GYROKITE - Flying a Gyrocopter with No Motor

Gyro CFI : Chris Burgess
Gyro flying tethered to the ground with no motor at FDK
More Gyrokite: • GYROKITE PT2 - Bob gli...

[@johnh1001]

This same flying device was on board some of the German U-Boats during WW11 to help them view great distances while out at sea .

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Yes. An idea that may have been before it's time. It is still an idea being tossed around today.

[@edtommerdahl974]

Hey John, I believe our navy pulled these with submarines with cables up hight over the German port's to take pictures of their fleets

[@johnh1001]

@@edtommerdahl974 I think I've seen one of those photo's ; an old B&W of a German sub pen . The photo's that I saw were at the Imperial War Museum in London . Also info that described when the wind was right while out at sea , enough cable was deployed to get altitude of over 200 ft off the water . The pilot could then view with binoculars more than 30 miles away . The goal was to be able to see the top 1/3 to 1/2 of another surface vessel before it came over the horizon . A Destroyer/Battleship or Cargo Vessel would be the the optimum target .

[@babebucksbetter7489]

Good boy

[@MegaBoilermaker]

@@johnh1001 Anton Flettner design ?

[@goodvolts]

My experience was back in the 60ties with a Benson B-8, 20' kit built rotor. 200' rope towed behind a car in a large field, flew in a large figure 8, staying up as long as we wanted. Had to force it to track on the outside of the curve to maintain speed. Later installed 72hp McCulloch drone engine. Limited success. Needed longer rotor.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

The standard rotor hub on the Bensen is 24”. I installed the longer 34” on mine later. It made a world of difference. Some of the old Mac’s didn’t do well in the standard configured engine. I had a Mac setup by Bill Parsons which included a “third” piston ring. That little modification made it much stronger. Each time I flew someone else’s Mac, I always notice a lack of good power/thrust. If you built the rotor, some lift can be lost there if it’s not correct. Cold days help a lot and low density altitude. If you were doing figure 8’s while being towed, I am very impressed. That is an astonishing accomplishment by itself. Great job.!! I started flying Bensens in 1971. You got me beat.

[@goodvolts]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I had the original short hub with a hole in the center, simple head with a swivel bearing and overhead stick. Dumb kid out of high school, no money, built and flew mine before ever seeing one or talking to anyone else that had one. My Mac was a salvage drone with bullet ripped fins. Pushing 80 yrs old - Gods grace I'm still alive.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@goodvolts , you described one of the first head designs. Most folks abandoned them and a much better design followed. Rotor on the glider as shown was 21’9” all metal with the short/standard hub, no hole in the newer design. My cousin is 81 now and he still flies his basic Mcculloch powered B8M Bensen. He does not have a prerotator or electric starter so you know he has “the right stuff”. I’m 71 but quit instructing 2019. Lots of fun but you need to be sharper than I felt. Students keep coming up with new ways to hurt you !!!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

The wind turns the rotor in autorotation. Once it gets to around 320 rpm, it will spin no faster and up you go. It takes about a 22mph wind in my case at my weight. I think the rotor was 21'9" in diameter with a 7" chord. A standard Bensen rotor.

[@geepea101able]

Nice job there Chris. I'm just a novice, but fascinated by this. Home build I'm assuming. Do you have to change the angle of attack to make the blades rotate. Is this how you attain the controlled lift?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@geepea101able Home built yes. Rotor is fixed in pitch at about 1 1\2 degrees positive pitch. The cyclic allows for tilting the spinning disk but it remains at 1 1\2 positive relative to the rotor hub. The rotor is changing pitch through out its rotation to create the tilt required and in the direction desired by moving the cyclic.

[@geepea101able]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for the info. any plans available on line for the frame . Were the blades purchased or did you make them too? Are you going to fit a motor to it?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@geepea101able You can search "Bensen B8 Glider Plans" and you should find them in several places. I always use factory rotor blades, I would never attempt to make them as this is a skill left up to the "experts". I never fitted a motor on this one but I did sell it to someone that may have those intentions. I had too much fun "kiting" to spoil all that "quiet".

[@geepea101able]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks Chris. I'll check it out. Much appreciated.

[@jeremykemp3782]

Fascinating, never knew this was possible

[@nevillecreativitymentor]

Amazing ... finally youtube recommendation came thru ... searching for this kind of video for 10 years ... no kidding PLANS PLEEEEEEZ

[@JoseSanchez-zk2zb]

Wow! This is an AMAZING thing !!! I had no idea that this was even at all possible?...I'm speechless...He really looks like he's having a LOT of fun and is very happy for doing so. Thank you for sharing this with us and now I'm a more happy person for having seen it ! 😀👍

[@Bpositive5464]

If you like you can build one,and try on windy places!

[@КапитанДжекВоробей-с7г]

​@@Bpositive5464здравствуйте а какова длина несущего винта и можно пожалуйста в метрах спасибо

[@John-rw2zf]

I remember when I was young back in roughly the 60's when you could buy these directly from the Benson company. You could get them with a motor or without a motor like this one. You could also buy them with wheels or with pontoons for use on the water. I think the original Mad Max movies with Mel Gibson had a Benson gyrocopter flying around. It was pretty cool stuff back in those days.

[@MrSplinter51]

That was great. I flew my ski/tow kite like that a few times. Had a proper towing rig on it. Tried it with a hang glider , rope just tied to the middle of the A frame above my head. Worked well. Then made the mistake of tying it to the A frame control bar ( level with my waist), immediate change of angle of attack. Rocketed up to 100 feet, tow rope slipped to one side as it was not properly secured to the middle like my tow kite. Power dive, down into the sand dunes. Kite collapse probably saved my life. Walked away badly bruised. That was 50 years ago & I'd be happy to try static flight with that gyro now.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Yep, you just can't move that tow line around without some BIG consequences. Sounds like you found that out the hard way.

