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Anyone ever flown an ultralight / kit helicopter?


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Somebody near my parents place flys all around the south Lake Limestone area on some sort of parasail trike.

Looks like fun until your wing collapses or your $100 small engine gets some carburetor fouling or spark plug failure. Speaking of which...when was the last time I saw that dude flying?

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9 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

A gyrocopter isn't exactly the same as a helicopter since there is no engine power to the main rotor. They spin the rotors up and create lift from forward momentum.

I’m still gonna take a hard pass on anything that takes me more than 20 ft. off the ground that isn’t built by a reputable manufacturer.  I also fell 40 feet from a ski lift as a child, so my fear of heights is probably coming into play here.

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10 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

A gyrocopter isn't exactly the same as a helicopter since there is no engine power to the main rotor. They spin the rotors up and create lift from forward momentum.

If the engine dies, seems like it's going to be really tricky to glide it in, particularly where these people are flying.

Australia had a little report a few years ago:

Quote

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on accidents between 2004 and 2013 found half of all gyrocopter accidents to be fatal, with the aircraft responsible for the worst fatality rate per hours flown.

But it's Australia, so there may have been lots of beer, and more than a few dangerous animals involved.

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On 6/7/2020 at 7:43 PM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I’m not sure I would fly in a helicopter I made myself. However, when I was in high school I almost bought a kit plane called the BD5

The early Bede Factory was in Newton, KS so I got to see a few of them fly. I also saw one of them crash. Probably a good thing you didn't put a deposit on one of them, most buyers lost their investment.

https://airfactsjournal.com/2013/02/a-dream-of-the-1970s-the-bede-5/

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