Gyro Accident Tasmania

[Russell]

I have tested a more rudimentary version on a gyro I have here and with rods ends disconnected you still have a good degree of control relying on cables alone on BOTH top control pivots.You actually flew a gyro ( circuited ) in this detached manner ???

[asra]

Are you kidding? The gyro was on the ground with rotor fitted. Even with the slop in the controls it did move the head enough. A better test would have been suspended IE a hang test.

[asra]

(I noted that the attitude of the gyro had dropped significantly. I applied corrective back pressure to the control column without observing any reaction from the gyro.)Corrective back pressure would pull the remaining pushrod down causing a roll to that side. I believe Allan would have observed that reaction.

[Russell]

Are you kidding? The gyro was on the ground with rotor fitted. Even with the slop in the controls it did move the head enough. A better test would have been suspended IE a hang test.As i thought...............until you have actually flown your "fix"........it"s untried. If you are that confident of your "fix" report back......................it really works..........inflitestick movement / hang testing.......whatever..........don"t prove squat.Pete...........agree with your comment

[Des Garvin]

Hi Allan, (After 20 minutes in the 15 degree Tamar River, I had nothing to show!!!!)Yes you did and that was you could still swim regardless of the cooler than you are used to water. Not like that home town water.

[asra]

Allan, two questions about the rotor blades. I take it they were patroney"s.What length rotorblades. Also what is the average rpm of those blades in straight and level flight on your machine.Peter.

[asra]

Early 08 Halton Station 45 km east of Charleville I flew into a storm. A lot of the mustering pilots would recognize them. The ones with a black dust cloud caused by the cold air coming down at the front of the storm and hitting the ground. From a distance it looks like black streaks and spirals shooting into the air followed shortly after by heavy rain, though sometimes it will just be the wind coming down off the storm cell with no rain. On that day I had been mustering

[bosca]

Maybe a phone call is needed.The internet can give impressions that are missleading by inferance.

[asra]

Ok boys settle down, everyone has their opinion. The geometry of normal rotor heads are such that you will get movement at some positions and not others with one pushrod removed. If the rotor head was at full aft position you can get a bit of side to side ,BUT, this is only on the ground with no weight hanging from it so what happens in the air is anyone"s guess. At some rotor head positions you get no movement no mater what you do with the stick.The reason I am convinced a rod end or pushrod has let go on AL"s gyro is that he felt nothing thru the stick when things went pear shaped. If in fact the hub bar had hit the top of the prerotator he would have certainly known about it and not only would he have goose bumps and shrunken genitals from the cold water but rather large bruises on the inside of his thighs from the joystick.

[Waddles]

OK Guys,I"m butting out on this one with one answer and one question to which I will not respond.The highest rotor RPM I saw during the flight prior to the event was 370 RPM.Completely discounting mechanical failure, what did I do as the pilot to cause my nut freezing joy?????Waddles.

[bosca]

Bloody Hell,Where is John Cleese when you need him. :-

[asra]

While not being an "Expert" by any means I have inspected Butterfly gyros on many occasions,particularly Allan"s, and find they are not really any different to any of the other 3 or 4 hundred gyros in OZ. We had a Rosco gyro at the Nats which had a control failure a few weeks previously. The gyro was in the take off run when a component on the front "mixer" assembly broke.No gyro is immune from component failure.Butterfly gyro"s are the same construction as the old Air Command gyros but with better a thrustline. Quality components including AN rod ends are used.

[asra]

Pete, the MLS is no heavier than normal starter motor type prerotators.Just to satisfy my own curiosity I will hang a gyro and remove one pushrod to see what control you have at what head position.

[asra]

P.S. ASRA has posted a reward for the retrieval of Al"s gyro. The add was put in the local Launceston paper.

[Brian]

The 18 lb was the complete assembly, not just the top part.Really, all jokes aside, until Allan"s gyro is recovered, then everything, even with "testing" is still speculation. Good move to post a reward.