[@Esoteric.Knowledge.Evolution]

Best way to gain some pilot experience without any expenses

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Yes, but you still need to know what you’re doing. This can’t be done safely without instruction or experience.

[@Esoteric.Knowledge.Evolution]

Yes absolutely.. The operating cost is nill and basic training can be imparted post simulator training

[@ГеннадийВасин-э4н]

Очень похвальное видео...удивляют больше всего колья в земле и веревка какие держат гирокоптер...Молодец тот кто сидит в гирокоптере и надо же додуматься до такого...Жму руку крепко за такие чудеса...

[@JesusBOMBADOnaMORAL]

Larga mão de ser ignorante girocoptero é a aeronave mais segura do mundo... o rotor é como uma asa de avião e um paraquedas ao mesmo tempo... o vento gira o rotor mesmo estando em queda livre sem motor o rotor continua girando...funciona como um paraquedas então é impossivel alguem morrer em um desses... a não ser que a pessoa resolva saltar la de cima ela morre e o girocoptero pousa sozinho...

[@mitchellminer9597]

Wow. Fascinating to watch. I took some lessons in/on one of these with a wide seat for an instructor, and a pickup truck to tow us up and down the runway. That was fun. It was technically a kite.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

In the early days, a pick up truck and towing was very typical. When power supplies became better stronger and lighter, the two place powered gyroplane became a better way to train. However, nothing beats being able to talk to your instructor without an engine screaming behind you.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

I still think we should be using them now. Great way to learn the basics and the more basics you know the less time and dual training you need. We had glider dual then solo (about 1-3 hours), dual powered about 3-5 hours and lots of ground runs in your powered machine which our CFI would test fly and ensure was safe. I operated as a gyro-glider instructor at that and another club for 16 years. At the club I learned at (which had dual training and an excellent CFI) I never saw a set of blades so much as bent in all that training. Yes some guys would argue with the CFI and go off an do their own thing and come back bend gyro asking for help re-building and would then listen. Some would just disappear and do it on their own and we'd hear a couple of months later they smashed it up. But those that stuck with the training (which as a club was limited to once a month so would take at least 6 months usually closer to 12months of monthly training weekends). But it worked. All the pilots who learned that way learned on machines that now are considered death traps no stabilisers, had down thrust but not high cg machines - but flown slowly enough not to be an issue. No one died. We had two guys fly through power lines, one was killed again not in training but years latter. I remember watching my CFI arguing with the guy who killed himself. He was flying low over a river in the area he lived Terry told him "Mate they'll string a power line across it at some point and you'll fly right through it". The guy got angry told him he didn't know what he was talking about and a couple of months latter caught the news and there was his gyro being fished out of the river, he had been decapitated. Anyway the old glider is undervalued. I learned all my blade management, take off and landings, turns (although not balanced), proper attitude. I knew what attitude behind the power curve was I could see the blades when they were hinging (the shape of the disk changes). I could generally get off quicker than guys with pre-rotators as I knew how to wind up with limited ground speed and hence less distance. Gliders should be in every club it should be a + with the powered machines.

[@Electrodoc1968]

Wow. Thanks, triggered fond memories of my dads home build. The tether weight was a Skoda Estelle II unfortunately dads first err "Flight" was not as successful because he'd anchored the aircraft at the central point where the fuselage scaffold pole intersects with the vertical rotor pole. This seemed to cause the autogyro to want to orientate its horizontal fuselage to be 90 degrees in a more vertical orientation before lift could be achieved. This doesn't take much triangulation mathematics to work out the formula of the rotors 22 foot diameter spinning at 300 rpm and G-forces of 30 tons at the sail tips and the distance to the ground at the rear of the craft which is transitioning gradually between an increasing angle of horizontal to vertical.. Yeah Dad to the right roughly 10 feet, gyrocopter to the left roughly 8 feet, Bits of rotor blades being so embarrassed they'd dug their own 3 foot deep grave just behind the gyrocopter and proceeded to bury themselves whilst other splinters spread themselves around an impressive radius of the test area and became shrapnel in the farmers field to act as potato fertilizer of the future.. Unfortunately we didn't get video footage but after the bits of splintered wood had come to rest and dad had stood up we naturally fell down laughing to tears.. Later noticing we'd found the Skoda was actually good at something. Even if that something was a dead wait. Lol. I had to double take as you're autogyro looked like an extremely similar design.. Dads mk II actually had the same tethering scaffolding at the front. He never managed another flight due to the rotor blade price. His teeter bar was controlled with a downward control stick arrangement other than that, possibly the same blueprint.. Thanks for sharing as dads now flying higher than he ever did and he always had a project on the go. :)

[@perrygimlet2403]

H. I. G. E. Looks like a bunch of FUN!! WATCHED and subbed.

[@VLADDDD-TTHE-SANCTIONS-IMPALER]

My mind doesn’t understand this magic ! Just an incredible video! Well done

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thanks. My cousin captured the video, he also had kited his gyro glider. It’s actually old tech but lots of fun if you know how to handle the rotor. That’s the hard part.

[@VLADDDD-TTHE-SANCTIONS-IMPALER]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 great science video! Ty

[@yoostpieters]

Hartstikke leuk en goed geslaagd experiment. De video is echter wel wat lang en eentonig voor een snel verveelde KZbin kijker.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Fine. Just browse through to the good parts. I personally have a very short attention span. Thanks for looking.

