I went to go fly the Dominator around the patch since the weather was nice, but on preflight I found the housing that supports the water pump on the arctic cat was loose. The housing bolts on behind the flywheel, so now I have to pull the engine to get the flywheel off to tighten the housing!
Grrrr! Maybe it is time to just take the whole thing apart and rebuild, repaint and put the new 582 blue head on it.
as if I need another project right now!

Oh no! But, I have to say you did this to yourself.

It was that post about making more time for gyros. "No mower repairs. No extra projects, yada-yada. Making time for fly-ins."

Fate could not let that one pass and made an immediate emergency call to Murphy. Fate invented the Internet, you know. Be careful what you post.

Yes point taken, isn't that the truth!!!

Hey Jon, did you ever have any problem with the gyronimo's narrow gear? Like trying to tip over or anything?

I was thinking about making the ultralight gyro narrow enough to fit in a pick up bed.

I would sell you my gray head. Screw blue heads. With the prop if you wanted it. I am planning to put a different engine on the Behemoth.

Let me guess...a yammie!

I have a grey head, I am going to send the cases down to Rotax rick and have him do the ceramic water pump seal, then I am going to rebuild it.
So I will have a spare, almost enough parts to build ANOTHER gyro!!!!

I do have a brand new blue head Already.

I also have a spare arctic cat 650...talk about behemoth!!!

Gabs, Elwood has a fantastic Blue Head, and the old Grey heads are prone to cold seizures, watched Dave Bacon go down in the dunes cause of one.
Having said all that, you want sewing machine reliability? Get a 503 and fly it within its parameters.

Yeah I thought about rebuilding the 582 grey head and putting it up for trade for a 503....

That is bull fucking shit about gray heads! They are not any more prone to cold seizure than Blue heads. Absolutely BS!!!!
I have talked to a Rotax technicians and not one ever verified that myth.
As a matter of fact blues seize up more do to the stupid oil pump on them quit working.
The dumbest idea from Rotax ever.
If you run your Gray head 160 F* as recommended they will never seize.
Never! Use freaking 1:40 pre mixed and forget about it.
Calling YUUUGE BS on that myth.
Either way. I am pulling mine off and will put it up for sale soon.

Scott,

I can honestly say that the GyRonimo never had any tendency to tip over, even when I was standing up in the seat spinning up the blades with a high wind. I would not hesitate to put pickup-truck-capable gear on a single-place gyroplane as a result of my experience with that machine.

I agree with Jon, certainly not narrow undercart on a beginners machine, but you are an old hand at it, you know how to fly the rotors on the ground taxying and what not.... you will just have to remind yourself not to taxy too fast and turn.... I reckon try it.... just take your time getting used to it once it is up and flyable

BTW, how narrow are we talking? I doubt I would like less than 5' ...... 66" would be ok.... how wide is the truck bed? I wouldn't like the undercarriage to be narrower than the prop diameter

That is what I was thinking, I like to keep the gear a little wider than the prop, don't have any reason to...but the truck bed is 53" a midsize truck, (Dodge Dakota) .

I remember seeing a few Bensen types with 3-4 ft wide gear, but the Bensens are a little shorter.

why just let the wheels over hang the sides?

make saddles on the contact points and slide rails for loading unloadind. . .

I vote for the prop diameter plus 6" .... and make the truck fit the gyro

I would say as long as the machine is not to tall narrow gear would be fine if your runway is not to rough, I wouldn't try it on my machines that turn a 76 to 90 inch prop , to much weight way up there if one side sinks in a hole.
Norm.

Hi Norm.... Yay!! The ice man speaks

How are you mate? Has 'the freeze' started yet?

No real ice yet , about three inches of snow and a little ice in small ponds but nothing in the river, should be in about two or three weeks.
Norm

ICE RIVER GYROS.

fj

Maybe start a thread letting us know what you got up to in the thaw? I for one would be real interested to hear

Havent seen you on for ages.... welcome back

Thanks muz, my life in summer is really quite boring, I just work so other people can have fun, the only thing that makes me different from a real person is that I go to work every day in a hovercraft when the river level gets low, that can be fun too on windy days.
Norm