gyro madness

[H2O]

can anyone help me how to build your own gyrocopter? anything any form any ideas:D

[Phi for All]

can anyone help me how to build your own gyrocopter? anything any form any ideas:D

This site has plans for sale for US$100 (large format plans, cheaper if you get 11x17), and says it costs $500 to make. I haven't done this or endorse it, this is not a staff recommendation, and is merely the result of a quick search into the subject.

 

One of my fantasies is to own a lot of land and travel from site to site on it in ultralights and gyrocopters. They are simply too cool.

[Callipygous]

how does that work?

 

wiki is telling me that the power to spin the rotor is provided by "aerodynamic forces alone once it is in flight".

 

what aerodynamic forces make the rotor spin? the only options i can think of seem counter to what i know of physics...

[chilehed]

how does that work?...what aerodynamic forces make the rotor spin? the only options i can think of seem counter to what i know of physics...

Naah, you're just making it harder than it is. As the prop in the back pushes the 'copter forward, the wind drag from the overhead rotor causes the 'copter to tilt back a bit. When that happens the rotor begins to spin like a pinwheel in the wind, and its resistance against the air lifts the 'copter off of the ground.

[Rocket Man]

neat, so the optimum would be a rotor with a bit of drag and a low negative lift at zero airspeed.

how does the rotor respond to changes in the camber of the blades? is it much the same as a chopper once it's spining?

[chilehed]

neat, so the optimum would be a rotor with a bit of drag and a low negative lift at zero airspeed.

how does the rotor respond to changes in the camber of the blades? is it much the same as a chopper once it's spining?

I'm not qualified to answer, but as far as I know they all use fixed-pitch blades.

[gcol]

I'm not qualified to answer, but as far as I know they all use fixed-pitch blades.

 

That is how I understand it, and is their simplistic attraction, but the rotor head tilts under the control of the pilot. Maximum tilt back (flare-out) is used to reduce forward speed while retaining lift to achieve very low landing speeds. Helicopter rotors tilt forward in direction of travel, for propulsion, autogyros tilt back solely for lift, propulsion coming from a rear mounted propeller. I stand to be corrected, of course. Once the rotor is up to speed, one might almost think of it as a circular wing.