[@rexclay2231]

I saw that in the back of a mag over 50yrs ago , nice to see one fly, yes i ordered the plans

[@marionwilliams7907]

50 years ago it was a round tube Benson B7 with wooden self built rptpr blades, went out of balance/track every time a cloud showed up, my wooden blades delaminated 1.5 feet off the ground, almost bought the whole farm, , went to extruded alum blades and never looked back, i was taught by the granda dame herself and hill higdon of pra chapter 5 in tracy almost 60 years ago, oh i forgot to say marion springer on the club 2 place kite towed behind hill higdons blue and white 66 chevy half ton pickup, many years agoit was 60 years ago 71 when i got back from viet nam

[@rexclay2231]

@@marionwilliams7907 wow but you flew

[@CaptainJohn]

I’ve never thought about that, relative air speed and stuff

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Jim, not easy to answer as no two circumstances will be exactly the same. I can say pretty much without doubt, if you have in full power and unload the rotor for a span of time, the engine torque alone will make the gyro roll over opposite the torque and it may go quickly inverted (unrecoverable). A sustained unloaded rotor can quickly become fatal. First thing in most cases is reduce the throttle to idle (quickly, my helicopter instincts work well here), thus taking away the torque. Momentary unloading in wind gust is normally not an issue.

[@mikepaul3200]

Wouldnt throwing on a counter rotating blade fix that?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@mikepaul3200 easy to say but very complicated to accomplish. The whole premise with homebuild experimental is simplicity. Easiest to train out the issue. Fly within the envelop and you don’t have this problem.

[@mikepaul3200]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I figured it would be an engineering nightmare. Probably easier to test out on a small scale drone first. But I enjoy tinkering.

[@starhopper26]

Seems like there's a lot of torque. That looks like it could be affixed to a high place and generate electricity.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

Fun times I've only done this once when it was windy enough. It's amazing how much the rope stretches.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

That's why I used steel cable. I tried rope once but the stretch between wind gust made it harder to stay airborne.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 yes that would work. Like the video I didn't get quite enough wind to stay up indefinitely gusts would hit and you get some height then you'd lose a bit and get the disk back and try to hold it. It was challenging and fun though. Must have been a hard way to learn in the early days. Be waiting a long time for enough wind in many places.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 do you opperate with a club? Do training?

[@cameronlapworth2284]

Sorry just saw the cfi obviously you train. Good on you for incorporating the glider underutilized IMO.

[@UpcomingJedi]

I thought it was just a joke.

[@johnnyg7525]

I injoyed watching your video. That's a cool idea to get the hang of it. I never seen it done that way.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Johnny G. Check out “GYROKITE PT2” to see my cousin doing the same thing. He had a better “wind” day than me and even flew over my head once. He was a little lighter than me at the time. That helps too. He added an engine to his in 1992 and is still flying it today. He’s pushing 80 so a remarkable gyro aviator indeed.

[@alishanmao]

wow such nice head speed without any engine or motor.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Rotor is turning around 310 to 330 rpm.

[@flappingflight8537]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 interesting what was approximately the wind speed ? The wind doesn’t looks very strong.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@flappingflight8537- Wind when flying was at least 22mph and increased to occasionally 30mph. Best at 30mph if you can find a constant wind. It was very gusty that day. In Maryland USA, the wind does not normally blow that hard, only during season changes usually. The angle of the keel tells you somewhat how hard the wind is blowing at the time. The higher the keel angle, the slower the wind. The flatter the keel angle, the stronger the wind.

[@flappingflight8537]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thanks !

[@RicJG7]

alishanmao my childhood rc legend

[@1silvervespa]

Clubs used to tow them behind cars . Propably on the desert and Salt flats .

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Ken Brock towed his glider to 2200 feet behind an airplane and released to glide down safely. Some on pontoons have been towed behind boats. Bunches of fun when you know how.

[@smittiefish]

Great way to do pre-training for gyro pilots. Looks like great fun!

[@heloinaddict]

Awesome, can't wait to get my gyro out and try it.

[@kcmo1992]

Just don't get tired!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

KC MO, the fresh air and breeze, clear blue skies, crisp winter temps, who could get tired?

[@Bushkangaroo59.]

Nice “pounding” those steel stakes in, you hit it every time!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

I was younger and filled with drive then, a bit older and worn out now but the drive to fly gyros never fades.

[@IsaacKuo]

This looks like such an interesting piloting challenge! I wonder if this could be used for a sort of kite sailing. Instead of a stick in the ground, it's like ... maybe a floating stick with a large keel underneath. So, you can either "hover" while slowly going downwind, or you can go at an angle to the wind for faster sailing. I expect it wouldn't be as fast as kiteboarding, because you're using a lot of the power just to lift yourself up in the air. But I imagine the piloting challenge would be fun regardless of speediness, and the view from higher up could be worth it.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Interesting comments. I've seen what you describe with kite like sails. The gyro is not very efficient and I can't really say going slow downwind is even possible. It takes at least 22 mph headwind to fly. Turning downwind, it would be on the ground before you even got thru maybe 45 degrees of the turn. So if I were to turn downwind, all that lift goes away and down ya go. Descent rate is pretty extreme comparing to a sail/kite. Folks have used 1000+ foot tow ropes. Yes higher is desirable, smoother and faster air usually. Eventually the rope becomes a problem with it's own weight and drag.

[@IsaacKuo]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks for your insights! What I mean by slowly going downwind does not involve turning around. I just mean that using a floating "keel" as the anchor means it will slip downwind rather than staying perfectly fixed in place. So you're facing directly into the wind at all times, but you'll move slowly backwards rather than hovering in place. I guess the relatively low efficiency makes a hang glider or paraglider perform better than a gyrokite.

