Gyrhino Gyrocopter doing a jump takeoff

This is Dick DeGraw's custom built one-of-a-kind gyrocopter doing a jump takeoff at Bensen Days. For more info on gyrocopters visit www.pra.org and www.rotaryforum.com.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• gyrocopter
• gyro
• gyroplane
• autogyro
• flying
• jump
• takeoff
• Gyrhino

[liqu1dcham3leon]

How does he pull this off? Do you need to have some amount of wind coming at you to take off so quickly? I don't know much about gyros, so...

[tchick]

@liqu1dcham3leon This is a custom hybrid aircraft. He has collective pitch like a helicopter to achieve the jump and then transitions into autorotation flight (like a normal gyro flies) after the jump.

[Puronicth]

Hi. I'm new to this. Is that a "prerotator" he uses to get the main disk up? Is that a separate motor for that?

[tchick]

@Puronicth It does not use a separate engine for the prerotator. The prerotator is supplied power by the one engine.

[tchick]

I don't trust planes because they can't glide if a wing falls off.

[importsc41886]

that thing is ugly

[lmogden1]

great video

[pacificcloud]

Thats nifty, I want one

[FooManAU]

Search for You-Tube video titled : Aero-TV: Jump Take-off Gyros - Dick Degraw's Homemade Masterpieces.

In the video you can see Dick explaining how his gyro was made and how it works to be able to do the jump take-off.

[neuralwarp]

@tchick it may be custom built, and jump take off may be fairly unusual, but it is just a gyrocopter. A hybrid rotorcraft either has wings or a rotor that is powered during flight. This has neither.

[OABluewiring]

@tchick An F-15 can, apparently.

[RunningSwimmingMan]

That is awesome...

[tchick]

@skyboy1956 Have you inspected this aircraft in-person? I have. It has a collective. Dick pulls the collective to change the pitch for the jump takeoff and then returns it to the flying pitch. If all it takes is facing into the wind to perform a jump takeoff we'd all be doing them.

[skyboy1956]

@tchick ...If you look carefully, you'll note the rotor never "cones" prior to liftoff to suggest it is pulling collective pitch and providing lift. Also rotor torque, and the rearward tilt of the rotor would cause issues. The Gyrhino is a true autogyro, the rotor provides lift by air flowing up and through the rotor, not vice-versa like a helicopter. I believe in this video, Mr. DeGraw is facing into the wind which contributes to the spectactular zero roll takeoff run.

[skyboy1956]

Mr. DeGraw has 2 Gyrhinos. I believe the other one is flown by his wife. Both Gyrhinos were flying around my house this morning South of Jackson, MI. Really cool stuff. I wish they would drop in to my airstrip sometime.

Nothing fake about it.