It can be said without exaggeration that the main thing in a glider-gyroplane is the main rotor. The flight qualities of a gyroplane depend on the correctness of its profile, weight, alignment accuracy and strength. True, a non-motorized vehicle in tow behind a car rises only 20 - 30 m. But flying at such an altitude requires mandatory compliance with all previously stated conditions.
The blade (Fig. 1) consists of the main element that absorbs all the loads - the spar, ribs (Fig. 2), the spaces between which are filled with foam plastic plates, and a trailing edge made of straight-layer pine lath. All these parts of the blade are glued together with synthetic resin and, after proper profiling, covered with fiberglass to give additional strength and tightness.
Materials for the blade: aircraft plywood 1 mm thick, fiberglass 0.3 and 0.1 mm thick, ED-5 epoxy resin and PS-1 foam. The resin is plasticized with dibutyl phthalate in an amount of 10–15%. The hardener is polyethylene polyamine (10%).
The manufacture of the spar, the assembly of the blades and their subsequent processing are carried out on a slipway, which must be sufficiently rigid and have a straight horizontal surface, as well as one of the vertical edges (their straightness is ensured by gouging under a pattern-type ruler, at least 1 m long).
The slipway (Fig. 3) is made from dry boards. During assembly and gluing of the spar, metal mounting plates are screwed to the vertical longitudinal edge (the straightness of which is ensured) at a distance of 400 - 500 mm from each other. Their upper edge should rise 22 - 22.5 mm above the horizontal surface.
1 – spar (plywood glued with fiberglass); 2 – overlay (oak or ash); 3 – trailing edge (pine or linden); 4 – plank (pine or linden); 5 – filler (foam); 6 – sheathing (2 layers of fiberglass s0.1); 7 – trimmer (duralumin grade D-16M s, 2 pcs.); 8 – rib (plywood s2, layer along)
For each blade, 17 strips of plywood should be prepared, cut according to the spar drawing with the outer layer lengthwise, with processing allowances of 2 - 4 mm per side. Since the dimensions of the plywood sheet are 1500 mm, in each layer the strips must be glued together at a rate of at least 1:10, and the joints in one layer must be spaced 100 mm from the joints in the next one. The plywood pieces are positioned so that the first joints of the lower and upper layers are 1500 mm from the butt end of the spar, the second and penultimate layers are 1400 mm, etc., and the joint of the middle layer is 700 mm from the butt end of the blade. Accordingly, the second and third joints of the prepared strips will be distributed along the spar.
In addition, you need to have 16 strips of fiberglass with a thickness of 0.3 mm and dimensions of 95x3120 mm each. They must first be treated to remove the lubricant.
The blades must be glued in a dry room at a temperature of 18 – 20°C.
MANUFACTURING THE SPARM
Before assembling the workpieces, the slipway is lined with tracing paper so that the workpieces do not stick to it. Then the first layer of plywood is laid and leveled relative to the mounting plates. It is attached to the slipway with thin and short nails (4-5 mm), which are driven in at the butt and at the end of the blade, as well as one on each side of the joints to prevent the plywood sections from moving along the resin and fiberglass during the assembly process. Since they will remain in the layers, they are hammered in randomly. The nails are driven in in the indicated order to secure all subsequent layers. They must be made of a sufficiently soft metal so as not to damage the cutting edges of the tool used for further processing of the spar.
Layers of plywood are generously moistened using a roller or brush with ED-5 resin. Then a strip of fiberglass is sequentially applied to the plywood, which is smoothed by hand and a wooden smoother until resin appears on its surface. After this, a layer of plywood is placed on the fabric, which is first coated with resin on the side that will lie on the fiberglass. The spar assembled in this way is covered with tracing paper, and a rail measuring 3100x90x40 mm is placed on it. Between the lath and the pile, clamps located at a distance of 250 mm from each other along the entire length of the lath are used to compress the assembled package until its thickness is equal to the upper edges of the mounting plates. Excess resin must be removed before it hardens.
The spar blank is removed from the stock after 2-3 days and processed to a width of 70 mm in the profile part, 90 mm in the butt part, and a length between the ends of 3100 mm. Necessary Requirement, which should be observed at this stage, is to ensure the straightness of the spar surface, which forms the leading edge of the blade in the process of further profiling. The surface to which the ribs and foam core will be glued must also be fairly straight. It should be processed with a plane and always with a carbide knife or, in extreme cases, quarry files. All four longitudinal surfaces of the spar blank must be mutually perpendicular.
PRELIMINARY PROFILING
The marking of the spar blank is done as follows. It is placed on the slipway and lines are drawn on the end, front and rear planes, spaced from the surface of the slipway at a distance of 8 mm (~Un max). At the end end, in addition, using a template (Fig. 4), the full profile of the blade is drawn on a scale of 1:1. Special precision is not required in the manufacture of this auxiliary template. WITH outside a chord line is drawn on the template and two holes with a diameter of 6 mm are drilled on it at the toe of the profile and at a point at a distance of 65 mm from it. Looking through the holes, combine the chord line of the template with the line drawn at the end face of the spar to draw a line on it that defines the profiling boundary. To avoid shifts, the template is attached to the end with thin nails, for which holes randomly located along their diameter are drilled into it.
The processing of the spars along the profile is carried out with a simple plane (rough) and a flat bastard file. In the longitudinal direction it is controlled with a ruler. Having completed the processing, the ribs are glued to the rear surface of the spar. The accuracy of their installation is ensured by the fact that during manufacturing a chord line is applied to them, which coincides with the chord line marked on the rear plane of the spar blank, as well as by visual verification of the straightness of their location relative to the auxiliary template. It is again attached to the end end for this purpose. The ribs are placed at a distance of 250 mm from each other, with the first one being placed at the very beginning of the spar profile or at a distance of 650 mm from the end of its butt part.
ASSEMBLY AND PROCESSING OF THE BLADE
After the resin has hardened, foam plastic plates are glued between the ribs, corresponding to the profile of the rear part of the blade, and cuts are made along the protruding ends of the ribs in the rail forming the trailing edge. The latter is glued to
resin to ribs and foam plates.
Next, the foam plates are rough processed, the curvature of which is adjusted to the curvature of the ribs, and excess wood is also removed from the lath to form a trailing edge with some allowance for subsequent precise processing according to the main template (Fig. 5).
The base template is first made with an allowance of 0.2 - 0.25 mm for the values of UV and Un indicated in the template in order to obtain a profile of a smaller than final size for gluing with fiberglass.
When processing a blade using the main template, its lower surface is taken as the base. For this purpose, the straightness of its generatrix is verified with a straight edge at a distance Xn = 71.8 mm, where Un = 8.1 mm. Straightness can be considered sufficient if there is a gap of no more than 0.2 mm in the middle of a 1 m long ruler.
Then guide rails made of hardwood or duralumin 8.1 mm high are attached to the long sides of a well-aligned duralumin plate measuring 500x226x6 mm. The distance between them for the upper half of the main template should be equal to the width of the blade, or 180 mm. The latter is laid on a slipway on 3 - 4 pads, the thickness of which is equal to the thickness of the device plate, and pressed with clamps. Thanks to this, the straightened plate can move between the slipway and the lower surface of the blade along its entire length in a straight plane, which ensures the consistency of the blade thickness and compliance of its surface with the given profile.
