What about a helicycle?
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 571
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From: Alderney or Lancashire UK
25 flying, 10 year old design, 1000+ flight hours.
It may be fine but thats not tested enough to strap one to my backside! I'm with TC on this one.
Better than a mini 500 but still unproven.
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3
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From: Kerrville TX
What about a helicycle?
Lots of googling, and I've come up with nothing. What about buying a helicycle once I've completed my ppl, to build turbine hours? It would be a lot of flying alone, but it would build what seems to be precious turbine hours? At which point, once I had accumulated enough, it would seem that I could sell it....
Any thoughts on this? a forum search for Helicycle returned nothing.
I'd much prefer at least a 2 seater, so I could take other people with me, or maybe actually do something productive with it.... but worst case I could use it to commute to a full sized town thats about 60 miles from here for work that would pay more than where I'm at now, while I work on hours.....
And then when I wanted to take someone else with me, I could just rent one.
Expensive I'm sure, but when you start to talk about $40k price tags for a new-ish turbine helicopter, that doesn't really compare to the cost of renting or leasing the usual suspects. Or would these "turbine" hours not really count for anything? (I'm in the US)
(I was pointed to this thread by the last one I posted in, and it does seem much more relivent to what I was asking. If I should have continued to post in the other thread, I apologize.)
Any thoughts on this? a forum search for Helicycle returned nothing.
I'd much prefer at least a 2 seater, so I could take other people with me, or maybe actually do something productive with it.... but worst case I could use it to commute to a full sized town thats about 60 miles from here for work that would pay more than where I'm at now, while I work on hours.....
And then when I wanted to take someone else with me, I could just rent one.
Expensive I'm sure, but when you start to talk about $40k price tags for a new-ish turbine helicopter, that doesn't really compare to the cost of renting or leasing the usual suspects. Or would these "turbine" hours not really count for anything? (I'm in the US)
(I was pointed to this thread by the last one I posted in, and it does seem much more relivent to what I was asking. If I should have continued to post in the other thread, I apologize.)
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 16
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From: 38 South
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 188
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From: Victoria
Helicycyle in Oz
shoot me a PM with your email & I'll hook you up with some more details.
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3
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From: Kerrville TX
thank you for the link helisteye, but honestly thats their web site. They are only going to say good things about it. It would still be classified as "experamental", would that make any difference for the hours? Would an employer look at my log book and say to himself "thats not real helicopter experience" ? or would it be fine as long as I had some hours in whatever they wanted me to fly too?
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 37
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From: UK
Flying hours is flying hours.
It could be argued a small heli like the helicycle is more 'difficult' to fly than a big lumbering volvo (Jet Ranger etc)....(not that I've flown a helicycle but its said to be on pare with an R22)
The Helicycle looks damn good(R22 like quality) and if it wasn't for the used Turbine would be flying in the UK too.
Steve
It could be argued a small heli like the helicycle is more 'difficult' to fly than a big lumbering volvo (Jet Ranger etc)....(not that I've flown a helicycle but its said to be on pare with an R22)
The Helicycle looks damn good(R22 like quality) and if it wasn't for the used Turbine would be flying in the UK too.
Steve
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: Darwin
helicycle and mosquito
The turbine engine sounds like a hastle to me. I have opted for the Mosquito and expect to have one in QLD later this year.
I also wondered why anyone would opt for a single seater, even though they are greatly cheaper than any two-seater.
The answer of course the sheer pleasure of flying a helicopter. This is the most fun that you can have with you're trousers on!
And, yes, it is good experience for the hours builders as well. There is a parallel with Cessna time versus ultralight Drifter time. The first is boring and teaches very little, the second is an open cockpit tail-dragger teaching more stick and pedal skills than any GA school will admit that you need!
TK
I also wondered why anyone would opt for a single seater, even though they are greatly cheaper than any two-seater.
The answer of course the sheer pleasure of flying a helicopter. This is the most fun that you can have with you're trousers on!
And, yes, it is good experience for the hours builders as well. There is a parallel with Cessna time versus ultralight Drifter time. The first is boring and teaches very little, the second is an open cockpit tail-dragger teaching more stick and pedal skills than any GA school will admit that you need!
TK
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: South Africa, soon New zealand
Anybody know of any second hand Helicycle's for sale in NZ.
