Autogyros / gyrocopters

[Whirlygig]

Hi Guys,

I’m not sure if this is the right place but I was reading about Gyrocopters and Autogyros and wondered how they get into use!

Firstly, and this may be a daft question, are autogyros and gyrocopters synonymous? If they are different, what is the difference?

Can they legally fly if designed/modified and built by an amateur and if not, what constitutes an amateur? Does an autogyro/gyrocopter require a Permit to Fly, who issues these and how is the machine deemed airworthy and safe?

If a test pilot flies it, is he independent from the builder? What if he decides it’s safe enough for an experienced pilot but not for an inexperienced pilot? Does he still issue a Permit or would there be restrictions on it?

Are there any rules that are different from fixed wing “home-build and design”?

Cheers

Whirls

[Mark 1]

Gyroplane is the only term used in the ANO and similar. Autogyro is partly descriptive and not too bad. Gyrocopter is a horrible word conceived out of ignorance and should be avoided at all costs, if not to invite ridicule (sadly, it got used several times in the latest AAIB bulletins).

The suffix -opter derives from pteron meanin wing, so what is a gyroc?

Amateur built are quite common, with PFA overseeing permits in the UK, I believe.
Ken Wallace (the subject of said AAIB report) is one of their greatest proponents, still flying his own designs at the age of 90.

A 2 seater has recently gained UK approval of some sort. I'll leave it to someone more knowledgable than me to expand the detail.

[barit1]

Some Autogiro (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/autogyro.htm) history

Of interest:
Juan de la Cierva’s invention and development of the autogyro began in 1919. The word Autogiro was a Cierva Company trademark, to be spelled with a capital A and with the “i”. The generic term is autogyro, with a lower case “a” and a “y”. Autogiro is Spanish for autogyro.

I believe "gyrocopter" was Igor Benson's name for the type.
:8

[GyroSteve]

... you could do a lot worse than taking a look at the British Rotorcraft Association website at www.gyroplanes.org (http://www.gyroplanes.org)

In the UK gyros operate under Permits to Fly, which are generally administered by the PFA (some are dealt with direct by the CAA). There are a few approved designs which can be amateur built under the supervision of the PFA, and one factory built machine (www.rotorsport.org (http://www.rotorsport.org)) with other designs in the pipeline. If you want to build a new design then it must comply with BCAR Section T (downloadable from the CAA website).

[evansb]

A Canadian manufacturer of gyrocopter kits, certified for use in the UK,
is available at http://www.rotaryairforce.com

[chevvron]

It's Ken Wallis not Wallace! There's another proponent used to live near Lambourne Berks, but I can't recall his name; his were Campbell Autogyros. Both he and Ken have done trials at Farnborough for various reasons.
Years ago, CSE were thinking of importing a sophisticated american design (Umbaugh?) which had an enclosed cabin with two seats and a 'jump' takeoff facility; when you powered up the rotor for pre-spin takeoff, you were able to engage a sort of collective pitch system giving the rotor blades positive angle of attack for a short while thus allowing a vertical takeoff rather than needing a short ground run.

[LowObservable]

Gyroplanes, autogyros or whatever you call them, thingies with a thrusting engine and an unpowered auto-rotating rotor, were actually developing into quite useful objects until the helicopter came along and took over. "Jump-start" allows VTO and they can land vertically quite well as long as the disc loading is not too high, and the lack of a high-torque full-time transmission makes them small and light.
Believers like Groen Brothers Aviation think that the gyroplane never really got a fair shot, and that it's actually a cheaper way of doing a lot of helicopter missions. The only thing it really can't do is hover.
The infamous Rotodyne (gyrodyne) was basically a gyroplane plus a tip-jet drive system that allowed it to hover and do VTO/landing with a higher disc loading. It's being revived by DARPA and Groen Brothers as the Heliplane.

[barit1]

I once knew some of the Hughes people who worked on this. (http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/mcdonnel_hot-r.html)

http://avia.russian.ee/foto/mcdonnel_hot.jpg

[Bronx]

Gee guys, I thought this was the TP's forum. A few dances around the topic and only one question answered so far and not a TP in sight to answer the meaty questions. :confused:

Dont the airworthy and safety questions go for all homebuilds not just autogyrocopters?

[GyroSteve]

Can they legally fly if designed/modified and built by an amateur

Yes. Simple mods are overseen by the PFA, major mods by the CAA. All mods have to comply with BCAR Section T.

and if not, what constitutes an amateur?

Usual PFA / CAA interpretation - ie done for recreation rather than profit.

Does an autogyro/gyrocopter require a Permit to Fly, who issues these and how is the machine deemed airworthy and safe?

Yes - issued by the PFA or the CAA. Airworthiness and safety are measured through compliance with BCAR Section T.

If a test pilot flies it, is he independent from the builder?

It can be the builder if he/she has appropriate experience. The CAA currently also require an independent test by their own nominated test pilot.

What if he decides it’s safe enough for an experienced pilot but not for an inexperienced pilot? Does he still issue a Permit or would there be restrictions on it?

If that's the case then it wouldn't meet the requirements of BCAR Section T, which require the aircraft to be controllable by Captain Average. Some current designs which predate BCAR Section T and do not meet its requirements have minimum pilot experience requirements imposed.

Are there any rules that are different from fixed wing “home-build and design”?

Yes - gyro pilots require gyro licences. Gyros are approved against BCAR Section T rather than Section S (microlights) or JAR VLA (or whatever it is) for fixed wing.

Happy now Bronx?

[Whirlygig]

GyroSteve, I don't know about Bronx, but I am! Thank you.

I fly helicopters and understand some of the rules and regs arounding their saftety, airworthiness and engineering maintenance. Just wondered if similar applied.

CHeers

Whirls

['India-Mike]

Many years ago, someone at CAA took the gyroplane accident statistics, and viewed them in a particular way that had a great impact on me:

there is a 1 in a million chance of dying if;

(i) one drives a car on a British motorway for 7 hours;

(ii) one rides a motor cycle for 10 minutes;

(iii) one flies a gyroplane in the UK for 3.5 seconds

Go figure