The upper surface of the blade can be considered processed if the upper half of the template moves along its entire length without a gap along the profile and in places where the template contacts the guides. The lower surface of the blade is checked with a fully assembled template, both halves of which are rigidly connected together. The upper and lower surfaces are profiled using bastard files with coarse and medium notches, and depressions and irregularities are sealed according to a template using ED-5 resin putty mixed with wood flour, and filed again according to the template.
BLADE Wrapping
The next operation is to paste the profile and butt parts of the blades with fiberglass cloth 0.1 mm thick in two layers on ED-5 resin. Each layer is a continuous strip of fiberglass, which is applied with its middle to the leading edge of the blade. The main requirement that must be observed in this case is that the excess resin, after the fabric is well saturated with it, must be carefully squeezed out using a wooden trowel in the transverse direction from the front edge to the back, so that air bubbles do not form under the fabric. The fabric should not be tucked or wrinkled anywhere to avoid unnecessary thickening.
Having pasted over the blades, they are cleaned sandpaper, and the trailing edge is brought to a thickness close to the final one. The profile of the spar toe is also checked. For now, this is done using a basic template with some allowances, as indicated above, to ensure the quality of the profiling of the upper and lower surfaces.
The main template is brought to the required size and with its help the final adjustment of the profile is made using putty, and the lower surface of the blade is again taken as a basis, for which using pattern ruler the straightness of its generatrix is again checked at a distance Xn = 71.8 mm from the toe. Having made sure of its straightness, the blade is placed on the slipway with the bottom surface down on pads 42 mm high (this value is the rounded difference between the height of the lower half of the template and Un = 8.1 mm). One of the linings lies under the butt part of the blade, which in this place is pressed against the slipway with a clamp, the rest along the blade at arbitrary distances from each other. After this, the upper surface of the blade is washed with acetone or a solvent and covered along the entire length with a thin layer of putty made of ED-5 resin and tooth powder of such thickness that it is easily distributed on the surface and does not flow down along the curvature of the profile (the consistency of thick sour cream). The firmly fastened main template slowly and evenly moves along the blade with a chamfer forward along the movement so that its edge always rests on the horizontal surface of the slipway. By removing excess putty from the convex areas of the profile and leaving the required amount in the depressions, the template thus ensures that the profile is finished. If it turns out that the depressions in some places have not been filled, then this operation is repeated after applying a thicker layer of putty to them. Excess putty must be removed periodically when it begins to hang over the leading and trailing edges of the blade.
When performing this operation, it is important to move the template without distortions and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blade, moving it non-stop to avoid uneven surfaces of the blade. Having allowed the putty to reach full hardness and smoothed it lightly with sandpaper, the final putty operation is repeated on the lower surface, using pads 37 mm high.
BLADE FINISH
Having made the blades, they are treated with medium-grit sandpaper, turning Special attention to form the profile toe, wash with acetone or solvent and cover with primer No. 138, except for the place where the trimmer is attached (Fig. 6). Then all irregularities are sealed with nitro putty, making sure that unnecessary thickening does not form on the profiled surfaces.
Final Finishing work, which consists of carefully removing excess putty with waterproof sandpaper of different grain sizes, is carried out in accordance with the advancement of the closed template along the surfaces of the blade without excessive heaving and gaps (no more than 0.1 mm).
After pasting the blades with fiberglass cloth 0.1 mm thick and before covering them with soil, oak or ash plates measuring 400x90x6 mm are glued onto the butt part of the blades from above and below using ED-5 resin, which are planed so that the blades acquire an installation angle enclosed between the chord and horizontal plane and equal to 3°. It is checked using a simple template (Fig. 7) relative to the front surface of the butt, as well as by checking the parallelism of the resulting surfaces below and above the butt.
This completes the formation of the butt of the blade, and it is covered with 0.3 mm fiberglass on ED-5 resin to make the blade airtight. The finished blade, except the butt, is painted with nitro enamel and polished.
Read the following issues of the magazine for advice on determining the actual position of the center of gravity of the blades, their balancing and mating with the hub.
ASSEMBLY AND ADJUSTMENT
The previous issue of the magazine described in detail technological process manufacturing of gyroplane rotor blades.
The next stage is balancing the blades along the chord, assembling and balancing the main rotor along the radius of the blades. The smooth operation of the main rotor depends on the accuracy of installation of the latter, otherwise increased unwanted vibrations will occur. Therefore, the assembly must be taken very seriously - do not rush, do not start work until all the necessary tools, fixtures and equipment have been selected and prepared. workplace. When balancing and assembling, you must constantly monitor your actions - it is better to measure seven times than to fall even once from a low height.
The process of balancing blades along the chord in this case comes down to determining the position of the center of gravity of the blade element.
The main purpose behind the need to balance the blade along the chord is to reduce the tendency for flutter-type oscillations to occur. Although the described machine is unlikely to experience these vibrations, you need to remember about them, and when adjusting, every effort should be made to ensure that the center of gravity of the blade is within 20 - 24% of the chord from the tip of the profile. The NACA-23012 blade profile has a very small movement of the center of pressure (CP is the point of application of all aerodynamic forces acting on the blade in flight), which is within the same limits as the CG. This makes it possible to combine the CG and CP lines, which practically means the absence of a pair of forces causing twisting of the main rotor blade.
The proposed design of the blade ensures the required position of the CG and CP, provided they are manufactured strictly according to the drawing. But even with the most careful selection of materials and adherence to technology, weight discrepancies can arise, which is why balancing work is carried out.
The CG position of a manufactured blade can be determined (with some acceptable errors) by making the blades with an allowance at the ends of 50-100 mm. After the final filing, the allowance is cut off, the tip is placed on the blade, and the cut element is balanced.
1 – corner limiter (D16T); 2 – main rotor axis (30ХГСА); 3 – lower plate of the bushing (D16T, s6); 4 – bushing truss (D16T); 5 – main hinge axis (30ХГСА); 6 – bushing (tin bronze); 7 – washer Ø20 – 10, 5 – 0.2 (steel 45); 8 – bearing housing (D16T); 9 – hole for the cotter pin; 10 – bearing housing cover. (D16T); 11 – castle nut M18; 12 – washer Ø26 – 18, 5 – 2 (steel 20); 13 - cover fastening screw M4; 14 – angular contact bearing; 15 – radial-spherical bearing No. 61204; 16 – blade fastening bolt (30ХГСА); 17 – blade cover (s3, 30ХГСА); 18 – washer Ø14 – 10 – 1.5 (steel 20); 19 – self-locking nut M10; 20 – M8 screw; 21 – bougie (Ø61, L = 200, D16T); 22 – pylon (pipe Ø65×2, L=1375, linden)
A blade element is placed on a triangular, horizontally located prism with its lower surface (Fig. 1). Its section plane along the chord must be strictly perpendicular to the edge of the prism. By moving the blade element along the chord, its balance is achieved and the distance at the toe of the profile to the edge of the prism is measured. This distance should be 20 - 24% of the chord length. If the CG goes beyond this maximum limit, an anti-flutter weight of such weight will need to be hung on the tip of the profile at the tip of the blade so that the CG moves forward by the required amount.
