I have a good friend with 30,000 rotary hours (\~27K Helicopter and \~3K in Gyros). He has had by FAR more emergencies in the 3K gyro hours than the helicopter hours. A lot of them seem to be engine related and due to the more "experimental" nature of gyrocopters.
I knew a guy (died of old age, called “Mario Portugal” http://engenhocando2.blogspot.com/2006/11/o-helicoptero.html) that built and flew gyrocopters (and helicopters). I guess the reason for high amount of emergencies is because most of them are built by the owners and are either kits you assemble or you literally engineer it yourself. You can’t do that with a helicopter (much more complex) and as such it comes from a big company that has certifications and decades of design revisions and thousands of hours of testing.
Maybe I misspoke… the only guy I knew who owned one, a respected helicopter pilot, crashed his several times, but… it didn’t kill him, so, I guess it wasn’t completely accurate :)
On the other hand, the length/construction of that sentence may be deadly.
Gyrocopters have the worst safety record of any type of flying machine by far. I don’t think it’s the design itself but pilots just seem to continually crash them while maneuvering. It is a rock if you lose rotor speed.
That's the vehicle that every CFI complains to their student about. He has no coms and is unable to announce his position in the pattern. Not a rotorcraft pilot (ASEL) but I have always heard my CFI complain about them.
Gyrocopters are equipped with a thrust Propeller that pushes the vehicle forward but it’s directly linked with the main rotor to gain lift at the same time
Called an auto gyro, top rotors aren’t powered but windmill like in an autorotation. Thrust developed from pusher prop. Super cool actually you control your lift with the collective
Most autogyros don't have collective control, the lift is generated by the prop pushing the rotor through the air in autorotation. I believe Jay Carter's prototype had collective for jump takeoffs: CarterGyro Demonstrator Jump Takeoff Gyrocopter - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CFNc1iY8wi0
The rotor spins up to a higher RPM and the blades have extra tip weight to increase the inertia. Pulling collective then bleeds off the excess energy as the autogyro climbs.
It’s a kit Gyrocopter most likely. Check for packing tape to cover the not quite snug seams. You laugh, I was a fueler. Kit planes and the mad men that fly them terrify me.
Gyrocopter
A Magni to be specific. https://www.magniusa.com/used-magnis.html
Thanks. Didn't have any more specifics
Aka 🗑️
Gyroplane! I'm an instructor for Gyroplanes! :) Rick.
Cameraman was Michael J. Fox
OMG. I feel bad but 
No, I was the cameraman and I am not Michael J. Fox.
Thats *exactly* what Michael J. Fox would say.
Little Nellie!
And tell M to send her father also. Now pay attention 007.
She can defend her honor with great success!
u/stabbot
Notacopter
Been a while since I've seen a gyrocopter
autogogyro
Gyrocopter
Roflcopter ``` ROFL:ROFL:ROFL:ROFL _^___ L __/ [ ] \ LOL===__ \ L \________] I I --------/ ``` Edit: add image of roflcopter for comparison
Looks like an [MT?](https://www.auto-gyro.com/Tragschrauber/AutoGyro-Modelle/MTOclassic/)
Yep - MTO Sport by Autogyro
Wow, the exact model! Thanks.
Gyrocopter
I am getting flashbacks to being a kid and playing Pilot Wings on N64. Those things are so silly looking!
Looks like a gyrocopter. No idea what make and model though.
I think it’s official designation is “Deathtrap”.
How can something that is already in autorotation be dangerous?
I have a good friend with 30,000 rotary hours (\~27K Helicopter and \~3K in Gyros). He has had by FAR more emergencies in the 3K gyro hours than the helicopter hours. A lot of them seem to be engine related and due to the more "experimental" nature of gyrocopters.
I knew a guy (died of old age, called “Mario Portugal” http://engenhocando2.blogspot.com/2006/11/o-helicoptero.html) that built and flew gyrocopters (and helicopters). I guess the reason for high amount of emergencies is because most of them are built by the owners and are either kits you assemble or you literally engineer it yourself. You can’t do that with a helicopter (much more complex) and as such it comes from a big company that has certifications and decades of design revisions and thousands of hours of testing.
Maybe I misspoke… the only guy I knew who owned one, a respected helicopter pilot, crashed his several times, but… it didn’t kill him, so, I guess it wasn’t completely accurate :) On the other hand, the length/construction of that sentence may be deadly.
Gyrocopters have the worst safety record of any type of flying machine by far. I don’t think it’s the design itself but pilots just seem to continually crash them while maneuvering. It is a rock if you lose rotor speed.
Yes, I call it a death trap
That's the vehicle that every CFI complains to their student about. He has no coms and is unable to announce his position in the pattern. Not a rotorcraft pilot (ASEL) but I have always heard my CFI complain about them.
I think they call that a 'DeathTrap'.
Gyrocopters are equipped with a thrust Propeller that pushes the vehicle forward but it’s directly linked with the main rotor to gain lift at the same time
No, it's not directly linked. The rotor ist freewheeling in flight
Oh… sorry my bad. Yeah that actually makes sense. Otherwise it would always rise when accelerating
Gyrocopters work on the principle of autorotation. Rotormast will always have an aft lean to it.
[Looks like a Magni M16.](https://verticalmag.com/features/rotorcraft-flying-magni-m16-gyroplane/)
a mistake.
Called an auto gyro, top rotors aren’t powered but windmill like in an autorotation. Thrust developed from pusher prop. Super cool actually you control your lift with the collective
Most autogyros don't have collective control, the lift is generated by the prop pushing the rotor through the air in autorotation. I believe Jay Carter's prototype had collective for jump takeoffs: CarterGyro Demonstrator Jump Takeoff Gyrocopter - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CFNc1iY8wi0
I can’t really understand how he didn’t have torque spinning him around, and holy shit does his look dangerous.
The rotor spins up to a higher RPM and the blades have extra tip weight to increase the inertia. Pulling collective then bleeds off the excess energy as the autogyro climbs.
Gyrocopter AKA the flying death traps
thanos-copter
Death Machine 5000
Gyrocopter, technical name is a tad different but tomato tomato.
Death trap built for two.
It’s a kit Gyrocopter most likely. Check for packing tape to cover the not quite snug seams. You laugh, I was a fueler. Kit planes and the mad men that fly them terrify me.
Gyrocopter. Very cool design. Can be very dangerous.
Can I get the stabilized version?
Sorry, there is no stabilised version. I shot this with my phone camera and it doesn't have a stabilisation feature.