disaster Gyrocopter Crashed Injuring Two

[Monkman777]

San Jose...

 

[LUNATIC666]

lucky fuckers survived...

 

[K.I.T.T.]

San Jose...
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Dumbass. I had a gyrocopter for about a year and the most important thing I learned about them was to quit flying them.

The fixed-pitch rotor (the "propeller" on top) generates lift in pretty much the same way an airplane's wing does. The rear propeller pushes the copter forward and the air passing over the rotor above causes it to spin and kinetic energy will allow it to continue spinning (providing lift) for a short time, even after the forward thrust has been reduced. Precise timing, coordination and glide angle are required to perform an effective landing, leaving little room for error. Once that kinetic energy in the prop bleeds off, you're basically sitting in a rock.

The attraction for most new pilots is the ultralight designation (low weight) that allows anyone to fly it without a pilot's license, a foolish decision in my opinion.

Sold mine after seven or maybe eight flights. A very narrow margin of error make these things risky as fuck to fly.

Imagine riding a big clunky motorcycle downhill on a muddy bumpy road, stuck in neutral with no brakes.

 

[Algonquin J. Calhoun]

Dumbass. I had a gyrocopter for about a year and the most important thing I learned about them was to quit flying them.

The fixed-pitch rotor (the "propeller" on top) generates lift in pretty much the same way an airplane's wing does. The rear propeller pushes the copter forward and the air passing over the rotor above causes it to spin and kinetic energy will allow it to continue spinning (providing lift) for a short time, even after the forward thrust has been reduced. Precise timing, coordination and glide angle are required to perform an effective landing, leaving little room for error. Once that kinetic energy in the prop bleeds off, you're basically sitting in a rock.

The attraction for most new pilots is the ultralight designation (low weight) that allows anyone to fly it without a pilot's license, a foolish decision in my opinion.

Sold mine after seven or maybe eight flights. A very narrow margin of error makes these things risky as fuck to fly.

Imagine riding a big clunky motorcycle downhill on a muddy bumpy road, stuck in neutral with no brakes.

The Germans in WWII tried a few of these ..unpowered however....but towed by a surfaced U Boat. The 20 Knot speed of the U Boat gave it enough forward momentum to get the unpowered rotor moving so the pilot could climb , attached by the light cable ....rising a few hundred feet and giving him the ability to see further in search of Allied convoys as targets.

 

[CunningLinguist]

No more air fotce but that nation still has an army.