We weren’t overwhelmed in the mighty rush, were we?
Thank you RN and TC. The ideal configuration that RN espouses is presently unconventional in the Land of Uk. I haven’t seen one in England though I’ll bet they’re lurking somewhere. It may well be the way to go but those that fly here today have a low C of G, high thrust line, with all the accompanying deficiencies, as described.
Using the links from
http://www.rotorcraft.com/ :-
A study of
http://www.aircommand.com/ will indicate the new configuration. Then refer to
http://www.aircommand.com/elite2706.html and notice the degree of modification between the conventional and the new Elite upgrade. I always wondered why nature configured storks and cranes that way. It seems that auto gyros are still very much in an experimental stage and the benign configuration may yet be evolving.
Dealing with the type you are most likely to buy secondhand, I cannot recommend too highly Peter Lovegrove’s articles in Pilot magazine of August and September 1971. Yes, in 1971 after a spate of fatal accidents. They describe the surprising handling problems of the type of machinery that you still see around today with graphic illustrations of the problems and their consequences. It is sobering reading and this is where we came in. A new spate of accidents is occurring as though it has never happened before. Probably, the articles are still obtainable from Pilot mag. If they can’t oblige then I can, with their permission of course. Just put your life savings in a suitably large ‘Jiffy’ bag and email me for my address!