[@GOLDWING5960]

Wow, the only other gyro ‘glider’ I’ve seen other then the one I used to fly with the Air Training Corps at Wisley when it was operated by BritishAerospace for BAC 1-11 maintenance. We used to tow it behind an old Vauxhall Consul 👍

[@beardedbodger]

Can you tell me more? I volunteer at RAF Snaith Museum, and we are looking to build a similar machine called the RotarChute that was tested here in ww2

[@GOLDWING5960]

@@beardedbodger Sounds like a great project. It was a very long time ago I flew these.(Over 50 years ago) so my memory is limited. We (Air Training Corp 398 Squadron) owned a single seater and a twin seater, both towed behind the car along the runway centreline. I cannot recall if the rudders were operational on our ones, as shown in this vid. This one looks uncannily like the single seater I used to fly though. We bolted a winch into the boot of the Consul and towed it at around 30 MPH along the length of the runway. We did suffer a cable break and minor injuries/damage, so after that we always practiced for such an eventuality but fortunately was never required again. We always carried out a cable inspection so it was never established why it broke. I do know we had no CAA involvement but at the time we were operating legally (or so I was told). The single seater was much lighter and really nice to fly but the twin seater was very heavy on the controls and harder to fly. Good luck with the project.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thanks "E". Believe me, it was fun for me no doubt.

[@folakeozigis7458]

How can I get a propeller

[@ahmdabdallah5811]

What Is Islam? Islam is not just another religion. It is the same message preached by Moses, Jesus and Abraham. Islam literally means ‘submission to God’ and it teaches us to have a direct relationship with God. It reminds us that since God created us, no one should be worshipped except God alone. It also teaches that God is nothing like a human being or like anything that we can imagine. The concept of God is summarized in the Quran as: { “Say, He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him.”} (Quran 112:1-4) Becoming a Muslim is not turning your back to Jesus. Rather it’s going back to the original teachings of Jesus and obeying him

[@ladraode9dedos409]

@@ahmdabdallah5811 ok, so I we can live in peace, me as Christian, you as Muslim and someone else as Jew or whatever Religion they like, Right?

[@nripenkalita5250]

Thanks for your basic tech experiment with simple but effective lessons. Thanks for your systematic technological work and the best Contribution to knowledge chain.

[@joemason9187]

It's a good way to get a feel for a gyro

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Joe Mason, be certain, this is not easy. The hard part is knowing how to get the rotor up to speed safely in strong winds. You also need some understand of what it can and can not do. A cable break could be very unforgiving and might/could end very badly. This should not be attempted unless you have “some” training.

[@UpcomingJedi]

Dont you just love it when the video is longer than your shoe size in seconds?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

It’s pretty good for handing the rotor but it does require understanding and knowing how to get it safely spun up. It’s not easy with the wind always blowing, same goes for stopping it. Transition to engine power is not exactly easy either. Nothing can replace taking dual instruction for that. It’s a whole new “beast” once you strap on that motor. You should never go at it alone.

[@stevelamperta865]

some one did when they first learned how to fly. I think you shouldn't let anyone stop you from doing anything ! We could definately do with a few less know it all's !

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@stevelamperta865 I like what Ken Brock always said, "don't tell me, show me"!!! I do miss my glider.

[@henkduivenvoorden8331]

A few weeks ago I flew with a gyroglider. The rotor speed was generated by a Puch Maxi moped engine. uch faster and easier than hand propping...

[@dogtorphil]

Pretty sure something like this was hovering over my class A RV last night. As a Navy veteran who flew in helicopters for years, I was very confused when this sound appeared over my RV and hovered for 10 secs. In the remote mountains of Idaho after dark! Really weird!

[@russellfleming7427]

Will go further?will it fly away?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Longest tow rope I've heard about was around 1000'. Beyond that the cable becomes "weight" so it changes some of the dynamics. With a motor they can fly very well at speeds to and above 80 mph and are super maneuverable. Check PRA.org. Site may not be very active. Check RotaryForum.com as well. You can view videos and several examples of the motorized gyroplanes there.

[@WhiskeyBeerBack]

Wow, that's really cool!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

John, Fun once you know how for sure.

[@kiwikeith7633]

In case some might start with a gyro-glider like this and then be tempted to install a motor - with of course a pusher prop. I once met a man who was negotiating for the Benson agency. Initially he was towed behind a V8 car, but then he installed the motor. Nothing wrong with that if you do it properly - so my caution is against being negligent or taking short-cuts. When I visited him, he was strutting round his gyro flicking imaginary dust specs off his beloved baby - the gyro. It looked pristine - but looks deceive. He was overhead doing a promotion above an airshow when his pusher prop disintegrated. Shards of prop impacted the main rotor and sheared it off. So this guy plummeted 1,000'. They were still finding shards of bone embedded in the grass weeks later.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Kiwi Keith, you are quite right.!! Many could view this as “easy” but they are mistaken. I’ll add an experience I had when my prop shaft broke off right at the nose of the engine. I saw the prop leave the aircraft and “sail” off on its own. It was struck by the rotor as it left and about 6” were “chopped” off both ends of the prop. It was a wooden prop. It caused a slight CG shift but otherwise we were able to glide in with the engine at idle. So some extreme things can happen. Thankfully I was competent and experienced enough to handle this emergency. Flying anything requires a learned level of skill and knowledge. Flying a gyro as a toy, can lead quickly to a fatal accident.

[@angargoy7181]

It is a physical way of seeing the transformation of energy, wind speed is transformed into elevation.

[@irfanbaig6077]

Share a video of making rotor blades..

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

They were factory built. I did not make them nor would I ever. It requires a special skill I do not have.

[@NoNameForThisGuy]

You edited out the part I wanted to see most: the rotor building all that velocity! My brain can’t wrap itself around how that acceleration is possible, I wanted to see it for my own eyes. Also, wouldn’t a bicycle pedal mechanism allow you to just sit down and pedal to get the rotor spinning? Could maybe help you keep it rotating in an emergency too?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Actually my friend just didn't film the whole spin-up but it's all the wind after about 40 rotor rpm. You can see it accelerate each time it lands and then becomes airborne again. I have seen a hand "crank" mechanism used once but it works only for the first 40 ish rotor rpm. After that it's all up to the wind. No need to connect a pedal system to the rotor to keep the rotor spinning, like I mentioned, it's all up to the wind to do that. It's called autorotation. Same way a helicopter glides safely down to a landing when or if the engine quits. They trade off their altitude for the up-flow of wind to keep the rotor spinning.

