Gyroplane Construction Standards

[Waddles]

Gidday All,With the advent of new requirements that will be introduced in CASR Part 149, I decided to start preparation by visiting our Gyro Construction Standards with a view to making them more user friendly and to move away from the use of the term "airworthiness" throughout. This in itself was prompted by the proposed amendments to CAOs 95.12 and 95.12.1 which will require all gyros to carry a placard stating that neither CASA nor ASRA guarantee the airworthiness of the gyro etc. It seemed silly to publish airworthiness requirements and then refuse to guarantee the airworthiness of the gyro. Additionally, ASRA does not have the ability or personnel to ensure airworthiness issues. So, the new standards refer to compliance, not airworthiness.Two standards are published - Basic and Compliant.Basic is a less stringent standard that will be mandated for all gyros after CASR Part 149 is law, meaning that all new gyros will need to be built at least to this standard and the appropriate paperwork submitted. I expect that gyros registered at the time of the change will be "grandfathered" until sold or significantly modified. These finer details are yet to be established.Compliant refers to single or two seat gyros and replaces the current standards for two seaters. This standard can include single seaters because it is expected that a higher construction standard will be necessary for gyros used for the likes of operations in controlled airspace. Again, the final requirements are not yet published. Upon perusal you will not notice a huge difference between the old and the new. Some load factors have been reduced to a practical figure that has proved adequate in service. You might note that the paragraph numbering appears to have numbers missing. This is deliberate and allows for the easy inclusion of additions in the future. It is hoped to produce a comprehensive index down the track and allowing for the easy inclusion of additions will not compromise the index as much as renumbering everything. The onus for compliance lies with the principal constructor. For this reason and in the interests of protecting ASRA officials and appointees, statutory declarations are added and must be completed properly for registration. I know this all sounds complicated and confusing but it really isn"t. The introduction is quite comprehensive and explains just about everything you need to know.Finally, I must acknowledge the significant contribution in time and effort put in by Peter Harris who was the principal re-writer, if that"s a word. Were it not for him, I suspect that that job would still be sitting on my back burner.Regards,Allan Wardill.

[dg2829]

I have quickly published the relevent forms and information at the link below,while I continue to update the documentation section properly it is going to take a while to complete.http://www.asra.org.au/technica.htm

Thanks