Aircraft designs, Inc. Sells plans for two gyroplanes, both have an excellent safety record. Flight reports of the Sportster and Bumble Bee are presented in Flying the Gyroplane. For those interesting in designing gyros, the book Modern Gyroplane Design is the only book in the world on this subject.
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A gyrocopter is an easy-to-fly aircraft that’s remarkably maneuverable. Unlike a helicopter, a gyrocopter doesn’t need a tail rotor, which enables you to fly one with a joystick. Although flying a gyrocopter can take a while to master, building one is not so difficult. Below is a short guide that will assist you in building your own gyrocopter. Home-built sport aircraft. This hydro-gyroglider was built from a kit by donor Gene Anderson, who first flew it in 1957. The plans came from Igor Bensen, a leading proponent of lightweight, home-built rotorcraft. A boat towed the rotor-kite into the air at 20-35 mph. The landing speed was 7 mph and the rotor speed was 350 rpm. Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia. Hi There All, As promised, I have scanned all the original Bensen construction plans in full size.pdf's, and passed them on to MinnesotaMike, for redistribution. He paid for my out-of-pocket expenses for the large scans. Feel free to contact him, to get hold of any one of them. These videos will help you experience the thrill of flight in a gyrocopter, as well as to familiarize you with safety precautions and requirements for owning your own aircraft. Gyrocopteronline.com - Huge selection of manufacturers with gyrocopter plan, parts, and kits - including composite rotors and rotor heads for gyroplanes and autogyros.
THE ORIGIN OF THE MODERN GYROPLANE: | ||
In the 1950s Bensen Aircraft Corporation exploded upon the sport aviation scene with their ground-breaking 'Gyrocopters' and 'Gyrogliders.' When the brilliant engineer behind this success, Dr. Igor Bensen, introduced the B-7 Gyroglider (1955), its unprecedented simplicity of design and ease of flight captured the public's imagination. Although the B-7 had no engine and was towed into the air very much like a kite, shortly thereafter the engine-powered B-7M Gyrocopter was introduced and a new age of powered homebuilt aircraft dawned. Dr. Bensen's revolutionary designs have been copied and modified, but, in the opinion of many, never surpassed. | ||
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| The gyroplane (or 'gyrocopter' or simply 'gyro') is essentially a helicopter-airplane hybrid, offering many of the benefits of both and several of its own. Many consider it among the safest aircraft you can fly. Unlike a helicopter, the gyro's rotor blades are unpowered, necessitating a short roll for take-off—unless the craft is fitted with a pre-rotator, which can greatly reduce or even eliminate the need for a runway. A major safety feature of the gyro is that if the engine fails, the craft can be easily glided to a safe landing. Also, the gyro is less affected by high wind than typical fixed-wing aircraft and is not subject to stall. | |
SPECIFICATIONS OF THE B-8M GYROCOPTER Height.......................................................... 6½ ft Length .......................................................... 11 ft Empty Weight......................................... 250 lbs Gross Weight ........................................ 550 lbs Payload Weight ..................................... 300 lbs Rotor Diameter ........................................ 20½ ft Disc Loading (lbs/sq ft) ................................ 1.6 Engine (original) .................. McCulloch 4318 Horsepower Range................................ 65 to 90 Maximum Speed ..................................... 95 mph Cruise Speed ........................................... 65 mph Rate Of Climb .................................... 1,100 fpm Maximum Altitude .............................. 15,000 ft | ||
The B-8M Gyrocopter (left and above) fits in the Experimental Aircraft category. | ||
The above 2 aircraft are the unpowered Bensen B-8 Gyrogliders, which were towed into the air by an automobile or, if fitted with floats, by a boat. Once airborne, the cable was released and, with proper skill and perhaps some help from the wind, the craft could continue its flight for many minutes. Once control of the glider was mastered, the craft was convertible to the engine-powered gyrocopter. | ||
