Hi Folks.

I often spin my rotors up to 50rrpm (ish) when taxiing on grass for the runway thinking that slowly spinning blades suffer less than those at rest when taxiing. Am I mis-informed and if so why??

phil (de fer)

Well, thinking of it I tend to consider that it is really difficult for me to avoid my rotor to hit the flapping shocksduring taxiing ... and it is harmful for the controls, the rotor the rotor head really

if I did the same then you at least my rotor would not hit the stops harder then when it does not turn ..I even think that the spinning rotor can't hit the stops, or hits them less

the only trouble I would have is that I would have to stop the rotor at the stop point , align and pre-spin it to take off because my bendix does not like to engage when the rotor is spinning

also it would force me to holf the stick foward , where with a tall taild gyro I don't mind if the stick get's back during taxiing because the rotor can't touche the rudder or the prop even stick back

if it not a problem with your car stater I don't see a good reason not taxi with a spinning rotor

Sportcopter POH demands it.

Even at low speed, it creates some lift so the rough spots that would act like a hammer hitting the bearing si I think it does get relief from the created lift. Just my uneducated opinion, not a scientific fact!

On smooth cement or asphalt, hold the stick forward to engage the brake and prerotate when you get to the runway
On rough grass before the asphalt runway, I try to maintain a minimum of 150 RPM.
On a rough grass runway I try to get a minimum of 200 RPM let off the brakes and slam it.

Morning all.

Thank you for your replies, very informative, I will continue to spin up my rotors when taxiing on grass and not bother on concrete /tarmac.

@girodreamer, Your point is one I did not consider. As you say, because mine is electric pre-spinner I can re-start it to spin up to full speed even when it is already turning. Small advantage of the electric.

phil (de fer)

On smooth tarmac between hangars or parked aircraft, it is obviously a good idea not to have blades turning... but once on any taxyway or just in paddocks or grass strips, I would never taxi without blades spinning. The main reason is because there is no greater way of torturing a hub bar than to taxi with stationary rotors on rough ground. All of the stress is happening at the center of the hub bar... where there is one or 2 holes drilled for the teeter block... stress risers exactly in the worst possible place imo

Add to that, if you have cross winds, the rotors are not in your control, they are at the whim of the wind, the rotors lifting and lowering teetering back and forward to the stops and hammering the controls.


I would rather the rotors up to what the electric starter and the speed of taxying can do. IMO, even slow spinning rotors take alot of the stress out of the middle of the hub bar and you can influence the flying disk without the dead bumping of stationary rotors on stops... it is much softer on the controls if the rotors are turning.

I don't care if others don't agree. Others can do what they want. I will do it my way. If taxying with rotors turning is banned at an airstrip, then I will avoid that strip.

You also have to remember also, the modern machines (that the new 'rules' are designed for) don't require the skill of ground handling turning rotors, so it is just not taught.... most of my machines were open and hand started rotors, those with pre rotators were car starters, so very basic.

To me, there should be rules for open basic machines and rules for modern machines... but that is just me

Keep doing what you are doing Jetlag

Thank you @Madmuz. I am a low hours gyro pilot and spinning the rotors, not too fast simply seemed tome less strain on the joystick/control column. So, that is what I did.

These weeks of confinement have given me time for thought and I realised I started doing this on grass without asking the advice of anyone and sadly, for the moment my trusted instructor is not available to ask.

So, I though I would ask here, and a great response, not as I have experienced on other forms but good advice and information backed up with personal experiences as to why each does what they do.

Thank you.

phil (de fer)

I am sure some modern 'gyroplanes' demand that the machine is taxied with rotors stationary...

but I wont be having one of those machines any time soon

Many good answers here. A couple of points (already mentioned - never taxii with rotors turning around parked aircraft or vehicles or close to hangers or people.
Other than that, Rotors have very little strength when stationary. They would break in half if the gyro was lifted by the rotors. Conversely a spinning rotor has incredible strength, in most cases they can lift many times the maximum all up weight of the gyro. Also, in 90% of the time you have to taxii to the runway - why not use that to get the rotors up and save the prerotator.
Lastly, when taxiing back, always stop well short of anyone or anything and stop and secure the rotors before taxiing in, and shut down the engine at a safe distance and push the gyro in.
I agree with Muz, if it was mandated that I taxii in clear space with the rotors stationary then I would find somewhere else to fly.
Ps. I have seen two cases where taxiing with rotors tied has resulted in rotor failure, one was a fatality.

Same question posted on "that other forum" Jetlag.

Why ask the same question on the other forum and then get the same answers here?

Just wondering why.

Is there another forum? WTF!
Imposters.....

on the other forum we use to find DIY makers becoming experts over the time, and technically trained people like Chuck, or the boss or aviomania, boyett etc;

the makers have been discouraged to publish, and the experts don't come any longer ( the boss of aviomania does not come any longer), or they make less replies like chuck.