[@plasmaboy42]

Like a man... Luv this vid...

[@noahman27]

I don't understand how you got the rotor up to speed without any forward motion. Can anyone explain this?

[@SpiritofDaniel]

In the early 90s I survived parasailing in no name storm in Orlando near the airport . I used to parasail behind my car. We would find a long Open Road or path. We realized between 15 and 20 miles an hour is all we needed. One day after a long spell of not enough wind as we prefer to tie it off to a stationary object such as a parked truck or tree, we suddenly got several days of significant wind. I called my friend and we went off of Semoran Boulevard in Orlando near the airport. It was nighttime. We first tied the Rope off to my Volkswagen Microbus rear bumper. I let out about 100 ft of rope and was able to fly and still get back down. Next I let out all 600 feet. Was not a good idea. I flew around 400 ft in the night sky pulling severe G's getting tossed around like a leaf. It was so windy at that level I could not stick my arm straight out. So it was blowing above 80. It picked the back end of my Volkswagen Microbus in the air and was dragging it very fast to the east in a huge grassy field. My friend was on the ground thinking I was having a good time when I was utterly terrified. It seemed like I was up there forever. I thought I was going to die and was convinced. The peace of God came over me and then I was all right with dying strangely. Something told me to pull one of the steering toggles and I did slowly and consistently until the parasail angled off the horizon to the side and lost enough lift to land. Once I got to the ground I pulled the parasail lines inside out so it would not re-inflate. My truck transmission was destroyed as it lifted it and kept setting it down hard in reverse and there was grass stuffed up underneath the front bumper. Since then I always thought hey gyrocopter kite would be much safer in Gusty wind. I've often thought of making a dedicated version. Any comments?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Wow guy, that would have given me a heart attack. Great story. The strong winds are almost never "friendly". That's why most of the parasail guys/gals can be seen on calm early mornings or calm late evenings, when the winds are light. Not sure I would ever "kite" a parasail. You had a once in a lifetime experience with some "luck" thrown in. A gyroplane is much different in that it can handle some pretty tough wind conditions. When airplanes are getting all buffeted around, a gyroplane will be more stable. If I had rough conditions to fly in (and I have had them) give me the gyro or a helicopter any day.

[@pawesocha3570]

Super

[@ezonigs3107]

I recently developed a strong interest in Gyroplanes. I have successfully designed and build a twin rotor rc Gyroplane and I am currently building a mono rotor Gyroplane that I designed too…still rc.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Well it takes a "different" kind of pilot to fly r/c. I never did well in that task. Guess I'm a seat of the pants' sort. I cant fly well without all the senses at work.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

No website. You can look on www.Rotaryforum and maybe PRA.org. I’m sure you can find out a little more from these.

[@cheweyweather]

That might be a good idea for safe flight control training.

[@FMDful]

Неплохой тренажер для обучения пилотов GIRO👍👌🤙✌️

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

It is GOOD for rotor management training but not easy to learn without help from someone that knows how to get the rotor spun-up under windy conditions. It is not easy to do and you need to understand how it is done and done safely. Trying this alone without experienced help can be dangerous.

[@Pushyhog]

i been to 3 county fairs, aint never seen nothin to beat it.

[@Watson1]

That’s shocking English.

[@peterjoseph8913]

How about: “I’ve been to three county fairs, and I’ve never seen anything that beats that”

[@fishmut]

Awesome stuff , loved watching this , looks like heaps of fun , great learning tool I believe as well . No runway for take off or fuel expenses lol , enjoyed this video heaps .👍

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thank You. Some of the most satisfying flying in my 50+ year gyro career

[@ericalbert6954]

Merci beaucoup l'Ami

[@davids8449]

Must take a long time to wind up the elastic band

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

David S, it does take some waiting for the necessary winds, something 22mph or more, and steady is always nice. In Maryland, this only happened a couple days a season.

[@shmuelpollak3272]

Good one! 😂

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

You need either the wind or you need to be towed by car, boat, or anything that will produce about 22mph of wind or greater. Kiting in the wind is the most fun for me. Only you and the wind.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Well I did. I think it was 1977 in an "Easy Riser" I built in my basement. Long story but I eventually broke a bone in my right landing gear (foot). That ended my hang glider days.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@Rod Loucks Yes, the price has gone up on most modern gyro's. You can still build one more "stick" like but there are very few being sold that way. I suspect at least $15K would be needed today. Some designs are not stable like most modern machines. I met the guy that flew "Little Nellie" in the movie "You Only Live Twice", Commander Ken Wallis. He had a remarkable history in aviation. Ken has passed but not from gyros. He was still flying them at age 90.!!!

[@nameberry220]

​@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 The Nano Fusion Copter is beautiful and built much more modern than a stick and ready to go for around $20,000. Unfortunately it is a single seater.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@nameberry220, I will admit the Nano Fusion caught my eye. I will point out some concerns that I have. It is not for a heavy pilot since power is on the low side. I believe someone familiar with a gyro will do fine but think it is not for the "new" guy. I have some concerns with rudder authority with the rather large body. I am sure it should always be flown in "trim", coordinated flight. Most cabin gyros want to be flown in "trim" because the cabin can cause slip/yaw and get away from you. If I wanted to get back in today, I think I would strongly consider that gyro. All of the above are just my observations and not from personally flying the Nano.

[@alangodfrey2654]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi120

[@andrewhillman9632]

so cool, thank you

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thanks. Gyroplanes are about the coolest thing flying, free air conditioning included !!!

