Latest Kruzza.

[Greg Mitchell]

Spent some time with Geoff talking gyros, went for a couple of laps in it with Geoff at the stick. Big,

[Greg Mitchell]

Few More
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[Brian]

Excellent comments there Mitch. I visited the Kruza factory just before Easter and came away very impressed with Geoff & Alisters work and I could picture the new Kruza with a top shelf paint job to complete the picture.The reason I mention "the paint job" is that the MT/ ELA etc all are very smicko finished giving someone who knows nothing about gyros a bit of a false impression as they could be led to believe that the particular gyro they were looking at was the best gyro when in fact if you were looking for a really tough

[GraemeMonro]

Did a set of rotors fall off the top?I was waiting for a flight review of what we saw at Natfly?Graeme.

[tonydenton]

grae, sometimes you can be a funny bugger.

[tonydenton]

i also hope they sell. i dont care whether a machine flys or is meant to dig dirt, if the manufacturer has made it well and put effort into developing it then yes i hope they do well.

[chook]

Mitch, I notice in your photos the angle and geometry of the nose wheel would suggest that the Kruzza guys have reverted to rudder pedal controlled nose wheel (and your comments praising the rough ground handling characteristics). We had a Kruzza with us at Quobba in WA over the Easter break and he had a couple of VERY exciting departures from a reasonably rough strip because of the castering nose wheel on his model. (and probably some croswind component as well)There was a string on this forum a while back praising the benefits of the castering nose wheel design but after seeing for myself the problems that it gives on a rough (read standard Aussie) strip I now would not use one.

[Brian]

Did a set of rotors fall off the top?I was waiting for a flight review of what we saw at Natfly?Graeme.I"m only guessing here but I would say those rotors you saw at Natfly are still being developed. The 4 bladed rotor head has been tried before, Tim MaClure & Co tried it many moons ago but ran into problems enough not to go down that track.I have no doubts they will sell no problems but the Kruza guys need to get a "final" version out sooner than later now. Hopefully, the engine is now sorted although this is not going to be known untill they get some serious hours into it. [ guess they could send the Kruza up here to me for a month or too

[GraemeMonro]

I"m only guessing here but I would say those rotors you saw at Natfly are still being developed. The 4 bladed rotor head has been tried before, Tim McClure & Co tried it many moons ago but ran into problems enough not to go down that track.I have no doubts they will sell no problems but the Kruza guys need to get a "final" version out sooner than later now. Hopefully, the engine is now sorted although this is not going to be known until they get some serious hours into it. [ guess they could send the Kruza up here to me for a month or too

[Greg Mitchell]

Chook, I think the wheel can caster 360 degrees. Toe brakes allow for it to spin on a dime. I believe the geometry of the front strut has changed. Geoff mentioned something about the change. Cant remember the detail. I reckon Sam will jump in and help out with the detail.

[asra]

The 4 bladed rotor head has been tried before, Tim MaClure & Co tried it many moons ago but ran into problems enough not to go down that track.Chopper, don"t think dad ever had a go at 4 blade rotor but might be wrong. Whitey may have tinkered with a 3 or 4 blade head with a veiw towards variable pitch, once again Im not sure. I am fairly sure Fred Huges had a go at 4 blades though along with many other exteme experiments(e.g. came to Netallie one year with a fairly substantial wing under his pilots seat). The Kruza is a nice looking bit of gear though, things have definitely changed in the last twenty yrs.Just starting to get involved again and looking forward to catching up soon.Simon McClure

[asra]

Hi GentsNew 4 blade rotor system designed and manufactured by GTG is very different to any other 4 blade system developed before. Its 4 blades all track on the same plane/path. The system has no undersling and so the blades pivot at the centre of each hub bar. The conning angle is also set from the hub bars true centre. My first impression was wow. looks great, looks strong, but will shake like $%^&, due to the lack of undersling. How wrong I was, it was actually the smoothest gyro I have ever piloted with absolutely no stick, rotor or cabin shake what so ever. It also came up very easily from only about 60 RPM, due to some pre rotator teething problems. I conducted several strip runs, nose wheel up and off the ground. This is as far as I got, because the stick was extremely heavy and almost impossible to move (very heavy in both axis) After much discussion and testing it was agreed this was mainly due to the very heavy overall weight of the rotor system. The heads weigh is double that of a normal head and the blades were 2 sets of 27ft twisted tapperd Pats. The huge amount of inertia being created was most likely causing the heavy control and extreme stability beyond what is normal in 2 blade rotor systems. The future fix will hopefully be light weight, 23ft alloy bonded blades, and some additional lightening of the rotor system. Free catoring front wheel is fantastic and I wouldn"t have it any other way. It does take some getting use to but once masted it makes ground manovering and cross wing landing and take off really ;D really ;D really easy!!!!! ;D Ground handling on rough fields at slow speed can be a little challenging, but certainly not hard or difficult. If an incorrect amount of rudder or roll input is applied during a cross wind take off, then the machines free castoring wheel will allow the gyro to yaw, as it is designed too. Yes I agree with Chook, this can look quite messy looking during take off, but once masterd easy as pie.

[aussie_paul]

Hi all, Jeff Henley-Smith had a 4 blade rotor system flying at Lameroo back around 2002. I am hoping to come across some video I remember taking. Admittedly Jeff was only flying it around the countryside at 10" BUT it was flying. I guess Chuck Beaty"s idea of never test fly higher than you are prepared to fall!!!!!Jeff"s machine was also on static display at Sydney"s 2002 Aviex airshow where Hoges and myself conducted flying displays. I have just downloaded the video to my PVR so I will see if I can get a still shot off the video of Jeff"s 4 baled rotor system.Aussie Paul.

[tonydenton]

thanks sam,

[asra]

thanks sam,