The butt of the blade is reinforced with linings, which are steel plates 3 mm thick (Fig. 2). They are attached to the butt of the blade with pistons with a diameter of 8 mm and flush rivets using any glue: BF-2, PU-2, ED-5 or ED-6. Before installing the linings, the butt of the blade is cleaned with coarse sandpaper, and the lining itself is processed sandblaster. The surfaces of the parts to be glued, that is, the butt of the blade, linings, holes for the pistons and the pistons themselves, are degreased and thoroughly lubricated with glue. Then the caps are riveted and rivets are placed (4 pieces for each pad). After this operation, the blades are ready for marking for installation on the hub.
The main rotor of a gyroplane (Fig. 3) consists of two blades, a hub, a rotor axis with rolling bearings, a bearing housing for a horizontal hinge and a limiter for the deflection angles of the main rotor axis.
The bushing consists of two parts: a U-shaped truss and a bottom plate (Fig. 4). It is advisable to make the truss from a forging. When making it from rolled products, special attention must be paid to ensure that the direction of the rolled products is necessarily parallel to the longitudinal axis of the truss. The same direction of rolling should be on the bottom plate, which is made from a sheet of duralumin grade D16T 6 mm thick.
The processing of the truss is carried out according to the operation in the following order: first, the workpiece is milled, leaving an allowance of 1.5 mm per side, then the truss is subjected to heat treatment (hardening and aging), after which final milling is carried out according to the drawing (see Fig. 4). Then, using a scraper and sandpaper on the farm, all transverse marks are removed and a longitudinal stroke is applied.
The axis (Fig. 5) is mounted on the pylon on two mutually perpendicular axes, which allow it to deviate from the vertical at specified angles.
Two rolling bearings are mounted on the upper part of the axle: the lower one is radial No. 61204, the upper one is angular contact No. 36204. The bearings are enclosed in a housing (Fig. 6), which with its lower inner side absorbs the entire load from the weight of the gyroplane in flight. When manufacturing the body, special attention must be paid to the processing of the interface between the side and the cylindrical part. Undercuts and risks at the interface are unacceptable. In the upper part, the bearing housing has two ears into which bronze bushings are pressed. The holes in the bushings are machined with reamers after they are pressed in. The axis of the bushings must pass through the axis of rotation of the housing strictly perpendicular to it. Through the holes in the ears of the bearing housing and bushings, which are pressed into the cheeks of the truss, a bolt passes (Fig. 7), which is a horizontal hinge of the main rotor of the gyroplane, relative to the axis of which the blades make flapping movements.
The angle of deviation of the axis and, accordingly, the change in the position of the plane of rotation of the disk is limited by a plate mounted on the pylon (Fig. 8). This plate does not allow the rotor to deviate beyond the permissible angles that ensure pitch and roll control of the gyroplane.
B. BARKOVSKY, Y. RYSYUK
This time, friends and comrades, I propose to move to a different element of vehicles - air.
Despite the all-encompassing hell and destruction on earth, you and I do not lose hope and dream of conquering heaven. And a relatively inexpensive means for this will be a miracle stroller with a propeller, whose name is gyroplane.
Autogyro(autogyro) - a rotary-wing ultra-light aircraft, in flight resting on the bearing surface of a rotor rotating freely in autorotation mode.
This thing is otherwise called Gyroplane(gyroplane), Gyrocopter(gyrocopter), and sometimes Rotoglider(rotaplane).
A little history
Autogyros were invented by Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva in 1919. He, like many aircraft designers of that time, tried to create a flying helicopter and, as is usually the case, he created it, but not what he originally wanted. But he was not particularly upset about this fact and in 1923 he launched his personal apparatus, which flew due to the autorotation effect. Then he started his own company and slowly riveted his own gyrocopters until he died. And then a full-fledged helicopter was designed, and interest in gyroplanes disappeared. Although they continued to be produced all this time, they were (and are) used for narrow purposes (meteorology, aerial photography, etc.).
Specifications
Weight: from 200 to 800 kg
Speed: up to 180 km/h
Fuel consumption: ~15 l per 100 km
Flight range: from 300 to 800 km
Design
By design, the gyroplane is closest to helicopters. In fact, it is a helicopter, only with an extremely simplified design.
Actually, the design itself includes the following key elements: the supporting structure - the “skeleton” of the vehicle to which the engine is attached, 2 propellers, a pilot’s seat, control and navigation devices, tail unit, landing gear and some other elements.
Direct control is carried out by two pedals and a control lever.
The simplest gyrocopters require a short run of 10 to 50 meters to take off. This distance decreases depending on the increase in the strength of the headwind and the degree of rotation of the main rotor at the start of the takeoff run.
A special feature of a gyroplane is that it flies as long as there is an air flow flowing onto the main rotor. This flow is provided by a small pusher screw. It is for this gyroplane that at least a short run is necessary.
However, more complex and expensive gyroplanes, equipped with a mechanism for changing the angle of attack of the blade, are capable of taking off from a place vertically upward (the so-called jump).
Changing the position of the gyroplane in the horizontal plane is achieved by changing the angle of inclination of the entire plane of the rotor.
A gyroplane, just like a helicopter, is capable of hovering in the air.
If the engine of a gyroplane fails, this does not mean the certain death of the pilot. If the engine is turned off, the gyroplane rotor goes into autorotation mode, i.e. continues to rotate from the oncoming air flow while the device moves at a downward speed. As a result, the gyroplane slowly descends rather than falling like a stone.
Varieties
Despite the simplicity of their design, gyrocopters have some design variability.
Firstly, these aircraft can be equipped with either a pulling or pushing propeller. The first are characteristic of historically the very first models. Their second propeller is located at the front, like some airplanes.
The second ones have a screw at the back of the device. Gyroplanes with a pusher propeller – absolute majority, although both designs have their advantages.
Secondly, although a gyroplane is a very light air vehicle, it can carry a couple more passengers. Naturally, for this there must be appropriate design possibilities. There are gyroplanes with the ability to transport up to 3 people, including the pilot.
Thirdly, the gyroplane may have a fully enclosed cabin for the pilot and passengers, a partially enclosed one, or may not have a cabin at all, which is retracted for the purposes of carrying capacity or better visibility.
Fourthly, it can be equipped with additional niceties, such as a swashplate and so on.
Combat use
The effectiveness of the gyroplane as a strike weapon is of course low, but it managed to be in service with the SA for some time. In particular, at the beginning of the 20th century, when the whole world was gripped by helicopter fever, the military observed developments in this industry. When full-fledged helicopters did not yet exist, there were attempts to use the gyrocopter for military purposes. The first gyrocopter in the USSR was developed in 1929 under the name KASKR-1. Then, over the next ten years, several more models of gyroplanes were released, incl. gyroplanes A-4 and A-7. The latter took part in the war with the Finns as a reconnaissance aircraft, night bomber and tow truck. Although there were certain advantages to using a gyroplane, all this time the military leadership doubted its necessity and the A-7 was never put into mass production. Then the war began in 1941 and there was no time for that. After the war, all efforts were devoted to creating a real helicopter, but they forgot about the gyroplane.
The Soviet A-7 gyroplane was armed with 7.62 PV-1 and DA-2 machine guns. It was also possible to attach FAB-100 bombs (4 pcs.) and RS-82 unguided rockets (6 pcs.)
