Sport Copter in Australia

[IanM]

Just letting people know that Sport Copter now have an Australian dealer.For some time I have been telling people that we need a readily available, ‘turn key’

[Greg Mitchell]

Congratulations Ian, ;DI have been keen to hear the SportCopter was here. I certainly hope you can get it built in time.Looking forwad to seeing two SportCopters side by side on a flight line.It would be great if you were to bring your two place as earlier discussed, talk to Allan Rob"s not bringing his gyro now, so maybe a spare trailer.Good luck with the Dealership.See you at the Nats. Mitch

[IanM]

Hi Mitch,Yes, I can bring my 2 seater if it is required (and I can find a trailer space for it).

[asra]

Ian, a machine that could be flown out to a job on fine pitch, land at the fuel drum then pull a few pins to drop the cab off and dial in a course pitch without having to retrack the rotors would be the way to go. At the end of the day stick the cab back on and dial in a fine pitch to fly home.What is the endurance on these. 4-4.5 hrs with an hour reserve seems good for mustering. With the rotors, what is the design hour limit for the rotors and hub bar and have many of these clocked up a lot of hours. Also what is the maintenance like on the bonded rotors. I see with the the bonded helicopter rotors a few were delaminating from corosion or cleaners where the paint had eroded away.Peter

[Greg Mitchell]

G"Day Ian,Bruce Lyatt with his Newo, Neil Shearer with his ELA.That"s it!

[Brian]

The hub bar will be under the ASRA AD no matter what its design.So for mustering, 500 hours is it unless you do the crack test every 100 hours for the next whatever it is. I find it easier to just get a new hub bar, then you have the full 500 hours.4.5 hours is too long in the saddle for me, I"m looking for a coffee and a walk about after 3.300 /4.00 hours

[asra]

I see an Ad on the asra website canceling the crack testing and hour limiting. It dosnt seem to be authorised by anyone.AD 2008.01

[asra]

Ian, I found a few more pages in the sportcopter site after that last post that give me a lot more info.They have a lifetime garantee but over 10 years mustering they might clock up anywhere between five to ten thousand hours which is a lot of lifetimes for a recreational machine. Im planning on buying another set of rotors in a few months so Im interested in any more info you can get on fatige life and also blade and complete rotor weights for 26 -27 foot rotor.Peter

[Greg Mitchell]

G"Day Ian,After talking to Allan, it appears

[IanM]

Hi Peter,Thank for your questions.I will get some history of hours flown on Sport Copter blades from the manufacture but as our AD stands we are controlled by that for the hub bar life.

[asra]

Hello Ian, to sell them as a mustering machine plenty of endurance is a must. especialy if your working 20k or more from the strip. If the stock are playing up you can lose the last hours work in the time it takes to go back and refuel. Having just half a cup of coffee instead of 2 or 3 on a winters morning soon fixes the bladder problem. As for the removable cab thats just somthing I would like to see. I havent done much flying in the last couple of years but Ive put in a lot of tome over thick mulga. When stock are planted in that, Ive found the best way to get a decent muster is to run a 250 meter grid pattern looking down over my toes for movement in the shadows as Im approaching. A little glare on the windsheild and you dont see it. The other thing is when Im down low working stock I never use any gauges or yaw indicaters, just the wind.Im particularly interested in the rotors as it looks like that setup allowing movement for lead lag and cone, will take a lot of pressure off the hubbar and blade root. The blades that Ive done most of my flying on always have a lot of black crap from fretting, running from under the blade straps and teeter block after rain. Also has there been a fatigue life worked out on the blades. Peter

[birdy]

Dont SC blades have the lead lag hinge?If so, id imagine the hub bar life would be considerably longer n a standard ridged one.so do you think it is really necessary to take it off for mustering? Yep.Specialy if youv been sent out to that "area of scrub" to flush out them "cheeky critters". And Pete nailed the main reason; The other thing is when Im down low working stock I never use any gauges or yaw indicaters, just the wind.You get a much better "feel"

[IanM]

Hi Peter/Birdy,Yes, I think that the lead/lag in the hub bar should take some stress off it so you would expect it should have a better life.

[birdy]

Air speed is the thing you gota be able to feel, specialy wen your yardn up. Tryn to hold position, 50" up, hangn off the prop. you need instant feed back of the slightest change in air. Iv always got me viser open wen do"n this, coz in winter, wen im dressed like a frign eskimo, those suttle changes aint feelable with the viser down and all that gear on.BTW, iv often felt like kickn the little 1"x1" dash of the ferel, coz its amazn just how often that little blind spot gets in your way.Even full faced headsets are a pain in the ass, coz the chin part takes away alota periferal side of your vision.

[asra]

Hi Ian, After reading about Jim Vanec and the sport copter I think it should make a pretty good mustering machine. Youve got some comments here from musterers that you have asked for. Ive done over 5000 hrs mustering and although its not a lot in terms of mustering, its enough to give me a fair idea of what I want in a mustering machine. Bring a two seater out some time and Ill take you for a run staying right on the deck mustering feral goats out of pulled country with plenty of shade trees to make life interesting. It will give you a new perspective on flying and youll know where me and Birdy are coming from.I see they sell the rotors seperately as well. If they fly well and with the design to reduce cone and lead lag flex, a lot of the musterers will start using them. I think one bloke was working up a bit of lead lag with cotrol inputs and cracking his hub bars at the blade tangs. As for the AD its a blanket hour limit no matter whether the hub bar is designed for 200hrs or 5000hrs so it would be good to know that it will make the 500 hours. Also this AD is only mandatory on two seaters and type aproved gyros.