Paul: Who wrote this? There was no name below it.

   "A gyro, in a zero speed landing, lacks adequate rudder authority
   because the prop is idling and there is no forward speed to produce
   airflow over the rudder. It's is one of the great vulnerabilities of
   gyros and the reason for a lot of rotor strikes due to a lack of yaw
   control in the last moments of a zero speed landing.
   The vectored thrust from a ducted fan might fill that control gap."

   I doubt whomever wrote it is a gyrocopter (or the FAA term: gyroplane)
   pilot.

   A lot of rotor strikes and lack of yaw control are not issues in pusher
   gyrocopters.  Zero speed landings are possible with some headwind. Very
   low speed touchdowns are common, with 10-20 feet rollouts.

   Any rotor strikes of gyros one sees on youtube videos are almost
   exclusively a takeoff situation, and a result of a pilot not following
   their instructor's training to make sure the rotor blades are up to
   flight speed before lifting off the ground.

   There is no need to develop some sort of ducted fan for pusher gyros.

   Kevin Richey
   Portland, Oregon


   Boyd Thompson wrote that.

   Suppose you are landing in a cross wind. Is that possible?

   Paul Lamar


...and just one more. Hope I'm still on the mailing list. Looking forward to the 3Ds of the imbedded ducted fan. Been thinking about this issue since I bought the 18a:

TAIL SURFACES

The tail surfaces provide stability and control in the pitch and yaw axes. These tail surfaces are similar to an airplane empennage and may comprise a fin and rudder, stabilizer and elevator. An aft mounted duct enclosing the propeller and rudder has also been used. Many gyroplanes do not incorporate a horizontal tail surface. On some gyroplanes, especially those with an enclosed cockpit, the yaw stability is marginal due to the large fuselage side area located ahead of the centre of gravity.

The additional vertical tail surface necessary to compensate for this instability is difficult to achieve, as the confines of the rotor tilt and high landing pitch altitude limits the available area. Some gyroplane designs incorporate multiple vertical stabilizers and rudders to add additional yaw stability.

http://www.caa.co.za/Safety%20Links/March%202011%20Edition.pdf


   Hi Paul,
   Perhaps this is what the experienced pilot who crashed my project 18a was talking about?:
   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y5zWLTQXcUI
   Thanks.
   Boyd Thompson

It will be awhile before I get around to that.

Paul Lamar

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