The history of the use of gyroplanes in other countries is approximately the same - the devices were used at the beginning of the 20th century by the French, British, and Japanese, but when helicopters appeared, almost all gyroplanes were decommissioned.
Subject and PA
It’s probably clear why the subject of “PA Technique” was the gyroplane. It is very simple, light, maneuverable - with a certain straightness of hands it can be assembled at home (apparently this is where the stories about prisoners and the helicopter from the Druzhba chainsaw came from).
Despite all its advantages, we get good opportunity conquer airspace in very bad environmental conditions.
In addition to the banal movement by air and transportation of more or less cargo, we get a good combat unit that can be tactfully used in reconnaissance and patrol operations. Moreover, it is quite possible to install automatic weapons, as well as use live shells for bombing. As they say, the need for invention is cunning, if only there was a desire.
So, let's summarize. I divided the advantages of the subject into absolute and relative. Relative - in comparison with other aircraft, absolute - in comparison with vehicles in general, incl. and ground.
Absolute advantages
Ease of manufacture and repair
Easy to use
Ease of Management
Compactness
Low fuel consumption
Relative Advantages
High maneuverability
Resistance to strong winds
Safety
Landing without a run
Low vibrations in flight
Flaws
Low load capacity
Low security
High sensitivity to icing
Quite a loud noise from the pusher propeller
Specific disadvantages (rotor unloading, somersault, autorotation dead zone, etc.)
YouTube about the subject
IN last years Aviation enthusiasts from many countries show great interest in flying homemade gyroplanes and gyroplanes themselves. Inexpensive, easy to manufacture and easy to pilot, these aircraft can be used not only for sports, but also as excellent remedy familiarizing wide circles of young people with the elements of air. Finally, they can be successfully used for communication. In the 1920s – 1940s, gyroplanes were built in many countries. Now they can only be seen in museums: they could not withstand the competition with helicopters. However, for sporting purposes, gyroplanes and especially towed gyroplanes are still used today (see figure).
In our country, the design and construction of microgyroplanes is mainly carried out by student design bureaus of aviation universities. The best cars of this class were exhibited at exhibitions of technical creativity of young people, etc. Readers of “Modelist-Constructor” ask in numerous letters to tell us about the design of gliders-gyroplanes and micro-gyroplanes. This issue was at one time quite well covered on the pages of the magazine by the master of sports G.S. Malinovsky, who even in the pre-war years took part in experimental work with industrial-built gyroplanes.
Essentially, this article is still relevant because it touches on an interesting area of technical creativity where aviation enthusiasts can and should achieve great success. The article does not at all claim to be an exhaustive coverage of the issue. This is just the beginning of a big conversation.
THE CONVERSATION STARTS WITH A “FLY”
Everyone knows the flying toy known as the Fly. This is a main rotor (propeller) mounted on a thin stick. As soon as you spin the stick with your palms, the toy itself breaks out of your hands and quickly flies up, and then, smoothly rotating, falls to the ground. Let's understand the nature of its flight. “Mukha” took off because we spent a certain amount of energy on its promotion - it was a helicopter (Fig. 1).
Now let’s tie a 3-5 m long thread to the stick on which the rotor is mounted and try to pull the “Fly” against the wind. She will take off and favorable conditions, spinning quickly, will gain altitude.
This principle is also inherent in the gyroplane: during the take-off run along the runway, its main rotor, under the influence of the oncoming flow, begins to unwind and gradually develops a lifting force sufficient for take-off. Consequently, the main rotor - the rotor - performs the same role as the aircraft wing. But, compared to the wing, it has significant advantage: its forward speed with equal lifting force can be much less. Thanks to this, the gyroplane is able to descend almost vertically in the air and land on small areas (Fig. 2). If, during takeoff, you spin the rotor blades at a zero angle of attack, and then sharply move them to a positive angle, then the gyroplane will be able to take off vertically.
WHAT DID J. BENSEN FLY ON?
The prototype of most amateur gliders-gyroplanes was the car of the American I. Bensen. It was created shortly after the end of World War II and aroused great interest in many countries. According to official data, over several thousand devices of this kind have currently been built and are successfully flying.
The gyroplane of I. Bensen consists of a cross-shaped metal frame A, on which a pylon B is rigidly mounted, serving as a support for the rotor B with a direct control lever G. In front of the pylon there is a pilot’s seat D, and on the back of the frame there is a simple vertical tail, consisting of a keel E and a rudder direction G. The latter is connected by cables to a foot pedal located in the front part of the frame. The gyroplane chassis is three-wheeled, with lightweight pneumatics (the side wheels have a size of 300×100 mm, the front, steering wheel – 200×75 mm). Under the rear part of the frame there is an additional support wheel made of hard rubber with a diameter of 80 mm. The rotor has a metal hub and two wooden blades describing a circle with a diameter of 6 m. The chord of the blade is 175 mm, the relative profile thickness is 11%, the material is high-quality wood, glued with plywood and reinforced with fiberglass. Flights of the Bensen glider-gyroplane were carried out in tow behind a car (Fig. 5). Subsequently, a 70-horsepower engine with a pusher propeller was installed on similar machines.
Polish designers Alexander Bobik, Czeslaw Yurka and Andrei Sokalsky created a glider-gyroplane (Fig. 4) that takes off from the water. It was towed by a speedboat or motorboat with a powerful outboard motor (about 50 hp). The glider is mounted on a float, similar in shape and design to the body of a junior sports scooter. The directly controlled rotor is mounted on a simple and lightweight pylon, braced with cable braces to the float body. This made it possible to achieve a minimum weight of the structure with sufficient reliability. The technical data of the glider-gyroplane, which its authors called a “viroglider,” are as follows: length - 2.6 m, width - 1.1 m, height -1.7 m, total weight of the structure - 42 kg, rotor diameter - 6 m. Its flight data: takeoff speed - 35 - 37 km/h, maximum permissible - 60 km/h, landing - 15 - 18 km/h, rotor speed - 300 - 400 rpm.
Polish designers made many successful flights on their “viroglider”. They believe that their car has a great future. One of the creators of the “viroglider”, Cheslav Yurka, wrote: “If basic rules of caution and high discipline of the boat driver and maintenance personnel are observed, flights on “virogliders” are completely safe. A large number of lakes, water surface which is always free, will allow everyone to engage in this exciting sport and recreation.”
CONTROL SYSTEM
Let's figure out how the car's controllability is ensured. On an airplane it is simple - there are elevators, a rudder and ailerons. By deflecting them in the right direction, any evolutions are carried out. But rotorcraft, it turns out, do not need such rudders: a change in flight direction occurs immediately as soon as the rotor axis changes its position in space. To change the inclination of the rotor axis on the glider-gyroplane, a device consisting of two bearings is used; fixedly fixed in the cheeks of head A and connected to control lever B. Bearing A, being spherical, allows the rotor shaft to deviate from the main position by 12° in any direction, which provides the machine with longitudinal and lateral controllability.