I use to share over there thinking it was time to give back .. I had seen so many pictures of gyros that I thought that it was normal to share in return ... the result is that Vance came to say that what I was doing was irrelevant ... if Gabor ( who built and flew his gyro) had told me be careful it is not good I would have accepted the warning, but coming for Vance Breeze , sorry NO !

so I have deleted my pictures (before coming here) .. and I was invited here THANK YOU VERY MUCH

so for me the other forum is over ! basta I won't publish anything any more ! and I told them why:

this manner of speaking prevents stupid people like me to ask questions, and to show what they are building etc ...

this manner of speaking rises a question : what is the real motivation of the Expert speaking here : helping uneducated people or discouraging them to design and build their gyro and participate to this forum ?

the forum tends to become like a car fans forum where people only say, did you see my porch ? did you see my tesla ? did you see my new leather seats ?

https://www.rotaryforum.com/threads/tal ... st-1166410

and I am not the only one having this feeling !

the russian guy showing his tractor was told by fetters he was making historical errors (and he was not told what were the errors)

Jetlag speaking about his prop laser adjustment system interested nobody etcetcetc

what I make is certainly not exceptional but if all makers were publishing both building story then the flight videos it would be something valuable for the community .. the thruth is that they don't mind the community .. they are over there for ego and entertainment, not for friendship and community.

SKY wolverines will be the only place I will publish my tests (good or bad) and the videos will be unreferenced so that all this ass-holes can't see it .. I will only publish one public video on you tube because I have seen many other people video ... but only one and basta

basta , finished, stop

Because not everyone on here is on "the other forum" and each person has their own views and I am interested in reading the views of as many as possible.

This is how we ensure a balanced and not biased view.

Beside that, some others on here "may" benefit from the same discussion.

Would you not agree ????

I perfectly agree with you, but it is just a question of time before one gets bored on this forum,

you are relatively young in the activity and your appetite is still big, so you are asking many things, you try to share what you think is interesting , speaking about your experience on your deluc gyro .. you have already spoken of your pre-spinner, bettered it , let folks know the results etc etc ... you are part of the hyper rare people avoiding to only publish opinions about gyros .. but humble people like you are rare now and you already experienced bad comments .. I hope you will resist and go on showing those people that passionate people willing to learn and share still exist... I hope you won't be discouraged to behave like this ... for me generosity has a limit in those conditions !

In Addition you are British , where I am a nervous italian rooted Froggy .. I loved your reply to Chuck, Calm , accurate, polite but pertinent ..Phlegm ... I don't have phlegm ..

What is on other forums, should stay there and not contaminate this forum.

I am very new to the hobby/sport and I am hungry for information and I do get excited when and if I find an easy solution to an existing problem.

We are all to a greater or lesser degree subject to the "it has always been done like this, and it works, so why change it"?

I enjoy trying to think "out of the box" and waste enormous amounts of time running down dead ends, but sometimes, as with my cheap and simple form of protection for the rotors I find a solution, that works for me.

Then I am maybe over eager to share my findings, because others have shared theirs and this is how we all learn new things.

It is great to find other people who get as excited about gyro as I do, the seed was planted in my mind a long time ago with James Bond and little Nellie. I remember I was mesmerized and said to myself one day but I never believed that day would ever come, but here we are.

If I post something and someone else nks it is a bad idea, I welcome the negative replies as long as they come with supporting data/information. I would rather be called a fool on the ground than find it out in flight at 1000 feet.

I remain respectfully

phil (de fer)

I agree, provided the negative comment is explained express kind

as for your blase protections, I had search for a so simple methig for years .. and in 5 minutes I found out that your method was the cheaper and the most efficient !

Yes I would

I haven't been to the other forum for at least 5 years... so I am happy Jetlag asked here.

Just for fun, can someone have a look at when I last was on the other one? My guess would be about 2016

I didn't even plan mine.... it was a nice day and it seemed like a good idea at the time ::lol:

Sam, the Titanium test pilot was there.... he said I was just a tiny 'pin dot' in the sky.... even tho the sky was clear, they could hear me but not see me properly until they watched me coming down again. Moruya airport is about 12' asl and from where I was sitting... the waves on the beach just looked like little white lines....

sure was fun tho...

Another interesting thing, other than absolutely no sensation of forward movement (which was creepy) ...was that it was late in the afternoon and the shadows from the sun low in the horizon looked incredible because of the mountainous area.... so some of the higher features were their normal color but everything in shadows just looked black.... looked like black ink oozing over the land lol..... took for ever to get down too .... just let it ever so slowly rotate... like a complete turn every minute. I was tempted to switch off the engine on the way down instead of the rev every 1000' but not having an electric start, I decided 'maybe not'


How's this?