Thread: My trail bike of the skies

In a vertical decent the machine descends at about the same speed of a parachute and can be moved backwards, forwards and sideways just by tilting the rotor and this is easy and safe with control.
The problem is you do not want to land directly from a vertical decent as if you watch a parachutist land is is still with a thump and you will bend the machine and wreak the rotors.
This vertical decent landing can be done in a 20 mph head wind or with a skilled pilot with very big rotors with a soft landing.
Many a gyro pilot has done a vertical decent zero forward air speed landing into hard ground, the water or a tree and saved their lives........but they do come crawling out from some bent pipes safe and sound.
The training is to keep some air speed in a forward direction and 40 mph is enough to store some energy in the rotors and do a landing flare with zero ground roll , but it is much , much easier to let the machine roll a few mtrs for the landing.
Gyros are fun and easy to land.
I at one time was testing rotors for a local maker and I would be testing the rotors for vibrations and testing different brands and designs after repairs.
My single seat machine with a extremely good hydraulic prerotator with 30 ft rotor in still air get the blades to 200 rpm and after a few mtrs of takeoff roll get the 250 rpm for lift off into a steep climb at 20 mph.
At full power and level flight could be maintained at 20 mph.
Any wind around and it is vertical take off and landing.
small 22 ft rotors would be prerotated to 300 rpm and with a longer takeoff roll get air borne at 400 rpm.
Slow speed flying could be done with smaller rotors, but it takes more power.
smaller rotors have less effect on landing as the higher rpms still hold the energy.
smaller rotors are good for rough air and changing rotor disc size is a little bit like changing the size of the wings on a aeroplane.
Bigger rotors are used for two seat machines.
The pitch on rotors have effects on lift too.