The rotor control lever, rigidly connected to the lower bearing housing, has a crossbar resembling a bicycle handlebar, which the pilot holds with both hands. For takeoff, to move the rotor to a large angle, the lever moves forward; to reduce the angle and move the machine into horizontal flight - backwards; to create a roll to the right (or eliminate a left roll), the lever is deflected to the left, with a right roll - to the right. This feature of gyroplane control creates certain difficulties for pilots flying conventional gliders, airplanes and helicopters (the handle movements of all these machines are exactly the opposite in sign).
Therefore, before flying on gyroplanes with direct control, it is necessary to undergo special training on a simulator. You can, however, go for some complication of the design by equipping the machine with “normal” aircraft-type controls (shown by the dotted line on the diagram of the Bensen gyroplane, see Fig. 3),
BEFORE YOU BUILD
A glider-gyroplane has significantly fewer parts than a regular bicycle. But this does not mean that it can be made somehow, tying it with wire in one place, and inserting a nail instead of a bolt in another.
All parts must be manufactured, as they say, at the highest aviation level: after all, human life depends on their quality and reliability. Even if you fly over water. Therefore, we must immediately make the following decision: if it is possible to carry out all the work with high quality, we will build a viroglider; if not, we will postpone construction until better times.
The most important and difficult part in the manufacture of a viroglider is, of course, the rotor. Attempts to use used blades from helicopters produced by our industry for installation on homemade gyroplanes were not successful, since they are designed for other modes. Therefore, they should not be used under any circumstances. Typical design The blade is shown in Figure 6. To glue the spar, you need to prepare straight-layer, well-dried pine slats and carefully joint them together. They are collected in a package, as shown in Figure 7. Strips of ASTT6 grade fiberglass, pre-coated with epoxy glue, must be placed in the spaces between the slats. The slats should also be coated on both sides. After the necessary exposure, the package is pressed into a device that ensures straightness of the product along both the wide and narrow sides of the package. After drying, the package is processed in accordance with a given profile, forming the front part (“nose”) of the blade. The processing must be done very carefully, using steel counter-templates. The “tail” of the blade is made of polystyrene foam blocks of PCV-1 or PS-2 grade, reinforced with a number of plywood ribs. Gluing should be done in a special slipway (Fig. 8) to ensure the correct profile. The final processing of the blade is carried out with a file and sandpaper, using counter-templates, after which the entire blade is covered with thin fiberglass cloth with epoxy glue, sanded, painted bright color and is polished first with pastes and then with polishing water.
The finished blade, placed at its ends on two supports, must withstand at least 100 kg of static load.
To connect to the rotor hub, steel plates are secured on each blade with six M6 bolts, as shown in the drawing; in turn, these plates are attached to the hub with two M10 bolts. Trimmer D and counterweight G are installed on a fully finished blade. The weight is on three M5 bolts, the trimmer is on five rivets with a diameter of 4 mm. A wooden boss is glued in advance between the plywood ribs into the “shank” of the blade for riveting the trimmer.
The spherical bearing of the rotor head on foreign designs is selected ranging from a diameter of 50x16x26 mm to a diameter of 52x25x18 mm; Among domestic bearings of this type, No. 126 GOST 5720-51 can be used. In the diagram (Fig. 4) this bearing is shown as a single-row bearing for clarity. Lower control bearing – No. 6104 GOST 831-54.
A – base; B – hook; B – installation of the lock on the glider-gyroplane (hook down); D – installation of the lock on the towing boat (hook up)
Extreme simplicity of design is a characteristic feature of I. Bensen’s gyroplanes
The control lever can be secured to the bearing housing with brackets, as shown in Figure 4 (this allows the entire assembly to be disassembled into individual elements), or welding.
The base (“heel”) of the pylon is attached in the float body to a stiffening rib connected by four M6 bolts to the keel. These bolts simultaneously secure the outer metal feather to the float body. It is advisable to tighten the guy ropes connecting the pylon with the sides of the float before braiding with a force of 150 - 200 kg. Thunderbolts are aircraft grade, with threaded rods 5 mm thick.
As mentioned above, the weight of the viroglider must be maintained within the range of 42 – 45 kg. It's not as simple as it seems at first glance. It is necessary to very carefully select the necessary materials, carry out processing and assembly correctly, and not use heavy putties and paints. This is especially true for the manufacture of a float. His wooden frame should be assembled from well-dried slats of straight-grained, light (not resinous) pine. The best wood for making a float frame is the so-called “aviation” pine in fire monitors, but it is not available everywhere and cannot always be obtained. Therefore, one should not neglect possible substitutes: for example, a good container board or slats sawn from a thick slab (slab is the sapwood, the strongest part of the trunk; when properly sawed, it produces excellent slats of the desired section). Quite often, canned food is packaged in good boxes. Having collected two or three dozen of these container boards, you can choose from them what you need for your work. Each rail must be tested for strength before being installed in place. If it breaks, it doesn’t matter, you can install another one; but you will have full confidence that the set is made of reliable material.
G. MALINOVSKY
Who in childhood did not dream of becoming a pilot, conqueror of the fifth ocean of air! Many romantic natures do not give up this dream even in adulthood. And they can implement it: currently there is a wide variety of aircraft that even amateur pilots can fly. But, unfortunately, if such devices are factory-made and offered for sale, their cost is so high that they are practically inaccessible to most.
However, there is another way - to independently manufacture a reliable and relatively simple aircraft. For example, a gyroplane. This article offers a description of just such a design that almost any person involved in technical creativity can do. To build a gyroplane you do not need expensive materials and special conditions- there is enough space directly in the apartment, as long as household members and neighbors do not object. And only a limited number of structural parts require turning.
For an enthusiast who has decided to independently manufacture the proposed aircraft, I would recommend assembling a gyrocopter-glider at first. It is lifted into the air by a tow rope attached to a moving vehicle. The flight altitude depends on the length of the cable and can exceed 50 meters. After rising to such a height and the pilot releasing the cable, the gyroplane is able to continue flight, gradually descending at an angle of approximately 15 degrees to the horizon. Such planning will allow the pilot to develop the control skills he needs in free flights. And he will be able to start working on them if he installs an engine with a pusher propeller on the gyroplane. In this case, no changes to the design of the aircraft will be required. With an engine, the gyroplane will be able to reach speeds of up to 150 km/h and rise to a height of several thousand meters. But about the power plant and its placement on the aircraft later, in a separate publication.
So, a gyroplane. It is based on three duralumin power elements: the keel and axial beams and the mast. At the front, on the keel beam, there is a steerable nose wheel (from a sports microcar-kart), equipped with a braking device, and at the ends of the axle beam there are side wheels (from a motor scooter). By the way, instead of wheels, you can install two floats if you plan to fly in tow behind a boat.