THE B-7(M) Gyro-Glider and Gyro-CopterThe B-7 Gyro-Glider (right) and the B-7M Gyro-Copter (below) are the innovative Bensen designs that, in 1955, ignited the gyro craze. | |
| Drawing of the B-7 converted to engine power—now designated the B-7M. | SPECIFICATIONS OF THE B-7(M) 'GLIDER & 'COPTER Height......................................................... 6½ ft Length .......................................................... 8 ft Empty Weight....................................... 185 lbs Gross Weight ........................................ 450 lbs Payload Weight .................................... 265 lbs Rotor Diameter ...................................... 20½ ft Disc Loading (lbs/sq ft) ............................... 1.4 Engine (original B-7M) ....................... Nelson Horsepower Range (B-7M)................ 42 to 65 Maximum Speed ................................... 85 mph Cruise Speed ......................................... 55 mph Rate Of Climb ................................... 1,000 fpm Maximum Altitude ............................. 12,500 ft |
The B-6 Gyro-GliderThe B-6 Gyro-Glider (left), created in 1953, was one of the first Bensen design to come to the public's attention. The rotorblades mounted atop the B-6 are, unlike a helicopter's, free-spinning in response to the movement of air over their suface—very much like the propellor of a toy pinwheel. With a relatively modest forward tow speed (by car or boat) of about 23 mph, the rotorblades reached a speed of about 250 mph, providing lift for the Glider to take-off. The rotorblades already have a fixed, built-in pitch, so all the pilot needs to do is steer the Glider with the handlebars almost as one would steer a bike. Once airborne, the tow-line is released for a free and controlled flight—a flight that can last 15 minutes or longer. Indeed, even with a relatively mild wind of perhaps 23 mph, the B-6 can take off and fly very much like a kite! | ||
| SPECIFICATIONS OF THE B-6 GYRO-GLIDER Height......................................................... 5½ ft Length .......................................................... 7 ft Width ............................................................. 4 ft Empty Weight........................................ 105 lbs Gross Weight ....................................... 355 lbs Payload Weight .................................... 250 lbs Rotor Diameter ......................................... 20 ft Cruise Speed ...............................25 to 60 mph Landing Speed ........................................ 7 mph Rate Of Climb .................................. 1,000 fpm Maximum Altitude ............................ 12,500 ft | The B-6upon completion | The cleverly named Midjet (combining 'midget' and 'jet') was basically a B-6 with ramjet engines mounted on the rotor tips. This tiny helicopter was said to be capable of lifiting several times its own weight. |
The Bensen B-8M Gyrocopter
Bensen Aircraft Gyrocopter Plans Download Free
1957: The Bensen Aircraft Corperation has been the largest manufacturer of light gyroplanes since the early fifties. The B-8M was designed and tested from the earlier B-7M. The modifcations worked out from the -7 project included a higher horsepower engine from 42hp to 72hp in a McColloch 2 stroke. The B-8M set many world records and was brought into the collection of the Smithsonian in 1969.
The little American Bensen B-8M went into production in both kit and plan form following the successful testing of the modified B-7M. The B-8M has been one of the most copied designs of gyroplanes but in part may be due to the basic and simple design of the aircraft.
The B-8M is a single seat gyrolane with a rotor diameter of 22 ft and fuselage length of 11ft 4 in. The gyro has a gross weight of 500lbs, speed of 85mph and a range of about 100 mi.
A varient of the B-8M known as the Super Bug included many changes including a greater gross weight, swivelling nosewheel, prerotator, and rotor brake, jump takeoff capability and one of these models was even out fitted with floats.
The craft itself being born from the design and engineering efforts of Dr. Igor Bensen with research he conducted on the British Rotachute. From his research Bensen started development of his own gyroplane which started with towed gyroplanes. Later he added small engines and eventually was refined enough to what we today recognize as a sport gyroplane. This craft and Dr. Bensen was the birth of homebuilt gyroplanes in America and for the most part around the world. It would be the passion from this gyroplane to revolutionize the industry.