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

Looks like the South African chart didn't go through. Page 14 of this link:
http://www.caa.co.za/Safety%20Links/March%202011%20Edition.pdf
The clamshell rudder on a ducted fan might also allow engine operation at full power with zero forward thrust when spinning up, hydraulically or mechanically, the blades for takeoff.
Boyd Thompson

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