going from a car to a motorbike. 😎
Exactly!
You can build one in your garage 👍
One day ⭐️
You don't need to "disengage" the Rotor system in a helicopter, It's automatic. Fixed wings fly one way, Helicopters fly their way
And Gyroplanes do it different from the both of them. Flown all 3 and I prefer helicopters, 45+ years at it...
Thanks for the comment, happy flying!
I wouldn't want to spend 4 hours in this thing going cross country.
And I wouldn’t wanna ride a skateboard for four hours cross country. What is your point?
@lebojay Did you watch the video?
Never has someone sounded more landed gentry
🤣🤣
Broooo it looks like flying an FPV drone when you're low :D
Now I want to fly one
My mission has been accomplished
So the top rotor is unpowered??
Yep! Still boggles my mind if I’m honest
you should try a paramotor 🙂
Yes I should. You got one I can try? 😎
Shame about the musak - it's far preferable to listen to the engine and ambient noise. Isn't that what flying is about?
When i was a kid i wanted to build a helio centric auto gyric sparrow copter. a completely made up name for a fictional craft.
What a great name
An issue with using statistics to judge the safety of general aviation is that general aviation is *NOT* dominated by random chance.
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) said there are three kinds of lie, from least bad to worst they are lies, damn lies, and statistics.
It makes more sense, when talking about general aviation you can get a lot more out of how forgiving each sort of aircraft is. An autogyro is less forgiving than Cessna 172, but so long as you know what you are doing, and you don't take stupid chances, it can be just as safe as a 172.
Very true
dont know about no other plane can hover like that in a head wind, ive done it a few times with different RC planes, if your head wind is strong enough im thinking a bush plane could do it
Yeah fair point, I was more making a point that it was capable of doing this at such a low altitude with an airspeed as slow as 20mph. Thanks for the comment and happy flying.
Cool!
Cool Thanks
You are welcome
I wonder if there are models available that are light enough to qualify as ultra light aircraft that do not require a license...
It's like flying fpv!
😎😎
Makes more sense than a quadcopter