There, at the front end of the keel beam, a truss is installed - a triangular structure riveted from duralumin corners and reinforced with rectangular sheet overlays. It is designed to attach a tow hook, which is designed so that the pilot, by pulling the cord, can unhook from the tow rope at any time. Aeronautical instruments are also installed on the truss - simple homemade indicators of airspeed and lateral drift, and under the truss there is a pedal assembly with cable wiring to the rudder. At the opposite end of this beam there is an empennage: horizontal (stabilizer) and vertical (keel with rudder), as well as a safety tail wheel. All pictures enlarge when clicked
Gyrocopter layout:
1 - farm; 2 - towing hook; 3 - clip for fastening the towing hook (D16T); 4 - airspeed indicator; 5 - lateral drift indicator; 6 - tension (steel cable 02); 7 - control handle; 8 - main rotor blade; 9 - main rotor rotor head; 10 - rotor head bracket (D16T, sheet s4, 2 pcs.); 11 - mast (D16T, pipe 50x50x3); 12 - seat back mounting bracket (aluminum, sheet s3, 2 pcs.); 13 - seat back; 14 - “aircraft” version of the control stick; 15 - seat frame; 16 - bracket for the “aircraft” control stick; 17 - seat mounting bracket; 18.25 - control cable rollers (4 pcs.); 19 - strut (D16T, corner 30x30, 2 pcs.); 20 - mast mounting bracket (D16T, sheet s4, 2 pcs.); 21 - upper brace (steel, corner 30x30, 2 pcs.); 22 - horizontal tail; 23 - vertical tail; 24 - tail wheel; 26 - left branch of control wiring (cable 02); 27 - axial beam (D16T, pipe 50x50x3); 28 - side wheel axle mounting unit; 29 - lower brace (steel, corner 30x30.2 pcs.); 30 - seat support (D16T, corner 25x25, 2 pcs.); 31 - brake device; 32 - pedal assembly; 33 - keel beam (D16T, pipe 50x50x3)
In the middle of the keel beam there is a mast and a pilot's workplace - a seat with car seat belts. The mast is attached to the beam by two duralumin plate brackets at a slight angle back to the vertical and serves as the base for the rotor of a two-blade main propeller. The rotor mechanism is also connected to the mast by similar plate brackets. The screw rotates freely and unwinds due to the oncoming air flow. The rotor axis can be tilted in any direction using a handle, conventionally called a “delta handle,” with which the pilot adjusts the position of the gyroplane in space. This control system is the simplest, but differs from the standard one used on the vast majority of aircraft in that when the handle moves away from you, the gyroplane does not descend, but, on the contrary, gains altitude.
If desired, it is also possible to install an “aircraft” control stick (it is shown in dashed lines in the figure). The design naturally becomes more complicated. However, it is necessary to choose the type of control before building the gyroplane. The modification is unacceptable, since the piloting skills acquired with a “glitch” stick may give an undesirable result when switching to an “airplane” stick.
In addition, when moving on the ground, the pilot controls the nose wheel with his feet, and after takeoff, when the tail becomes effective as speed increases, he also controls the nose wheel with his feet and rudder. In the first case, he steers by alternately pressing his right or left foot on the corresponding shoulder of the crossbar of the brake device on the wheel; in the second - to one or another pedal connected by cable wiring to the rudder.
The braking device is used during the run when landing on the runway. It is also not particularly difficult. The pilot presses the friction clutch (or simply a wooden board) against the wheel tire with his heels, causing them to rub against each other and thereby dampen the speed of the aircraft. As simple and cheap as possible!
The low weight and dimensions of the gyroplane allow it to be transported even on the roof of a car. The propeller blades are then disconnected. They are installed at their workplace immediately before the flight.
FRAME MANUFACTURING
As already mentioned, the basis of the gyroplane frame is the keel and axial beams and the mast. They are made of duralumin pipe with a square section of 50x50 mm with a wall thickness of 3 mm. Similar profiles are used in the construction of windows, doors, shop windows and other building elements. It is possible to use box beams made of duralumin corners connected by argon-arc welding. Best option material - D16T.
All holes in the beams were marked so that the drill only touched the inner walls without damaging them. The diameter of the drill was selected so that the MB bolts fit into the holes as tightly as possible. The work was carried out exclusively electric drill- using a manual one for these purposes is undesirable.
Most of the holes in the frame parts are coordinated in the drawings. However, many of them were drilled in place, as, for example, in the plate brackets connecting the keel beam to the mast. First, the right bracket, screwed to the keel beam, was drilled through the holes in the base of the mast pressed to it, then the left bracket was screwed on and also drilled, but through the finished holes of the right bracket and mast.
By the way, in the layout drawing it is noticeable that the mast is slightly tilted back (for this purpose, its base was beveled before installation). This is done so that the main rotor blades have an initial angle of attack of 9° on the ground. Then, even at a relatively low towing speed, a lifting force appears on them, the propeller begins to rotate, lifting the gyroplane into the air.
The axial beam is located across the keel and is attached to it with four Mb bolts with locked split nuts. In addition, the beams are connected by four angle steel braces for greater rigidity. Wheel axles (suitable for a scooter or motorcycle) are attached to the ends of the axle beam with paired clips. The wheels, as already mentioned, are scooter wheels, with bearings sealed to prevent dust and dirt from getting into them with caps from aerosol cans.
The frame and back of the seat are made of duralumin pipes (parts from children's cots or strollers are very suitable for this). At the front, the frame is attached to the keel beam with two duralumin corners 25x25 mm, and at the back - to the mast with a bracket made of steel corner 30x30 mm. The back, in turn, is screwed to the seat frame and also to the mast.
The seat frame is fitted with rings cut from the rubber wheel inner tube. truck. On top of them is placed and tied with ribbons a trimmed durable fabric foam pillow. A cover made of the same fabric is placed on the back.
The front landing gear is a sheet steel fork with a kart wheel that rotates around a vertical axis. The axis is a short M12 bolt inserted into the hole of the sole (a rectangle made of steel sheet), which is attached to the keel beam from below with four Mb bolts. An additional round hole is cut in the keel beam for the head of the axle bolt.
A braking device is hingedly suspended from the sides to the fork stays of the nose wheel. It is assembled from a tubular cross member, two corner stringers and a wooden clutch. Let me remind you that the protruding ends of the crossbar allow the pilot to turn steering wheel feet.
In the initial position, the device is held by two cylindrical tension springs, hooked to the brackets on the nose of the keel beam, and by a cable passed through the holes in the friction board. The springs are adjusted so that, in the absence of pilot control actions, the wheel is in the plane of symmetry of the gyroplane.
The pedal unit for controlling the aerodynamic rudder in the air is also quite simple. Both pedals, together with the parts riveted to them, are connected by hinge bolts to a pipe that is screwed to the angle on the keel beam. At the top of the pedals are attached sections of cable that stretch to the rudder hogs on the keel. The control wiring has four guide rollers, the design of which prevents the cables from falling out of them. The tension of the cables is maintained by coil springs attached to the pedals and a plate bracket on the keel beam. The springs are adjusted so that the rudder is in the neutral position.
The design of the truss is described in some detail above. Therefore, I will focus on what is mounted on the farm - on homemade aeronautical instruments, or rather, on one of them - the airspeed indicator. This is a glass tube open at the top, in which a lightweight plastic ball is placed. At the bottom it has a calibrated hole directed towards the flight of the gyroplane. The oncoming air flow causes the ball to rise in the tube, and its position determines the air speed. You can calibrate the indicator by placing it out the window of a moving car. It is important to accurately plot the speed values in the range from 0 to 60 km/h, since these are the values that are important during takeoff and landing.
The horizontal tail is made of sheet duralumin 3 mm thick. The tail has two slots for duralumin corner struts to support the mast. At the points where the empennage is bolted to the keel beam, pads are riveted to the stabilizer to increase the rigidity of the connection.
