Bulldog autogyro at Aero2015

[Marty_d]

Russ, I admit I know absolutely bugger-all about gyros.

 

But I can figure out that the main rotor provides the lifting surface much as an aeroplane's wing. Therefore that lifting force pulls straight up through the rotor hub. (Or if you like, the weight of the aircraft pulls down at that point).

 

If I saw a parasol aeroplane with the wing mounted to a forward-raked pylon that joined up at the rear of the aircraft, for absolutely no reason except looks, knowing that to engineer that solution was far more difficult and required extra weight than to use a couple of struts from the mainspar - I'd be wondering why they did it that way.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Being a gyro enthusiast for near on 40 yrs, reading some "comments " here, i'd be interested to know the expertise, gyro related, to some statements here.

I saw a gyro fly once and I post on the Internet. That clearly qualifies me.

 

Just for the record.........xwinds are a non issue.

Relevant to tractors.

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=417196&postcount=7

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=417364&postcount=10

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29649

 

 

[old man emu]

I'd say that if a company had gone to the expense of building an example of the obvious high quality finish of this product, and going to the expense of building a manufacturing facility (with financial support from a Derbyshire business promotion organisation, they have done their homework.

 

Here is a report which goes into slightly more detail about the design http://www.bydanjohnson.com/

 

We should detail Phil Perry to nip up to Derby and make a detailed study of the airplane and then submit a full report. Go on, Phil. It's only 36 miles up the A38.

 

OME

 

 

[Phil Perry]

It certainly is beautiful. They've done a good job of incorporating all the signals of British luxury - the racing green, timber dash, leather interior the same colour as the chairs in the gentleman's clubs, hand-stitched leather joystick reminiscient of a Spitfire's, even the model/company rep strolling around in aristocrat hunting gear. The look of the website is very 1930's too, all Art Deco style. (Yes before any smartass gets on my case, I know there were no websites around in the 1930's...)Anyway all very well done and I can see them selling a few to "Toad of Toad Hall" types, but given there's no mention of price anywhere I think it'd be beyond your average aspirational pilot's budget.

Are those "Aspirationals" covered by an autogyro license as well Marty ? ? ?. . . just wunderin'

 

 

[SDQDI]

I saw a gyro fly once and I post on the Internet. That clearly qualifies me.

 

 

Relevant to tractors.

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=417196&postcount=7

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=417364&postcount=10

 

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29649

That was interesting Bex. I read through those and looked into the stated experience of the builder who was complaining. It seems all his stated experience was done in nose wheel aircraft, so I wonder how much his problems where related to a lack of tail wheel time? Not saying that it all was but I'm sure if he hadn't had any other tailwheel time that those problems he was having could well have been related to that. Without a steerable tailwheel good differential brakes would be a must and to someone used to a nose wheel it would be a shock.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Are those "Aspirationals" covered by an autogyro license as well Marty ? ? ?. . . just wunderin'

You've never flown an aspirational Phil? I'm amazed. A man of your experience!

 

 

[Marty_d]

I'd say that if a company had gone to the expense of building an example of the obvious high quality finish of this product, and going to the expense of building a manufacturing facility (with financial support from a Derbyshire business promotion organisation, they have done their homework.Here is a report which goes into slightly more detail about the design http://www.bydanjohnson.com/

 

We should detail Phil Perry to nip up to Derby and make a detailed study of the airplane and then submit a full report. Go on, Phil. It's only 36 miles up the A38.

 

OME

Interesting article OME... actually I liked the electric Pipistrel concept too...

 

"Pipistrel made its usual splash showing their WattsUp electric powered trainer model, now renamed Alpha Electro conforming to the naming convention used on their previously electric Taurus Electro motorglider. Alpha was introduced as their low-priced entry as we saw in the USA a few years back. Now, they've installed an electric motor and easily-removed batteries in the compartment that otherwise holds the Rotax 912 they use on most other models and on gasoline-powered Alphas.

 

The Alpha Electro concept is that you fly basic flight training at or near the home field. It can make about an hour's flying on the batteries of today, but those cells can recharge in 45 minutes, plus a very wide prop aids regeneration of the batteries as you descend for landing with the now windmilling prop pushing charge back to the cells. Upon completing the training flight, a technician replaces one set of batteries with another and back up the airplane can go. Pricing is about 120,000 euros so flight schools may see merit to using electric power for instructional flights."

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Tried by various means to contact EPM tech in Derby which,. . .as one of you worthies has pointed out, is just up T' road from where I live. . . I got their number from a racing engine bloke I know, . . but they 1) Don't want any visitors wandering around their Formula one composites plant, and 2) Don't want to talk about prices for ANYTHING they make, as they use" targeted" marketing. Refused to discuss the Gyroplane at all, said it was a different department, and asked me how I got that telephone number ! Not very helpful really. . . .bit odd innit ? ?

 

Sorry. . . .

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Not very helpful really. . . .bit odd innit ? ?Sorry. . . .

Nope, 'A grade' typical of anything to do with F1 actually, and famous for it. Cart/Indycar are polar opposite.

 

 

[old man emu]

Tried by various means to contact EPM tech in Derby which,. . .as one of you worthies has pointed out, is just up T' road from where I live Sorry. . . .

Thanks for having a go, Phil. I read on another forum that their manufacturing plant was going to be built on an airfield up Derby way. Maybe that will help you locate it, or find a source for scuttlebut.

