If you all like our content and what we do, please subscribe to our channel! It helps us know we're going in the right direction with our content. Also, if there's a topic about gyroplanes that you'd like us to cover, let us know down in the comments. Thanks again for all your support!
Thanks for doing this video Henry. In following the gyroplane information world for 30+ years by books and internet, you are the first person I've heard mention of a torque arm effect from the rotor on the airframe. It's been mentioned many times of the rotational forces from the engine/propeller affecting directional yaw whilst under power. I was always under the impression that doing a 180 turn opposite to your seat in a side by side, was only to give you a better visual reference to sighting the touchdown point. True, yet there's more. Another piece in the puzzle to remember when doing initial flight training.
Thanks Henry, another good video. Yes Gyro's hate down-wind landings, my POH for my Sport 2017 advises 5kts max for takeoff and landing with a tailwind component. I've found some airfields can be a bit awkward when asked to change landing runway even for a small tailwind component but the experience of landing with even a slight tailwind is horrible when the lift just 'quits' on you and you cannot feel it. When I've subsequently explained to the ATCO/Radio operator/Owner of the field they then get it as we're flying the rotor disk and not flying the wing so making it harder to feel when lift is going to rescind and need the wind through the rotor system to keep the autorotative forces going.
The gyro has no idea if you are upwind or downwind. The difference is the ground speed is different. Same with downwind turns. The trouble is you are subject to a powerful illusion and if you are referencing speed at all from the ground say trying to turn around a specific point you will loose height. Next time you fly (if you can fly in an area with calm winds - not much mechanical turbulence near the sea with a steady sea breeze is a good way of checking this) try this. Fly a balanced turn with rudder using the yaw string. Ignore the ground just establish a gentle to moderate bank angle and whatever rudder you need and power you need to maintain height. You will find you can do it all day without loosing height but your ground track will not be a circle. Now find a fixed point in the same wind (do it with heaps of height) and try to fly around that point. You will find your yaw string will not be balanced and you will need to not only fly crossed controls but you will be adding and reducing power to maintain height and position. Because the only way you can fly relative to the ground in a circle in a wind is to change every bloody thing. Don't fly relative to the ground fly relative to the wind. The air is like driving a boat in the water. If you drop a float out of a boat in a flowing river that is bobbing alongside the boat you can turn in a certain amount of rudder and keep power the same and you'll happily turn around that float as it is also flowing with the river. If however you you have buoy attached to the bottom of the river bed and you try to turn around that in a consistent circle you will be adding power going up stream taking it off going downstream etc. Same in a gyro. Your gyro will land just fine going down wind or take off going downwind (it flies with airspeed the reason ground speed is different to airspeed is the wind is changing the ground speed but its molecules over the rotor that matters not the speed of the ground) but the fact that you are now sucking up much more runway is the issue. If it is dropping you its because you have flared before its ready. It means you are flying visually not based on airspeed. Think about it you have a strong mental picture of what sort of speed you are used to landing at. In a downwind landing you are screaming along the runway and every instinct is going to tell you to go slower. So the lesson is if you are forced to land downwind then you need to consider that airspeed is important and the visual clues are going to be not what you expect (you will be going much faster over the ground) but the gyro doesn't know or care. Consider this what's the ground speed of your rotors compared to the ground? Your rotors are doing hundreds of miles per hour IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS!!! If ground speed had any influence over lift no teetering (which effects only angle of attack) would allow a gyro to fly. Things that make downwind take off and landing dangerous. 1. bumpy grass strips will be more dangerous as you are landing at higher speeds and thus will be hitting those bumps much faster. 2. you will use much more runway both on take off and landing. 3. Your visual cues will be significantly different and thus your instincts may be completely off.
So awesome! Many many thanks for making this, you completely answered all questions about downwind and uphill landings! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
One thing to consider is other people using the runway. I think you are right to point out that the impossible turn is not impossible in a gyro and in fact my instructor used to have us all do a tear drop before our first circuits. Take off fly out and do a wide arch then turn back and land the way we took off although this was always in still air. However strikes me you'd need to be careful doing so as you'd need to be sure someone else wasn't taking off behind you only to find there is a gyro making a steep head on approach as they are taking off. Same for doing vertical descents to loose height. If you are not really sure there is no one behind you given the steepness of our glide compared to a fixed wing it's easy to see if there is a conflict. I note you have a controlled airstrip so you may have notified controller or be monitoring if anyone is taking off on your runway.
