Helicycle video ...hop on my skids

[StanFoster]

I took 2.5 years building my Helicycle and have been flying it since September 1st, 2010. It has far exceeded my expectations for reliability, smoothness, and is it ever so easy to fly.

 

I recently added a GoPro camera to the belly of my cabin, and now can take pictures and videos with full control from my cyclic.

 

Here is a video of flying out from my stairshop ....and out the chopper channel I made for flying in and out fo my woods. Luving it!

 

[DS_HMMR]

Very cool!

Drop it into Imovie and add some tunes!

[Goldy]

Enough already ! Making us all jealous! Honey, I'm just gonna go rake up some leaves with the Helicycle!

 

Love the grass confined area approach too!

[StanFoster]

Thanks Goldy- Guys and gals that fly helicopters for a living have my utmost respect. I feel fortunate to have built and be flying my helicopter as a hobby. Words can't describe the pleasure I have had with my helicopter rating. I have flown gyroplanes since 1985, starting with a Bensen gyrocopter. But to have the ability to take off and land most anywhere, is just a pleasure.

 

Stan

[mrkik]

Now I'm jealous too! That's an interesting runway, by the way! I hope winds aren't too much of a problem.

 

Question: If you wanted, could you easily max performance over the tops of your trees? I'm curious what the power is like.

[JCM5]

Why is it called a helicycle?

[StanFoster]

Mrkik- It had plenty of reserve power and I weigh 220.

 

I have an aux fuel tank and can hold 24 gallons of kerosene. One day it was 104 degrees and I topped out all the tanks just to see how much reserve I have. It easily can hover oge at keep di a vertical ascent to who knows how high? I am at 750 feet, and I won't run out of power.

 

I have a laser beam on my collective that shines its red sit on a rotor blade pitch gauge strip in my door channel. I can tell exactly how many degrees of collective pitch I am pulling. Typical day takes 10 degrees to hover in ground effect,and 11 degrees to hover out of ground effect.

 

In that hot 104 degree day, it took 11.5 degrees to hover in ground effect, and 12.5 degrees to hover out if ground effect.

 

To put this into perspective, my high speed cruise around 105 mph actual GPS averaged groundspeed, takes 12 degrees of collective. 13 degrees of collective has me going 110 mph actual, 14 degrees is around 113 mph, and collective set at 15 degrees is about all she will go , 115 mph. I still have collective to 17 degrees , but the belts are set to start sliping at that power setting.

 

By the way, the above figures were taken from my chart I made before I streamlined mt Helicycle swashplate area. Those figures above are about 2 mph less than what I am recording now, but not finished with my new graph. I am holding off as I plan on streamlining some Are.

 

I will post some max performance take offf videos out over the trees instead of using the chopper channel .

 

Stan

[mrkik]

What is the DA where you are operating?

 

That sounds like a surprising amount of power. Looks like a blast. I'm looking forward to that video.

[StanFoster]

Mrkik- I am st 750 ask. I believe the DA that day was around 2800 ft. That turbine is created from 150 horse to 100. Never flew anything with such reserve power, and the egt are fine on high density days pushing it.

 

Stan

[FlightCam360]

_{Very cool video. How are you controlling the camera from your cyclic?}