The vertical tail is more complicated. It consists of a fin and rudder cut from multi-layer plywood: the first from 10 mm, the second from 6 mm. The individual edges of these parts are edged with thin steel tape. The keel and rudder are connected to each other by three card loops (on the left side).
Two counterweights weighing 350 g each are attached to the aerodynamic rudder horn with a through bolt MB (they are needed to eliminate the flutter phenomenon).
The trimmer on the trailing edge of the handlebar is made of soft sheet aluminum. By bending this plate to the right or left, you can adjust the accuracy of the steering wheel.
On both sides of the steering wheel there are screwed hogs, curved from a steel sheet. The heading control wiring cables are attached to them.
The vertical tail is attached to the keel beam on the right and for greater rigidity is reinforced with two brackets made of duralumin angle 25x25 mm.
At the end of the keel beam there is a tail wheel (from roller skates). It protects the vertical tail from damage if the gyroplane accidentally tips over on its tail, as well as during takeoff or landing with the nose too high.
RECOMMENDATION:
preliminary check of the gyroplane on the ground
You have assembled a gyroplane. Before you start making the rotor, check how the ready-made mechanisms work. It is best to do this at the site from which the gyroplane is supposed to fly.
Sit on the seat and make sure you are sitting comfortably and can reach the pedals with your feet. If necessary, place an additional pillow under your back. Jump on the seat - the cushion should not allow your body to touch the frame.
Tilt the nose wheel with your feet and watch the springs return it to the neutral position. Make sure that in this position the springs are not too tight, but not too loose. There should be no play in all connections.
Attach the gyroplane with a cable no more than ten meters long to the car and taxi at a speed of no more than 20 km/h. Warn the driver not to suddenly brake or reduce speed suddenly.
Remove your feet from the braking bar and see if the gyroplane maintains a straight line. Otherwise, adjust the spring tension. Learn to automatically find with your hand the cord for opening the hook and releasing the tow rope.
The main rotor rotor, located at the top of the mast, is the most complex component in the design of a gyroplane. The life of the pilot, no exaggeration, depends on the quality of workmanship, precision of assembly and error-free operation. The main materials for the parts of this assembly are D16T duralumin and ZOKHGSA steel (all duralumin parts are anodized, steel parts are cadmium-plated).
The rotor housing is perhaps the most important part, since in flight it is on the housing lugs that the entire structure of the gyroplane hangs. The housing itself houses two bearings - radial and angular contact, generously lubricated with grease. The housing with bearings rotates on the rotor axis. At the top of the axle there is a cottered slotted nut M20x1.5 (it should be noted that there are no simple nuts in the design of the gyroplane: the most important of them are cottered, the rest are self-locking). A blind cover hiding the axle nut protects the bearings from dust and moisture penetrating into them.
At the bottom, the rotor axis is fixedly connected to the control stick of the gyroplane. By moving the handle, you can change the position of the rotor in space, since the articulated connection of the axle with the axle and the axle with its body allows the deflection of the axis within the limits dictated by the diameter of the limiter hole.
The rotor is bolted to the top of the mast using two plate brackets.
RECOMMENDATION:
checking the alignment of the gyroplane
When the rotor head is ready and installed on the gyroplane, it is necessary to check the alignment of the gyroplane. Insert a bolt into the ears of the rotor housing, which will secure the rotor head with the main rotor blades, and hang the gyroplane by this bolt, for example, on a strong tree branch.
Sit on the seat and grasp the control handle. Keep it neutral. Have an assistant determine the position of the gyroplane mast. It should be tilted forward at an angle within 2-6° (ideally 4°). This check, usually called weight balancing, must be repeated whenever the weight of the pilot or gyroplane changes. In all cases, you cannot fly without such a check.
If the specified angle is outside the permitted range, then either move the pilot or add a small amount of ballast to the tail. But if there has been a significant change in the mass of the pilot (it exceeded 100 kg) or an engine is installed on the gyroplane, then it is necessary to make new, thicker plate brackets that hold the rotor at the top of the mast.
The main rotor blades are completely identical, so it is enough to describe the manufacturing process of only one of them.
Along the entire working length of the blade, its cross-sections are the same; no twisting or changing of geometric parameters is provided. This greatly simplifies things.
The best material for the front part of the blade is delta wood, which was used in aviation and maritime affairs. If you don’t have it, you can make an analogue yourself by gluing epoxy resin thin sheets of plywood with fiberglass spacers. Aviation plywood 1 mm thick is suitable for such a substitute. Since plywood sheets of the length required for the manufacture of blades are not produced, it is possible to glue together plywood strips cut to length. The joints in adjacent sheets should not be located one above the other, they must be spaced apart.
It is better to glue on a flat surface, placing plastic film, to which epoxy glue does not stick. You need to dial a total thickness of 20 mm. After applying the glue, the entire “pie” of the future blade should be pressed down with some long and even object with a weight and left to dry completely for a day. According to their own mechanical properties the resulting composition is no worse than real delta wood.
The specified profile of the leading edge (toe) of the spar is obtained using a template in the following way. Along the entire span of the spar, with a pitch of 150-200 mm, grooves are made in the leading edge until the template fits completely into the spar. The wood between the grooves is planed to make a ruler.
In the rear edges of the spar, using a planer (you can use scrapers), “quarters” 10 mm wide and 1 mm deep were selected under the plywood sheathing. The sheet of the lower skin (flush with the spar) is glued with epoxy resin, and to it and the spar are sheets of PS-1 foam plastic, which are pre-planed to a height of 20 mm. The foam layer is given required form according to the template of the top of the blade profile. A pine strip was used as the trailing edge. The top skin was glued last: it was enough to press it with clamps to the “quarter” of the spar and the trailing edge - and the sheet of plywood itself took the desired shape (the trailing edge of the blade should be slightly bent upward, as shown in the figure).
Each blade has a 100 g weight mounted in a fairing on the leading edge and a folding trimmer on the trailing edge. In the butt part of the blade, steel linings are riveted, through which holes are drilled in the spar to attach the blade to the rotor head.
RECOMMENDATION:
balancing and tuning of blades
"After fabrication and painting, the blades need to be adjusted. Give this operation the utmost attention. Keep in mind that the cleaner and smoother the surfaces of the blades, the more lift they will create, and the gyroplane will be able to take off at a lower speed.
Attach the blades to the rotor head and check the balancing. If one of the blades turns out to be heavier and its end drops lower, then drill out part of its lead weight, ensuring that the blades are even. If this operation does not produce results (no more than 50 g can be removed), then drill several shallow holes in the thickest section of the light blade profile and fill them with lead.
Since the tips of the blades rotate at a peripheral speed of about 500 km/h, it is very important that they rotate in the same plane. Stick two different colored ones on the leading edges at the very end of the blades. plastic tapes. On a windy day, choose a place where the wind is constantly blowing at a speed of about 20-30 km/h (check with an airspeed indicator) and place the gyroplane against the wind. Tie it with a five-meter rope to a stump or stake firmly driven into the ground.
Sit on the seat, strap yourself in and, together with the gyroplane, back away so that the rope is taut. Holding the control handle with your left hand, place the rotor in a horizontal position, and with your right hand, spin the blades as hard as you can. Your assistant should watch from the side the rotation of the ends of the rotor.
