Safety Alert 2014.02

[Waddles]

Dear Members,The following has been released and is published here for your information.Please be guided by its content.Regards,Allan Wardill

[Tim]

SA 2014.02I consider this a very timely Safety Alert. There has been far too many accidents involving poor or zero rudder control, allowing the gyroplane to enter into a more sideways attitude than would be possible with an "effective" rudder. Whilst side-slipping or sideways flight used to be a very common manoeuvre, the increasing number of enclosed or podded gyros has not seen an equivalent increase in rudder volume. As the total configuration becomes larger in side area, so too does the sideways drag, causing the gyro to lean or tilt towards the direction of travel, and as the SA points out, it only takes a 9* tilt to run out of recoverable control. (Because of engine torque, and/or poor manufacture, many gyros have less than 9* lateral movement available to correct for excessive airframe tilt).Pilots should also be aware that tri-tails are particularly vulnerable in "sideways flight", simply because the tri-tail is normally installed to enhance stability issues, and in sideways flight much of the rudder area is blanketed and ineffective.

[birdy]

Seems to me that new pilots should stick to S/L with the quality of instruction these days. Wot the hell are people thinkn bout while they are up there?Wouldnt try the gesstimate the number of times iv been do,n max rate side slips 20" up and felt the opposit stopper on the stick.Natural reaction is to reduce input.Iow, step on the other peddle.Sad wen you gota put out alerts like this.Its common sence.Gess this is the direction strayas go,n.

[blakemorem]

I recall in training my instructor was always saying straight n level. This particular day i wasn"t and he let me side slip and i couldn"t fix it as me brain wasn"t figuring it out, he grabbed the stick and and rudder and leveled it out. He said "remember when i was saying straight and level, there"s a good reason for it and you had about 3 seconds to fix it or it was all over keep it straight and level" A lesson i never forgot. And thanks to Allan as i didn"t realize it was a situation you potentially can"t recover from and i also now understand why.Mike.

[MadMuz]

Because my machine was faster than most of the other guys when on cross countries, I often used to step on the rudder without slowing down to have a look back and see where they were and I guess the "go to stick" (joystick) would have been a bit crossed towards the right (direction of travel), but I never had any trouble or

[Waddles]

Members,The following is an extract from the Flight Manual of a popular factory built imported gyro:"Side Slip in GyroplanesExcessive side slip has to be avoided at all means. Side slip can be safely performed up to the degree which is necessary for proper runway alignment for landing within crosswindlimitations. Excessive side slip starts at a point where de-stabilizing effects of the fuselage balance out or even supersede the stabilizing effects of the stabilizer. Pilots being new togyroplanes, especially those with fixed wing experience may not be aware of these physical limitations. When exceeding these limitations, be it by imitating ‘professionals’ or applyinghabits and control schemes from fixed wing aircraft, the gyroplane may enter an attitude where it is not recoverable any more. As the pedal control is rather sensitive and alignmentis crucial in high-performing gyroplanes, pilots should develop a feeling for side slip and ‘automatized feet’ in order to maintain aerodynamic alignment and to compensate forpower-induced yaw couplings by anticipation as a conditioned reflex."Regards,Waddles.

[MadMuz]

No worries Waddles, that is much clearer, long tandems with high sided "tubs" for want of a better word.... and written into their own manual....I totally agree in this situation, one could easily see that near touchdown, one might step on the opposite rudder and find the machine doesn"t straighten up in time

[IanM]

Hi Murray (and others),You may "dribble on" at time but there are some gems amongst it too. We have initiated the Safety Alerts to help guide our new and inexperienced pilots to fly within a safe envelope.

[MadMuz]

All good Ian, as soon as Waddles posted the later info