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

 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

 Looks like you are right. I suggest a bigger rudder with a 45 degree
 pivot to take advantage of the rotor down wash.

 Paul Lamar



Urkh, he made a mess of that!
Must have been very poorly trained. He tried to land like a fixed wing! Bad mistake.
What downwash are you talking about Paul?
In autorotation - whether it be Gyro or helicopter there is no downwash, air actually goes up through the rotor disc.

May I suggest everyone studies autorotation before further comment.

John Evans


Your right about the gyro  John.

My mistake on the gyro. I was thinking like a helicopter under power :-)
The 45 degree rudder  thing won't work on a gyro.

Back to the bi directional starter motor electric blaster.

Paul Lamar


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