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Spockie-Tech
Site Admin
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Gyrocopters are very easy to fly.. *but*
Dont ever make the mistake of thinking that are easy to *learn* to fly..
Despite their apparent simplicity, they have handling characteristics unlike either a normal plane, OR a helicopter.. they fly on totally different aerodynamic principles to either one, and quite a few highly experienced fixed and rotary wing pilots have made the fatal mistake of assuming that they can be flown without training..
A bicycle is equally as simple a machine, and as-easy-as to ride.. *once you know how*. Remember how often you fell-off learning though ? The problem with aircraft is, you cant afford to "fall off" even once and live to talk about it.
For the first 10 hours or so of training, I was convinced the things were uncontrollable.. I had flown a Cessna 152 with no trouble, had plenty of hours on Flight Sims and knew all the aerodynamic theory I thought I needed to, yet whenever the instructor handed the machine over to me, I wobbled all over the sky like a drunk dolphin.
Finally, after about 15 hours of training, I started to get the "feel" of it, and by 20, I had it Nobody "gets it" in less than 10 hours that I know of, so dont ever just get in one and gun the engine.. IF you manage to get off the ground, it wont be for long, I can guarrantee it..
Then you get to find out about two of a pilots sayings...
1. Take-off is optional, Landing is Mandatory.
2. In every fight between an Aircraft and the ground.. the Ground always wins.. _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
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Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:30 am |
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Spockie-Tech
Site Admin
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Mad Max 2
I wanted one ever since I saw Bruce Spence hooning about the sky dropping snakes on people..
It took me ages to find them (there are only a few hundred in the whole of Australia), and I started in the early days of the public internet (before the WWW took off, it was all email and newsgroups, so finding stuff wasnt as easy as it is now), then about another 12-18 months to build one and do my training..
Then I flew it for 5 years or so, and eventually sold it because you arent allowed to fly them anywhere near suburbia, so I had to go for a drive for 1.5hrs to get to where I kept it hangared every time I wanted to fly, so eventually I flew it less and less and sold it when I hadnt flown it for nearly 12 months. I'd like to build another one if ever move out into the countryside where you can keep it and fly it from your back yard.
They're wicked fun.. If you'd like to read more about what I had to say about them in 1994, heres a link to a post I made to the rec.aviation.homebuilt newsgroup back then.. http://www3.sympatico.ca/j.ednie/gyrohtml/augyrointro/auindex.html _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
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Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:11 pm |
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