[@starhopper26]

I love this 😊

[@stalex1679]

It would be awesome for helicopter training

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Actually I am a retired army helicopter pilot. I feel it teaches rotor management most of all. Mainly because you can hear the rotor speed up and slow down with the wind speed changes and how it reacts to it. The simplicity of no engine or systems to monitor allows you to focus all senses on the rotor’s condition as it change’s rpm.

[@arthurh1969]

I feel like this would be an interesting concept for a wind turbine. A Benson B8 glider?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

I agree. The wind can provide "lots" of power. This is exactly what wind turbines are all about. It is a Bensen B8 glider (not Benson) spell checker does that.

[@clayton203]

Hell I was waiting for them to turn it loose

[@StepAttitude]

First time I flew a gyro kite was in a Bensen Gyroglider - I was 14 years old. We towed it behind the family station wagon. Later at the El Mirage dry lake in CA, I would hover my gyrocopter when the wind was blowing hard. Good times.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Have to say the glider brought a lot of joy to me. No engine noise. No engine to fail. No systems to monitor. No air traffic to avoid. Fewer moving parts. Just the wind in my face and beautiful clouds sweeping by sometimes. I could almost take a nap.!!! I am very happy just hearing the rotor do its thing. But I have to say my Huey days were also that way.

[@georgestrus9333]

Did you build the gyrocopter? I have a set of plans for a Bensen Gyro from the 50's and am thinking of building it. Any thoughts or insight would be greatly appreciated.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Not sure if your 50’s plans will have the later control head but that’s important. Bensen is gone now and so is Brock (almost identical) so finding critical components may be challenging. “Used” is how I found mine and I think I paid about $1500 and that was 10 years ago now. I would stick with a factory Bensen or Brock rotor and a factory head unless you are a competent machinist. Don’t change the configuration at all as that changes everything else. Good luck. Never try this on you own. Find competent qualified help. It’s easy to get critically injured and many have died proving that point.

[@bchewski7107]

I know this has been awhile but I had a dream I was doing this seemed so real..amost out of body experience scary as heck but loving every second of it.🤪

[@JorgeSanmartin-bh8cm]

Pienso igual. Muy buen viento o un ventilador potente... Feicidades pero deberian explicarlo..bueno

[@trensemetro4054]

Só faltou mostrar o enorme ventilador que está soprando por trás da câmera

[@grub1962]

Hi Chris: A little more of a technical question. Do you have any negative pitch induced into the blades at the rotor head block? If so how much angle? Lastly would a little negative pitch help lift off in lighter winds and quicker spool up of the rotor? Any knowledge you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the video... watched it hundreds of times.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Look at the control stick and think of the rotor spindle as following the stick as it is tilted. Lets say the rotor spindle is vertical and the stick is also (actual degrees are different because the mast is aft 9 degrees relative to the keel). Just some more confusion, the rotor is "fixed" in pitch to about 1.5 degrees positive and bolted solidly into the hub. System is referred to as "semi-ridgid". The rotor also "teeters" within about a 10 degree window. It does this to allow for dissimilar of lift, created when the rotor turns around it's spindle. The right side is more positive creating more lift and the left side is less positive creating less lift. Best to demo this action at the gyro. As you move the stick that action is translated to the rotor via two control rods. The control "head" is essentially a universal joint that allows the rotor spindle to follow movements of the stick (cyclic). The cyclic changes the rotor pitch cyclically as the rotor turns. There is no collective. Less fixed pitch would allow the rotor to spin up quicker but the overall result is less efficient. 1.5 degrees positive seems to work best but you can go a little more positive but not much. Less pitch slightly easier spin up but not good lift. Sorry if this isn't understandable. Computer "jumbled" it and dropped some also.

[@grub1962]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thank you Chris for the quick and honest reply. Yes it does make sense and I do follow your explanation. I have a 1960"s Bensen Gyro with out motor. I have let it spool up in light winds and that is the extent I am prepared to go before I take proper Gyro lessons. I asked my question out of pure knowledge gaining :) You know how thoughts bounce around in your head... So I thought I would ask. Thanks for taking the time to teach and help... your answer is greatly appreciated.

[@carmelorodriguez4735]

This gyrocopter looks like the one designed by Igor Bensen.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Carmelo Rodriguez, it basically is. Minor changes with the horizontal location but most everything else is the B8 gyroplane airframe and rotor. Gyrocopter was the trade name the Bensen factory used. The official “class” is Gyroplane. Gyrocopter has such a following that even the Air Traffic Controllers tend to use it.

[@carmelorodriguez4735]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thanks Christopher for your explanation.

[@metalkokorea]

anti-gravity

[@bobbywalker4883]

For me that's how I learned back in the 80s in California great fun let me tell you

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

bobby Walker, I’ll say most of “today’s” gyro pilots have never experienced this great feeling.

[@bobbywalker4883]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I know a lot of them hasn't experienced that great feeling been towed by vehicle staked out like a kite they just have not experienced it and Banning California Cabazon California

[@FenyvesViktor]

Now could you get some forward push with some bike pedals?

[@santhiyagovindarajan2561]

How did u fly without a tail rotor bro??🤔🤔

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Tail rotor is not required because the main rotor is not driven, it free wheels in autorotation. You could actually lock the rudder completely in the kite configuration.

[@santhiyagovindarajan2561]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thank you brother.

[@MDSBock]

Angle of attack.. Have you thought of attaching the cable further down the frame (like the front wheel area) you would have more stability (draw a line from the rotor hub to the cable anchor point) then the absolute front frame, act more like a kite. It seems the cable pull is trying to pitch the nose down.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

suny bock , believe me the only thing keeping me from climbing higher are the unpredictable minimal winds and the length on my cable. I have seen video of folks being towed by car on a 1000 foot rope and there is no problem with the cable attaching point. It is located where you see it for several reasons. Stability, easy release (standard glider tow aircraft hook), and if you notice, there is a cable from the attachment point running up to the the control head. This is done to transfer the load of the cable pull from the tow “boom” directly up to the head where all the load is located. UP is not a problem.!!!

