Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

Autogyro

by

Terry Antell

Occasionally I delve into other aeromodelling exploits!!! I decided to build, yes, actually build from a plan, a model autogyro.  It’s another side of flying I’ve not experienced. I bought a copy of the RPG Autogyro in the Feb 2010 edition of Q&EFI. Two sheet and postage £25.95 (no wonder we buy RTF models).

This plan is one of the poorest I’ve built from. Most parts don’t fit without a lot of alterations, sides to base being just one example. The one thing I really couldn’t face was constructing 3 rotor blades, each one 24” (600mm) long and 2” wide using bass wood and balsa. Bass wood is an extremely hard, but incredibly light wood with a very tight straight grain without knots, but I found a small business (via the internet) in America that just makes rotor model blades.  March 2010 they cost $53 for 4 already made and well balanced. That equates to £33 including postage.

I actually built the model twice. I bought what was advertised as light ply (it’s built mainly from plywood). I thought the model was getting far too heavy!!! I was cutting one last piece on my new circular saw when a light ply label peeled away revealing the word BIRCH ply. I visited a different model shop and bought more stock!! Wow! What a difference in weight. 4-Max supplied the motor and 70amp ESC (motor can only use a maximum of 800 watts of power!!!).

The plan once again is different from the mag review. Magazine says use 12 x 8 prop, plan says 13 x 8 or 14 x 7??? I bought all three sizes, again from 4-Max in Basingstoke. These were all wood and were perfectly balanced. Other than wheels, rotor blades and electrics I produced all other required parts.

This isn’t the low priced model to build that I expected, however, it’s so good to keep the old brain box ticking. Yes it has flown. The first occasion was a 5 foot bunny hop flight and the second was on full power with a 13 x 8 prop and a 3 cell 3700mah Lipo battery. The landing was a miracle as a row of tall trees loomed in front and was beckoning. A gust of wind suddenly blew the model along the tree line and she made an abrupt arrival, staying in one piece. The completed model weighs 64oz. No weight is mentioned on the plan.

I have enclosed a few photos of the finished article. If you want a fairly quiet challenge (yes the blades do make some noise) and you have an open close cut level place to fly it from then give it ago. You’ll need a 6mph+ wind to fly it in.

I’ve also bought a 2.3 metre wing span Apollo 2 V tail R/E glider from a member within Christchurch & Dist Model Flying Club who built it from a plan. I added a brushless motor and electrics, plus a 2.4 Rx (all my 14 models fly on 2.4 Spectrum/JR gear). My other purchase has been a Multiplex Cularis. I choose this as it’s 2.6m wingspan and has flaps. That model has a Purple Power 4-Max 800Kv  motor and 3 cell Lipo 4000 mAh with a 60 amp ESC. Both are used in e600 or Open elec thermal glider comp.  On Saturday 5^th June I made joint 1^st in e600 and 2^nd in the Open class comps held locally. We use Height Limiters on both classes. The club now has 1 height Limiter hired out to members at 50p per launch or £5 per day. This is to encourage more guys to “give it a go” before buying their own.

I’ve rejoined the Wessex Soaring Association (WSA) as they have now agreed to allow electric gliders to use their private fields (used to be pure gliders only).

Terry

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