Here are some of my Mentone 2014 pics!

I'll start with the OZ'rora- file ... the pretty POS Hanger Queen!!!

Well if looks was as important as reliability those things would sell like gold. It is really too bad that it just seems to have all kinds of kinks. It really is a pity. I can only sympathize but can't truly understand the extent of your frustration. I am truly sorry you guys have to go through this garbage.

Sorry to hear about all that. Scares me a little so many little problems that one would be concerned could turn into major structural type problems in flight. I think I can see you in an MTO one day.

hate to say it but it looks more complicated then my helicopter. it is a cool looking machine. it that a belt drive to the P.R. gear box? what part of the machine is giving you the issues?

I like your rotor blade lift. I see the problem you come with to many tools, it knows you expect it to mess up. so it does.. :(

Problem ... horrific front-wheel shimmy on TO roll ... cannot get rotors up to front wheel lift speed ... before it shakes violently ... part due to rotten rough runway @ Mentone & NO help from wind ... light & crosswind! ... Crappy weak design ... OK if you launch full rotor speed & up in 2 sec ... not good for beginner wanting to do a mains -balance to check out the gyro & rotor After trailer-trip & reassmly before commiting to fly!!

Complex gyro ....
I used to feel the same way ... overwhelmed by the complexity ... i could NEVER see myself understanding all the component systems - let alone successfully assemble & build & wire it all into a functioning gyro ... yet here 2.5 years later.. It's flying & for most part I am very comfortable with knowing it so thoroughly.!!!!
Even the stuff that Larry did for me ... by now I have had to re-install ( PPbolt rebuild )... or rework myself ... i do not believe anything daunts me now about my gyro & getting it apart & fixed! Feels like I've built it over twice - at least!!!!

Today I looked in my airframe logbook ... I replaced & used beefier bushings in the nosewheel socket @ 45 hours ... now it's almost @ 90 hours .... maybe that part is a 45 hour part????? Either way ... a new system is needed ... time to call on Jake & see what the bag'o weed & junkyard can come up!!! .... gotta be better than the biblethumper!!!


Oh & Tim ... I'm in awe of your restoration skills ... & those complex helicopter systems you fix-up ... the "complex gyro" - is MUCH simpler!!

Heheh....well it surely doesn't look like a POS Hanger Queen.
When one views each system separately, it seems to be well designed....it does look complicated if looking at the whole thing.
The landing gear is the most complicated looking system, to me.

From some of the things I've read, Chris has become an expert on this gyro.....just by her tenacity for overcoming one problem after another.
At some point, Chris's gyro should become the most trouble-free gyroplane flying around!
And probably the most expensive .

From looking at the pic, just my view of it, it looks like the nose gear could use just a bit more trail to it, seems almost to straight. , wow I am surprised you got it together that fast. I am guess when you have good plans if front of you it makes a big differance, Sadly my Falcon had not such builders manual.

I am sure jake could figure out a way to improve on the nose gear.

that is a pretty machine. how many gallons do those saddle tanks hold?

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When all is said and done Chris , it still remains a very nice looking gyro , probably one of the best

Who knows why you ended up having so many snags put on your shoulders with that machine , I am sure you dont deserve it , and considering that you are extra careful it just doesn't add up

I cant help but think you will end up as a fully qualified safety engineer in the end !!!! ... you have seen it all !!!!

Say Hi to Jim .... I miss his posts .... how come he looks younger than he did last year ????

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Jim's crippling back/knee pain that plagued him severely last year has been greatly relieved with a new antiinflamatory med & he found a "happy-pill' tree! ..... finding some peace as the legal battle over Tiggy-B comes to a head! He's much more mellow - at present ... it shows in the pics ...EH!!!!

I didn't know there was legal battle over Tiggy -B glad it is over. whats the progress on Tiggy-B ?

Yes it does Chris , he looks a lot better

It burdens me to see some of the burdens he has been going through in the last year or so

That is why God made farmers so tough , I cannot think of a better kind of people on the face of this earth



Tell him I said that !!!!!

The next opportunity you get look at the nose gear assembly on a Dominator. They use a small clamp that acts like a slip clutch to prevent nose gear shimmy. It still is loose enough to allow brake steering but tight enough to eliminate the shimmy.

Without it I doubt you could get a Dominator up to speed either.
It is a very good idea to decouple the nose gear from the rudder pedals but with that there comes other problems which is shimmy.

Help him out Elwood... don't you have a Dominator?
There is not one near me.
If there was I would send you a picture of one.

NOT over - YET!!! ... "coming to a head" ..... hoping to get to the end of the process ... in the next few weeks!

Jim's given up on Tiggy-B ... until he see's what happens with the legal process ... That last rotor-head bolt that needs remachining properly ... to remove the wobble in the PR ring-gear on rotorhead ... pretty much made him give-up ... also the PR needs new reostat! ...& lots more stuff needs doing radio antenna. / safety switches.. neither of us feel it's anywhere near safe ... let alone reliable & don't know what to do to get it there ... it's so bloody complex!

It just never ends damn it