[@budipirang2694]

Very good

[@cactuscosyusa]

Great idea, but if you could play the line out as it climbs, you would get to a higher altitude.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Sure can. Trouble this day was the wind was not steady enough or strong enough to take that chance. The air is more steady as you climb away from the ground, but if it suddenly slows, you can be "dropped" like a rock.

[@cactuscosyusa]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 NO, it wont drop like a rock. The rotor will continue to spin and it will slowly descend. I flew in an Air Command Gyrocopter once.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@cactuscosyusa watch closer. When the wind dies, it does land abruptly. Yes the rotor continues to turn but without the energy of the wind or altitude for time to restore your energy in the glide down, you will let's say "hit" the ground pretty hard. You need that extra energy to cushion the landing. Without the wind it can not sustain flight. Without "extra" energy, you can not control how hard you will land. Gilliam, I am a rated gyroplane instructor with over 48 years flying them. Please understand I want only to help you.

[@cactuscosyusa]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Well it would land abruptly from that height and with that rotor speed. If it was at a higher altitude it would be a lot different.

[@sasuipunhu31]

How to down...? Any brake rotor?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

You only need to go forward with the stick and it will land. Once on the ground, keep the stick all the way forward and the wind will go out of the rotor. As the wind goes out the energy goes out and the rotor will slow almost to a stop. The last 40 RPM must be stopped quickly by hand as the rotor will lose rigidity and become unmanageable.

[@sasuipunhu31]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 thank you sir

[@kreynolds1123]

I wonder how well that idea could work as a wind turbine making electricity without an expensive tower.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

I've always thought it could generate some electricity but lots of issues involved like.. rotor will not start itself, it needs to be started by some means, hand or motor. It requires no less that about 6 mph wind to keep it spinning and at that rpm, it would not create much if any horsepower. But with about 20 mph wind and more, this configuration will lift around 400 pounds easily. I'm sure someone "smarter" than me can put all that down on paper and calculate all the numbers needed, that's just not my area of expertise. It still needs some elevation "above" the ground and the higher the smoother and stronger the air stream. I'm sure the wind turbine folks have worked out the numbers and have the design down pretty pat. Yes, their "towers" are impressive, expensive and their rotors are huge.

[@kreynolds1123]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I've seen articles on kite like turbine/generator. but never a gyrocoper turbine/generator. Conveniently, the power cable's might also serve as a tether. Furthermore, for getting it started spinning and getting it high up into into faster moving air, it is serendipitously convent that an alternator or generator for making electricity can be made to motor to get it spinning. They are in fact largely the same machine. A generating gyrocopter need only be optimized for lifting itself and a sufficiently sized motor generator. Do you think a ballast would help with flight stability? I'm thinking the one downside is that while wind turbines are designed to get maximal cross section of wind, a gyrocopter needs to adjust its angel to the incoming wind so as to generate lift. To be practical flying would need to be automated. I'm guessing a cheap raspberry pi computer the size of a credit card with sensors attached to its general purpose input output pins running on 10-15 watts or so would have more than sufficent processing, and its on-board wifi would enable convent monitoring and remote control.

[@mekkler]

I'm trying to imagine what would happen if the rope broke or was released. I'm guessing it would drift backwards and the tail hit first.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

If the rope broke you can tilt the rotor forward and actually accelerate and remain flying if you have enough altitude. Ken Brock released from 2000 feet being towed to altitude behind and airplane. Naturally it is controllable in a descent as long as you have some speed just before touchdown. You convert that speed to cushion your landing. From 30 feet it would be a big challenge to tilt the rotor enough forward to not drift backwards before slamming into the ground hard. I think you may not really have much to flare with for a soft touchdown. If you did nothing, what you said above would be the likely result. I used a steel cable and two stakes in the ground to not really worry about that.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

You might feel better about “GYROKITE PT2” which shows my cousin flying over my head. You can hear us talking. If there was any powered fan in front, you would only hear engine noise.

[@planecrazyish]

just brilliant.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Fun for sure.!!!

[@mdjubayerhussain5933]

OMG 😱😳 Nice 👍

[@rubensdeoliveiratheophilo6324]

Gostaria de saber mais sobre o produto, preço, curso, custo.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Well I'm retired from about 30 years of instructing students. This product is no longer sold that I am aware of. It was kit built. I picked it up used for around $1500 us. It needed some work but was nearly ready to fly. This was 2010 or so. You may be able to find a used one by searching Bensen B8 Gyroplane. I used it mostly as a demonstrator and to just have fun. Good tool to teach the basics. Sorry I can't give you more on that. Also post on www.rotaryforum.com. That is a place many gyroplane enthusiast gather. Log in and then post that you are looking for one. Kit plans may also be available on that site.

[@1silvervespa]

Very Cool .....

[@Sanjupotadar59]

How it's Possible It's Without Motor

[@justinhart8652]

Could you build something that would act like a parachute so it was the act of falling That would turn the blades?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Several problems. Yes, you can descend vertically from altitude but before a safe landing can be accomplished, you must lower the nose and gain airspeed so you have that energy to flare (raise the nose) which decreases your rate of descend and slows your airspeed simultaneously for a soft touchdown. As for dropping you as a parachute you can't without first spinning the rotor up for rigidity. The rotor will fold because it is too flexible when not spinning. When flying, the rotor is spinning around 230 rpm in this configuration and weight. I hand spin it to at or above 40 rpm to begin this higher spin up for lift-off. All rotor rpm from about 40 and above is dependant on the wind blowing through the rotor.

