The Ultimate 'Gyroscope Hell' Thread

[Total Clean]

Hello Everyone,

I had been trawling through my groundschool notes quite well up until this last week.

....Spent trying to get my head round gyro's. Its called Gyro hell.

The notes seem to struggle to explain the subject clearly. Compounded by my difficulties with the subject, it is making for a fairly stressful and worrying time...

I did a search bringing up some threads. There are a few good ones out there, from 'Token Bord' 'The Boy Lard' etc..

Could we please hear from everyone who has gone through 'instruments' out there?....What did you do to remember the essentials, some tricks or mnemonics.

Please contribute anyone if you feel you have something valuable to add. Thanks


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[FlyingForFun]

Total,

Which particular aspects of gyros are you having trouble with?

Personally, I had trouble with drift, topple and wander. I got round it by buying a globe for about £5 from Smiths. You can use anything roughly flat as a gyro - just imagine an axis going through the middle, and imagine it spinning around the axis (you can actually physically spin it if you want).

Hold your "gyro" somewhere on the surface of the globe. Then, spin the globe, and move the gyro with the globe. Or just move the gyro around the surface of the globe. The trick is to make sure the gyro stays pointing the same way in space... imagine your "axis" pointing towards some distant object in the corner of the room, and keep it pointing that way as you move the gyro around. After doing this for a while, you should be able to imagine it in your head, which will be useful in exams because you can't take the globe in with you!

FFF
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[Total Clean]

Thanks FFF,

Will go buy a globe and try that out. Smith's? Do you mean WHSmiths?

Cheers,


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PS: Anyone else got any more help? All gratefully received...

[Flying Farmer]

No globe in the exam room but you have your fist and a pencil.
Use fist and imagine pencil as axis of gyro, move pencil around fist in required direction, does it toppel, does it drift, does it do neither or both.
Tick in box next question, 2 points thank you very much.
FF

[Total Clean]

Thanks.....

Anyone else?

It is beginning to come together having read and re-read the notes at least 20 times now.

Cheers,

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