 

OME

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thanks for having a go, Phil. I read on another forum that their manufacturing plant was going to be built on an airfield up Derby way. Maybe that will help you locate it, or find a source for scuttlebut.OME

[Phil Perry]

The only airfieldy looking site around Derby would have to be the old Derby Airfield itself,. . . this sits on the west side of the A38, well SOuth of the town of Derby, near where the A50 motorway crosses the A38, have not looked at it on G/E yet, but will later. . . . This was closed down when the humungous Honda factory moved into the area around 25 years ago,. . . a suburb called ( strangely enough ) Honda. . .has sort of grown up around it, rather like the Roman Forts of old, where whole industries and residences grew up around the fort to service the soldiers' needs. . . . then after just a couple of hundred years,. . .all the Roman soldiers buggered off home. . . typical. . .

 

The actual airstrip, which was always grass, is still there, and a very reasonable distance away from the factory complex to make it safe to operate,. . . I can't imagine why it has been closed for so long, when it had been in existence for over fifty years before Honda came to town. . . . . It was the ONLY licensed airfield in the county,. . .although, there are probably by now a few farmer's fields being used for Microlight clubs in Derbyshire. . . .

 

I shall keep my large ears to the ground and see if I can wheedle any more info pertaining to this project anyway.

 

Phil

 

 

[Marty_d]

I shall keep my large ears to the ground

As we blokes get older, they only get larger. So my wife tells me. Ears, that is.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

As we blokes get older, they only get larger. So my wife tells me. Ears, that is.

But do they become more,. . . or less receptive to aural input . . . ? OR. . .pehaps more forgiving when listening to airbollox. . . .?

 

 

[Marty_d]

Possibly they become more attuned to that input which matches what we already think...?

 

 

[Russ]

Love the way my ears get selective on what they hear...

 

Don't love the way my waistline gets bigger, and "she" reminds me.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

The only airfieldy looking site around Derby would have to be the old Derby Airfield itself,. . . this sits on the west side of the A38, well SOuth of the town of Derby, near where the A50 motorway crosses the A38, have not looked at it on G/E yet, but will later. . . . This was closed down when the humungous Honda factory moved into the area around 25 years ago,. . . a suburb called ( strangely enough ) Honda. . .has sort of grown up around it, rather like the Roman Forts of old, where whole industries and residences grew up around the fort to service the soldiers' needs. . . . then after just a couple of hundred years,. . .all the Roman soldiers buggered off home. . . typical. . .The actual airstrip, which was always grass, is still there, and a very reasonable distance away from the factory complex to make it safe to operate,. . . I can't imagine why it has been closed for so long, when it had been in existence for over fifty years before Honda came to town. . . . . It was the ONLY licensed airfield in the county,. . .although, there are probably by now a few farmer's fields being used for Microlight clubs in Derbyshire. . . .

Its a Toyota car plant which was built on the site of Burnaston airfield. The aviation (& the Derby airfield name) then relocated to the current site at Eggington

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Possibly they become more attuned to that input which matches what we already think...?

AAAHHH,. . .I see Marty, . . . .yes of course,. . . ."Synchronous Airbollox Agreementism" . . . . sounds about right to me. . . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Its a Toyota car plant which was built on the site of Burnaston airfield. The aviation (& the Derby airfield name) then relocated to the current site at EggingtonCheers

 

John

Yes John,. . . .quite right, . . . .too much B.V product again,. . . I flew in to the closing down fly-in at Burnaston many years back,. . .very sad day. ( Can you drink wine and still recall all this stuff. . .? ) I wouldn't mind the memory problem, but four days ago I drove right past the darn place on my way to Newark,. . . . ( It was dark when I came back though. . . . . . . ) Alzheimers R us . . . . er, what were we talking about again,. . .?

 

Phil

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Bulldog Autogyro Revives a Rich, Stylish Auto Gyr…:

 

 

 

[old man emu]

On today's exchange rate,

 

130000 GBP - VAT @ 20% = 104,000 GBP

 

$AU 1 = 0.52145 GBP

 

104,000 GPB = $AU 249,230

 

$249,230 + GST = $274,162

 

Plus Freight, Insurance and registration, and I don't see a lot of change out of about $320,000. I suppose that you could reduce the cost a smidge by arranging to have the engine installed here to save the costs of sending it to England for fitting during assembly.

 

At the price quoted for the gyro, it's definitely a rich enthusiast's prospect.

 

I notice that the designer did not propose a cruising speed. He only suggested that with the wider chord rotors it would not have the top speed of its competitors. So what cruise speed do they have?

 

Also, what are the fuel consumption figures for the Rotec 9 cylinder?

 

OME

 

 

[facthunter]

The fuel consumption rates quoted are ridiculously LOW. Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

he's obviously not interested in the Australian market, perhaps Jabiroo could have a go at the top end market!

 

 

[old man emu]

Hey Phil!

 

This thing was supposed to maiden this month (July 2015). Have you heard anything new?

 

OME

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Hey Phil!This thing was supposed to maiden this month (July 2015). Have you heard anything new?

 

OME

To be quite honest, I forgot all about it Sir. . . .just rang Epm Composite Technology but they said they can't discuss it. Bit like last time. . ! I'm going to phone one of my crazy gyro chums later on and see if he's heard anything, we were discussing this together when it came up on the forum earlier.

 

Phil