RW-1
8th Apr 2001, 21:36
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%201.jpg
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%202.jpg
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%203.jpg
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%204.jpg
Jag Heli Coming to SNF
Designer/ Builder Joe Rinke is responsible for this really cool new helicopter, which grew out of his frustration with an infamous legend, the Revolution Mini-500.
His website says Joe "...first purchased his own home-build Mini-500 helicopter in '95 and was eager to fly what he thought was a safe and reliable one-man unit; however, after his third autorotation, due to engine failure, and hearing about all of the accidents that other Mini-500 owners were experiencing, he felt it was important to make changes. Since the factory was unable to help and since he and his team of engineers had all the expertise necessary to improve the bird, they set out to do just that. They redesigned and rebuild every component on that aircraft... He redesigned and rebuilt everything from the tail rotor gearbox, to control linkages, to the main transmission, he even rebuilt the frame. Oh, and did I mention the gearbox which he created to change the rotational speeds and torque of the 115 shaft horsepower turbine power plant used to power the aircraft? The only thing that remained the same was the fuselage. He even developed a new five-bladed rotor system which reduced all around vibration. This and more made his Mini-500 one of the fastest and safest kit helicopters around."
The problem was, then he had what looked like a Mini-500 -- only his was safe, and flew well. That created more problems than it solved, as it turned out. Joe decided to apply what he had learned from the building and rebuilding of the Revolution deathtrap, and apply it to a whole new design -- a two-place helicopter into which two big people could climb.
One of his first customers (he says he has sixty or so, ready to go with their 10% deposits) is 6'6" and weighs 285 lbs. He told us he fits in, just fine. Another design feature that Rinke didn't like on the Mini-500 was its lack of power, so Rinke has located a military turbine rebuilder, and his new Jag helicopter features a C-18 turbine, with about five times as much power (317hp) as the Rotax 582.
That engine allows some serious rotor blades to be swung. In the case of the Jag, the standard rotor will carry three fully-articulated blades, and there are options for four, or five composite blades offered. Special-build rotors carrying six or eight blades will be available on special order. [We're told that the eight-blade rotor has more area than a C-172's wing --ed.] Joe estimates the Jag, with the 8-blade rotor, will lift 3600 lbs. That's a lot for a two-place ship!
Model numbers are descriptive, with the Model 233 being the baseline machine. That nomenclature defines a two-place helicopter, with a three-blade main, and a driveshaft-driven, 3-blade tail rotor. The 253 is another standard configuration. The full-house 285 is the one that's going to Sun 'n Fun, with an eight-blade main, and five in the back.
The Jag is planned to cost $125,000 for the Model 233 kit, including a skid landing gear and dual controls, with everything but avionics and paint (although the blades are painted), including a rebuilt Allison 250 C-18-B. All Joe's engines have fewer than 100 hours SMOH; some have as few as 23. After his first run of 100 C-18 engines are gone, he has plans to use the C-20; a special, low-consumption turbine design is also being developed. When it's proven, it will be included. In the meantime, the Allisons will do just fine.
Just before he left the factory on the way to Sun 'n Fun, Joe Rinke gave us an exclusive ANN interview. "We're bench-testing now, including the rotors," he said, when we asked how it flies. "Safety first, money second," was something he wanted us to know about his design and marketing philosophy. As an example of his safety-driven mindset, he has designed that a parachute recovery system eject through a stationary tube inside the main rotor shaft.
The pressurized-tube 4130 frame is one example of a commitment to structural integrity, rarely seen in this price range. Joe's 50,000 foot factory makes every part of the Jag, "Except the engines, the instruments, and the tires," he told us.
The one finished prototype is enroute to Sun 'n Fun as we write this (Thursday afternoon). Seven more prototypes are being built, in various rotor configurations (check the website for a full explanation of how the hub/cone/blade designs mesh), for flight testing. First flight should take place by Oshkosh, and first deliveries of kits are scheduled for about one year later. Rinke says he's sold out through mid-2002, and already has taken concrete steps to more than doubling his factory space. Kit assembly time is estimated at an amazing 200 hours, plus wiring, panel, and paint. Joe says he knows it's early, but, in running the numbers he expects performance "like the MD-500, with a cruise at 150 mph or so," while carrying all the anvils and bowling balls you can fit into the cabin.
FMI: www.rinkeaerospace.com (http://www.rinkeaerospace.com)
A souped up 500 anyone ?
------------------
Marc
[This message has been edited by RW-1 (edited 08 April 2001).]