Gradually tilt the rotor back and let it spin in the wind to a higher speed. If colorful stripes rotate in the same plane, the blades have the same pitch. If you feel the glider shaking or an assistant shows that the blades are not rotating in the same plane, then immediately unload the rotor by moving it to a horizontal position or even tilting it forward. By bending the trimmers at a slight angle down or up, achieve the correct rotation of the blades.
As the rotor speed increases, the glider will rock and the front wheel will rise. In this case, the rotor will be tilted back, which will lead to even more intense spinning. Place your feet on the ground and control the position of the gyroplane in space. If you feel that it is taking off, immediately unload the rotor by pulling the control stick towards you. Having practiced this way, you will soon be ready for your first flight.
DIY gyroplane video
FLIGHT PRACTICE
Since not only the pilot, but also the driver of the car participates in the flight, there must be complete interaction between them. It is best if, in addition to the driver, there is another person in the car who can monitor the flight and receive all the pilot’s signals (decrease or increase in speed, etc.).
Before flights, check the technical condition of the gyroplane again. At first, use a relatively short tow rope no more than 20 m long. Be sure to warn the driver that they should accelerate smoothly and never brake sharply.
Position the gyroplane against the wind. Spin the rotor right hand and wait until it starts to gain momentum due to the air pressure. If the wind is light, then give the driver the command to move at a speed of 10-15 km/h using the airspeed indicator. Continue to help the rotor with your hand as long as you can.
As you accelerate, tilt the rotor all the way back and give the driver a signal to increase the speed to 20-30 km/h. While steering the nose wheel, follow the vehicle in a straight line. When that wheel leaves the ground, move your feet to the pedals. By manipulating the control stick, maintain the position of the gyroplane so that it moves only on the side wheels, without touching the ground with either the nose or tail. Wait for the increased airspeed to lift the gyroplane into the air in this position. Adjust the flight altitude by longitudinal movements of the control stick (the rudder is not effective, since the glider is towed on a cable). During flight, do not allow any slack in the tow rope. Do not make turns at high speed.
Before landing, align yourself behind the vehicle until it reaches the end of the runway. Smoothly tilt the rotor forward and fly at an altitude of about a meter. Maintain this position with small “twitches” of the control handle. (In general, unlike controlling an airplane, on a gyroplane the movements of the sticks should not be smooth, but sharp, literally jerky.)
Signal the driver to slow down. When it does this, tilt the rotor all the way back. The rear wheel of the gyroplane should touch the ground first. Keep the rotor tilted back to prevent slack in the tow rope. When you stop, let the car turn around and move with it to the starting point. Keep the rotor positioned so that it continues to rotate. If there are no more flights, then place the rotor horizontally and, when the rotation speed decreases, stop it by hand. Never leave your seat while the rotor is spinning, otherwise the gyroplane may fly away without you.
Gradually, as you master your piloting technique, increase the length of the tow rope to one hundred meters and rise to a greater height.
The last stage of mastering the flight on a gyroplane will be free flight after uncoupling from the tow rope. Do not under any circumstances reduce the airspeed below 30 km/h in this mode!
From a height of 60 m, the free flight range can reach 300 m. Learn to make turns and rise to great heights. If you start from a hill, the flight range can be kilometers.
How to make a gyroplane with your own hands? This question was most likely asked by those people who really love or want to fly. It is worth noting that perhaps not everyone has heard of this device, since it is not very common. They were widely used only until helicopters were invented in the form in which they exist now. From the moment such aircraft models took to the skies, gyroplanes immediately lost their relevance.
How to build a gyroplane with your own hands? Blueprints
Creating such an aircraft will not be difficult for anyone who is interested in technical creativity. Special tools or expensive ones building materials won't be needed either. The space that will have to be allocated for assembly is minimal. It’s worth adding right away that assembling a gyroplane with your own hands will save a huge amount of money, since buying a factory model will require huge financial costs. Before you begin the process of modeling this device, you need to make sure you have all the tools and materials at hand. The second step is the creation of a drawing, without which it is not possible to assemble a standing structure.
Basic design
It’s worth saying right away that building a gyroplane with your own hands is quite simple if it’s a glider. With other models it will be somewhat more difficult.
So, to start work you will need to have three duralumin power elements among the materials. One of them will serve as the keel of the structure, the second will act as an axial beam, and the third will serve as a mast. A steerable nose wheel can be immediately attached to the keel beam, which must be equipped with a braking device. The ends of the axial force element must also be equipped with wheels. You can use small parts from a scooter. An important point: if you assemble a gyroplane with your own hands to fly behind a boat in tow, then the wheels are replaced with controlled floats.
Farm installation
Another main element is the farm. This part is also mounted on the front end of the keel beam. This device is a triangular structure, which is riveted from three duralumin corners, and then reinforced with sheet overlays. The purpose of this design is to secure the towbar. The construction of a do-it-yourself gyroplane with a truss must be made in such a way that the pilot, by pulling the cord, can unhook from the tow rope at any time. In addition, the truss is also necessary so that the simplest air navigation instruments can be installed on it. These include a flight speed tracking device, as well as a lateral drift mechanism.
Another main element is the installation of the pedal assembly, which is installed directly under the truss. This part must have a cable connection to the aircraft control rudder.
Frame for the unit
When assembling a gyroplane with your own hands, it is very important to pay due attention to its frame.
As mentioned earlier, this will require three duralumin pipes. These parts should have a cross-section of 50x50 mm, and the thickness of the pipe walls should be 3 mm. Similar elements are often used when installing windows or doors. Since it will be necessary to drill holes in these pipes, you must remember important rule: when carrying out work, the drill should not damage the inner wall of the element, it should only touch it and no more. If we talk about choosing a diameter, then it should be selected so that the MB type bolt can fit as tightly as possible into the resulting hole.
One more important note. When drawing up a drawing of a gyroplane with your own hands, you need to take into account one nuance. When assembling the apparatus, the mast should be tilted back slightly. The angle of inclination of this part is approximately 9 degrees. When drawing up a drawing, this point must be taken into account so as not to forget later. The main purpose of this action is to create an angle of attack of the gyroplane blades of 9 degrees even when it is just standing on the ground.
Assembly
Assembling the gyroplane frame with your own hands continues with the need to secure the axial beam. It is attached to the keel across. To securely fasten one base element to another, you need to use 4 MB bolts, and also add locked nuts to them. In addition to this fastening, it is necessary to create additional rigidity of the structure. To do this, use four braces that connect the two parts. The braces must be made of angle steel. At the ends of the axle beam, as mentioned earlier, it is necessary to secure the wheel axles. To do this, you can use paired clips.
The next step in assembling a gyroplane with your own hands is to make the frame and seat back. In order to assemble this small structure, it is best to also use duralumin pipes. Parts from children's cots or strollers are great for assembling the frame. To fasten the seat frame at the front, two duralumin corners with dimensions of 25x25 mm are used, and at the back it is attached to the mast using a bracket made of a steel corner 30x30 mm.
Checking the gyroplane
After the frame is ready, the seat is assembled and attached, the truss is ready, navigation instruments and other important elements of the gyroplane are installed, it is necessary to check how the finished structure works. This must be done before the rotor is installed and designed. Important note: it is necessary to check the performance of the aircraft at the site from which further flights are planned.