Or just names of people that may own one in NZ. (I wish to enquire about the CAA rulings and rules with regards to the Helicycle)
Or just names of people that may own one in NZ. (I wish to enquire about the CAA rulings and rules with regards to the Helicycle)
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
From: Whitstable, UK
Helicycle in Oz on You Tube...
VH ZHR looks good! See link.. Can anyone enlighten us on the UK cert situation and Turbine time issue..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNuW6...elated&search=
Plus there looks like there are door hinges to answer the previous posts about doors.
Chris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNuW6...elated&search=
Plus there looks like there are door hinges to answer the previous posts about doors.
Chris
Guest
Posts: n/a
IIRC the Solar turbine was evaluated in the early '60s as a power unit for a small, one man helicopter, and was found by the mighty US Government to be lacking for the job. I trust their engineering ability and findings.
So, what is done to the turbine to make it suitable this time around? Curious to know, and is the mod done by the factory?
So, what is done to the turbine to make it suitable this time around? Curious to know, and is the mod done by the factory?
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 20
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From: great north wet
I have one as well, but with a different turbine than the factory version. The factory actually goes through the turbine and checks the ballance of the wheel and other limits then attaches it to their own desing new gearbox. I installed the turbine before the factory switched from the Rotax to an all turbine fleet.
If you want one there is a long waiting line. It's about 1.5 to 2 years currently.
I also believe it flies better than an R22. It has some shortcomings but is still a great helicopter and is a total blast to fly. I think the A pillars are a shortcoming and the 3 or 4 seperate fuel tanks could be a shortcoming, but in normal operation they are not. Fuel burn limits it to 1 to 1.5 hours depending on fuel tank options.
Could be a mustering machine I suppose. My memeory of the Army test was that the "helicopter" itself was the problem not the Solar turbine. They have proven themselves in thousands & thousands of hours of service before this use. Ask a Chinook mechanic about them as their APU. You will get a good answer.
If you want one there is a long waiting line. It's about 1.5 to 2 years currently.
I also believe it flies better than an R22. It has some shortcomings but is still a great helicopter and is a total blast to fly. I think the A pillars are a shortcoming and the 3 or 4 seperate fuel tanks could be a shortcoming, but in normal operation they are not. Fuel burn limits it to 1 to 1.5 hours depending on fuel tank options.
Could be a mustering machine I suppose. My memeory of the Army test was that the "helicopter" itself was the problem not the Solar turbine. They have proven themselves in thousands & thousands of hours of service before this use. Ask a Chinook mechanic about them as their APU. You will get a good answer.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I believe the duty cycle found on the T62 was exactly the reason why it was deemed fine as an APU, but not as a powerplant. An APU running at two or three fixed rpm settings i.e. Idle/Nill load/Max Load will never see a resonance point between any of those settings for any time at all. Not so if your using that engine as your helicopter powerplant, and thats where trouble occurs. I believe that more than one person has died from putting a Solar T62 into a homebuilt fixed wing, as it's just not designed for the duty cycle of flying through rain etc. Your taking effectively a single design point device, as most APU's are, and asking them to work as a broad band device without, as far as I'm aware, any re-engineering at all.
If I was looking for a turbine for a homebuilt, I'd rather fit an Isotov GTD-350, which is under 300 pounds dry weight and is an excellent, modern design and giving 400 shp. Then you will at least get factory support - if you try as a homebuilder to get factory support from Sundstrand, who now own the rights to the T62, you will get a legal letter telling you to stop what your doing and to never contact them again. They know what your looking to use that engine for, and don't like it at all.
Good luck if thats your thing though. Your IMHO a brave man indeed.
If I was looking for a turbine for a homebuilt, I'd rather fit an Isotov GTD-350, which is under 300 pounds dry weight and is an excellent, modern design and giving 400 shp. Then you will at least get factory support - if you try as a homebuilder to get factory support from Sundstrand, who now own the rights to the T62, you will get a legal letter telling you to stop what your doing and to never contact them again. They know what your looking to use that engine for, and don't like it at all.
Good luck if thats your thing though. Your IMHO a brave man indeed.
Last edited by Chukkablade; 24th October 2007 at 20:52. Reason: spelling is dreadfull after a bottle of merlot!
Joined: Jul 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
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From: UK
Welcome to the 'search' function, K48. 
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