From the U.K.....How many hours Minimum to learn to Fly the gyro? I had a P.P.L some years ago, then, thought I would have a go at getting a Licence in the Gyro. Your Flights are so much more interesting and informal, and I learn more . I wanted to complete at least in 1 to 1 and a Half years, I was told that would be hard work, Now I an told the longer I take the more hours, naturally, I just want to complete and get licensed. I have done 49 hours, and getting bored. Can you help please?
Here in the United States, the minimum requirement for a "sport aircraft-gyroplane" rating is 20 hours, which includes 5 hours solo flight. That rating in the USA is good for daytime VFR conditions.
How do you know which way the wind is coming from if you're moving forward and the string should technically be straight back? Am I missing something or do you rely solely on the Garmin to tell you?
At any airport, you generally take off into the wind. If doing an orbit without looking at instruments, you would notice the aircraft slide with the wind or increase or lose altitude based on wind direction.
Yes. You can spend more time balancing the rotor to completely eliminate the stick shake but what you see in the video is about average. It's direct linkage to the rotor hub and doesn't affect the airframe. It's hardly noticeable when flying.
I'll buy you a beer if you'll demonstrate an impossible turn from 150' with a camera following your instruments. I don't think i could and i teach in a Cavalon too
If you all like our content and what we do, please subscribe to our channel! It helps us know we're going in the right direction with our content. Also, if there's a topic about gyroplanes that you'd like us to cover, let us know down in the comments. Thanks again for all your support!
Thanks for doing this video Henry.
In following the gyroplane information world for 30+ years by books and internet, you are the first person I've heard mention of a torque arm effect from the rotor on the airframe. It's been mentioned many times of the rotational forces from the engine/propeller affecting directional yaw whilst under power.
I was always under the impression that doing a 180 turn opposite to your seat in a side by side, was only to give you a better visual reference to sighting the touchdown point. True, yet there's more.
Another piece in the puzzle to remember when doing initial flight training.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Henry, another good video. Yes Gyro's hate down-wind landings, my POH for my Sport 2017 advises 5kts max for takeoff and landing with a tailwind component. I've found some airfields can be a bit awkward when asked to change landing runway even for a small tailwind component but the experience of landing with even a slight tailwind is horrible when the lift just 'quits' on you and you cannot feel it. When I've subsequently explained to the ATCO/Radio operator/Owner of the field they then get it as we're flying the rotor disk and not flying the wing so making it harder to feel when lift is going to rescind and need the wind through the rotor system to keep the autorotative forces going.
The gyro has no idea if you are upwind or downwind. The difference is the ground speed is different. Same with downwind turns. The trouble is you are subject to a powerful illusion and if you are referencing speed at all from the ground say trying to turn around a specific point you will loose height.
Next time you fly (if you can fly in an area with calm winds - not much mechanical turbulence near the sea with a steady sea breeze is a good way of checking this) try this. Fly a balanced turn with rudder using the yaw string. Ignore the ground just establish a gentle to moderate bank angle and whatever rudder you need and power you need to maintain height. You will find you can do it all day without loosing height but your ground track will not be a circle. Now find a fixed point in the same wind (do it with heaps of height) and try to fly around that point. You will find your yaw string will not be balanced and you will need to not only fly crossed controls but you will be adding and reducing power to maintain height and position. Because the only way you can fly relative to the ground in a circle in a wind is to change every bloody thing. Don't fly relative to the ground fly relative to the wind.
The air is like driving a boat in the water. If you drop a float out of a boat in a flowing river that is bobbing alongside the boat you can turn in a certain amount of rudder and keep power the same and you'll happily turn around that float as it is also flowing with the river. If however you you have buoy attached to the bottom of the river bed and you try to turn around that in a consistent circle you will be adding power going up stream taking it off going downstream etc. Same in a gyro.