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%202.jpg
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%203.jpg
http://rinke-aerospace.com/Info%20P%204.jpg
Jag Heli Coming to SNF
Designer/ Builder Joe Rinke is responsible for this really cool new helicopter, which grew out of his frustration with an infamous legend, the Revolution Mini-500.
His website says Joe "...first purchased his own home-build Mini-500 helicopter in '95 and was eager to fly what he thought was a safe and reliable one-man unit; however, after his third autorotation, due to engine failure, and hearing about all of the accidents that other Mini-500 owners were experiencing, he felt it was important to make changes. Since the factory was unable to help and since he and his team of engineers had all the expertise necessary to improve the bird, they set out to do just that. They redesigned and rebuild every component on that aircraft... He redesigned and rebuilt everything from the tail rotor gearbox, to control linkages, to the main transmission, he even rebuilt the frame. Oh, and did I mention the gearbox which he created to change the rotational speeds and torque of the 115 shaft horsepower turbine power plant used to power the aircraft? The only thing that remained the same was the fuselage. He even developed a new five-bladed rotor system which reduced all around vibration. This and more made his Mini-500 one of the fastest and safest kit helicopters around."
The problem was, then he had what looked like a Mini-500 -- only his was safe, and flew well. That created more problems than it solved, as it turned out. Joe decided to apply what he had learned from the building and rebuilding of the Revolution deathtrap, and apply it to a whole new design -- a two-place helicopter into which two big people could climb.
One of his first customers (he says he has sixty or so, ready to go with their 10% deposits) is 6'6" and weighs 285 lbs. He told us he fits in, just fine. Another design feature that Rinke didn't like on the Mini-500 was its lack of power, so Rinke has located a military turbine rebuilder, and his new Jag helicopter features a C-18 turbine, with about five times as much power (317hp) as the Rotax 582.
That engine allows some serious rotor blades to be swung. In the case of the Jag, the standard rotor will carry three fully-articulated blades, and there are options for four, or five composite blades offered. Special-build rotors carrying six or eight blades will be available on special order. [We're told that the eight-blade rotor has more area than a C-172's wing --ed.] Joe estimates the Jag, with the 8-blade rotor, will lift 3600 lbs. That's a lot for a two-place ship!
Model numbers are descriptive, with the Model 233 being the baseline machine. That nomenclature defines a two-place helicopter, with a three-blade main, and a driveshaft-driven, 3-blade tail rotor. The 253 is another standard configuration. The full-house 285 is the one that's going to Sun 'n Fun, with an eight-blade main, and five in the back.
The Jag is planned to cost $125,000 for the Model 233 kit, including a skid landing gear and dual controls, with everything but avionics and paint (although the blades are painted), including a rebuilt Allison 250 C-18-B. All Joe's engines have fewer than 100 hours SMOH; some have as few as 23. After his first run of 100 C-18 engines are gone, he has plans to use the C-20; a special, low-consumption turbine design is also being developed. When it's proven, it will be included. In the meantime, the Allisons will do just fine.
Just before he left the factory on the way to Sun 'n Fun, Joe Rinke gave us an exclusive ANN interview. "We're bench-testing now, including the rotors," he said, when we asked how it flies. "Safety first, money second," was something he wanted us to know about his design and marketing philosophy. As an example of his safety-driven mindset, he has designed that a parachute recovery system eject through a stationary tube inside the main rotor shaft.
The pressurized-tube 4130 frame is one example of a commitment to structural integrity, rarely seen in this price range. Joe's 50,000 foot factory makes every part of the Jag, "Except the engines, the instruments, and the tires," he told us.
The one finished prototype is enroute to Sun 'n Fun as we write this (Thursday afternoon). Seven more prototypes are being built, in various rotor configurations (check the website for a full explanation of how the hub/cone/blade designs mesh), for flight testing. First flight should take place by Oshkosh, and first deliveries of kits are scheduled for about one year later. Rinke says he's sold out through mid-2002, and already has taken concrete steps to more than doubling his factory space. Kit assembly time is estimated at an amazing 200 hours, plus wiring, panel, and paint. Joe says he knows it's early, but, in running the numbers he expects performance "like the MD-500, with a cruise at 150 mph or so," while carrying all the anvils and bowling balls you can fit into the cabin.
FMI: www.rinkeaerospace.com (http://www.rinkeaerospace.com)
A souped up 500 anyone ?
------------------
Marc
[This message has been edited by RW-1 (edited 08 April 2001).]