[@justinhart8652]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 Thank you for your reply . went way over my head . are the problems you described Solvable or is my idea just a bad one

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@justinhart8652 Not a bad idea just not able to solve that one without lots of money of course, naturally, and then it becomes obsolete or impractical. I think some attempts were made in that direction but never been a viable solution. Good question

[@ladraode9dedos409]

That IS veeeeeeeeeeeeeery cool!

[@traxxartinventionsexplaine3501]

Very cool flight time and no motor

[@wilsonandremachadosilveira4200]

Parabéns pelo vídeo!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thanks, glad my cousin made it and my grandson was able to put it here for others to enjoy.

[@bestdealdoors]

Wow that was cool thanks 🙂

[@MrPepper312]

I hear he's still waiting for the wind to die down so he can go home.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Easy to think that. I wish we had video of the full stopping of the rotor. Once you push the stick full forward, most of the wind is taken out of the rotor system. This makes the rotor disk flat to the wind. It will coast down nicely to around 40 rpm at which time I reach up and slow it "quickly" by hand. You need to get it slowed down "quickly" once it gets below about 40 rpm. The rotor becomes very limber below that and it will "sail" out of control. Centrifugal force is less and it needs that to keep the rotor stiff and in control. Same goes when starting it. Hand push to about 40 with the rotor flat. Then as you "slowly" begin to tilt the rotor back and add more air (stick slowly back), it will also build speed and rpm until around 320 rpm, when it lifts you easily off the ground.

[@robertmorris4784]

This idea could take off....

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Well it has, with an engine. Most folks do not have the steady winds to do this everyday or each time you want to fly. This type of kiting does not require another person, just steady winds.

[@raynic1173]

So is that one of the basic principles of the gyrocopter the "pusher" stile lower motor and blades accelerates the vehicle and when reaching the right forward speed the upper blades create lift? So force on the uppers creates lift, then I assume as long as the upper blades have any force like if it's "falling" that will create lift also. Meaning you'll never go into a free fall mode?

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Think of a maple seed as it spins and falls slowly down. Yes, as long as the rotor is spinning at its normal speed gained in flight, it could descend all the way down from great height vertically. However you need some “extra” energy from forward speed in the descent to make a soft landing. You might survive a vertical landing (with at very least a back injury) but it is unlikely the standard Bensen gyro will. Specialty landing gear has been designed to let you even do that.

[@francoyorio313]

wonderful!

[@birendraraibirendrarai7462]

Amazing!

[@ОлегСтепанов-л9к]

Я правильно понял,что этот автожир взлетает от силы встречного ветра? Это ж какая летучесть! Потрясающе!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

I was a very active GYRO-CFI at that time. No club other than the national PRA (Popular Rotorcraft Association). I always wanted to do a video on "excessive blade flap" using the glider. It was very dramatic and easy to see what is happening and the approaching "signs". I just never got with a cameraman at the right time to do it. I would only have demonstrated this on camera in the glider as you could talk easily, hear and see the rotor climb up out of the correct tip path plane. Never would have demonstrated this so close to an actual flap in a powered machine. Time just got away.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

You’re most welcome

[@Ultimus_Romanorum_V]

If you put steam boosters on the ends of the main propeller, and a monotube steam generator, would be very cool.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Right and very hard to accomplish. Violates that basic rule, keep it simple

[@1.4142]

Magic!

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

All real my friend

[@RunIntoTheSkyNonprofit]

that's the coolest

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

I enjoyed this "kiting" more than any flying in my 50 years of gyro flight. It's much harder than you may think but so much fun.

[@1silvervespa]

Good practice ..

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Not to mention FUN for this fellow

[@richarddegen6184]

that was common in the late 50's into the 60's

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Richard Degen, I’ve been flying gyros since 1971. You are probably correct in the 50-60’s time frame. Once practical two-place powered gyros came to be, it was nearly the only way to learn.

[@Bulletguy07]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I expect you know of ex RAF Wing Commander Ken Wallis who built many autogyros, including flying "Little Nellie" in the Bond movie? Ken was still flying them from his home here in UK well into his 90's and here he is off for a whizz around aged 95!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIKweqCZl8d8lbs

[@richarddegen6184]

@@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12 I wasa helicopter mechanic usmc 1965/69...got months of training/education on rotary flight..20 months as a crew member in Vietnam UH34 recip Sikorsky's...bought plans and kit plans for B8.....old timey Benson rotor head, wood blades...didn't have the money to finish building it, probably saved my life!! did go on to hang gliding, powered parachues and powered paragliders in the early 2000's....never got comfortable flying...so quit doing it...had professional training however...most solo with radio contact with CFI..

[@richarddegen6184]

bought wood/steel rotor kit, frame tubing, rotor head parts...had shipped to my parents house while in "nam, I was a 19 yr old pup then....gave it all away in about 1972 when decided it was just a dream that I couldn't afford to finish it

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

@@richarddegen6184 I was flying helicopters in Vietnam 1968-69, the UH-1 and AH-1. All turbine after primary in the Hiller OH-23. Did some hang gliding in the Easy Riser. Broke my right ankle there so stopped that. Bensen gyro 1971 and got my instructors rating in gyro's 1989. Instructed in gyros until 2019 so 30 year's, yes, dodging death. I flew on wood rotors around 1991. They were pretty remarkable and smooth. It's been a good ride and gyros are the best kept secret in flying. They have their limits.!!

[@standardaussie]

These questions are something else, When you consider just how stupid the average person is, Then realise half of them are even more stupid. Anyway, Cool engineering guy 👍 Ps you're a champion for entertaining those questions btw, you clearly have passion for the profession. Admirable.

[@christopherburgessgyro-cfi12]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I do enjoy talking gyro. Rotorcraft have made my world so much more fun. I've met some very interesting people. If you haven't flown in helicopters or gyros, you don't know what you're missing.