Your gyro will land just fine going down wind or take off going downwind (it flies with airspeed the reason ground speed is different to airspeed is the wind is changing the ground speed but its molecules over the rotor that matters not the speed of the ground) but the fact that you are now sucking up much more runway is the issue. If it is dropping you its because you have flared before its ready. It means you are flying visually not based on airspeed. Think about it you have a strong mental picture of what sort of speed you are used to landing at. In a downwind landing you are screaming along the runway and every instinct is going to tell you to go slower. So the lesson is if you are forced to land downwind then you need to consider that airspeed is important and the visual clues are going to be not what you expect (you will be going much faster over the ground) but the gyro doesn't know or care.
Consider this what's the ground speed of your rotors compared to the ground? Your rotors are doing hundreds of miles per hour IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS!!! If ground speed had any influence over lift no teetering (which effects only angle of attack) would allow a gyro to fly.
Things that make downwind take off and landing dangerous.
1. bumpy grass strips will be more dangerous as you are landing at higher speeds and thus will be hitting those bumps much faster.
2. you will use much more runway both on take off and landing.
3. Your visual cues will be significantly different and thus your instincts may be completely off.
Thanks for your support!
So awesome! Many many thanks for making this, you completely answered all questions about downwind and uphill landings! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Glad it was helpful!
One thing to consider is other people using the runway. I think you are right to point out that the impossible turn is not impossible in a gyro and in fact my instructor used to have us all do a tear drop before our first circuits. Take off fly out and do a wide arch then turn back and land the way we took off although this was always in still air. However strikes me you'd need to be careful doing so as you'd need to be sure someone else wasn't taking off behind you only to find there is a gyro making a steep head on approach as they are taking off. Same for doing vertical descents to loose height. If you are not really sure there is no one behind you given the steepness of our glide compared to a fixed wing it's easy to see if there is a conflict. I note you have a controlled airstrip so you may have notified controller or be monitoring if anyone is taking off on your runway.
Thanks for watching
From the U.K.....How many hours Minimum to learn to Fly the gyro? I had a P.P.L some years ago, then, thought I would have a go at getting a Licence in the Gyro. Your Flights are so much more interesting and informal, and I learn more . I wanted to complete at least in 1 to 1 and a Half years, I was told that would be hard work, Now I an told the longer I take the more hours, naturally, I just want to complete and get licensed. I have done 49 hours, and getting bored. Can you help please?
Here in the United States, the minimum requirement for a "sport aircraft-gyroplane" rating is 20 hours, which includes 5 hours solo flight. That rating in the USA is good for daytime VFR conditions.
49 hours in a Gyro and still can't solo? Really?
Hope to get a demo flight next week while at OSH!
We'll have a Cavalon and MTO out there.
Thank you for the information
You are very welcome
How do you know which way the wind is coming from if you're moving forward and the string should technically be straight back? Am I missing something or do you rely solely on the Garmin to tell you?
At any airport, you generally take off into the wind. If doing an orbit without looking at instruments, you would notice the aircraft slide with the wind or increase or lose altitude based on wind direction.
@@AdventureAir I plan on being at EAA AirVenture this year. Will you be offering demo flights on the Cavalon or Evo Eclipse?
Is that amount of stick shake normal? It it just in the controls, or transmitted through the airframe? Not a gyro pilot…yet…
Yes. You can spend more time balancing the rotor to completely eliminate the stick shake but what you see in the video is about average. It's direct linkage to the rotor hub and doesn't affect the airframe. It's hardly noticeable when flying.
@@AdventureAir Thanks!
Why does the stick shake so much? Isn’t that super fatiguing on your hand and wrist?
The prop needs to be balanced. It's not that bad.
I'll buy you a beer if you'll demonstrate an impossible turn from 150' with a camera following your instruments. I don't think i could and i teach in a Cavalon too
Only a beer?
@@AdventureAir I was born in Yorkshire, we're not renowned for our generosity ;)
stohl plane takes off 100", lands 30 feet.
👍
Can you unload the rotor and show how to recover?
No