Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Completed GBs => Group and Themed Builds => Helicopters & Autogyros GB => Topic started by: Buzzbomb on December 30, 2020, 05:25:02 PM
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How things can change in the space of an hour.
While ratting around for parts for my first thought bubble I found a kit that just might do the trick for this GB as it a triggered a "wait a minute...." moment.
I have read a bit around the Hafner Rotachute concept Linky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafner_Rotachute) for delivering Airborne Troops. Nice concept.
How about if they upscaled to make it a full on Autogyro using the proven Horsa glider as the basis to deliver more troops.
So some quick tape cobbling together with a left over 1/48 rotor head
(http://www.modelblokez.org.au/bthpix/whatif/Helo/hardrada_1.JPG)
This concept might deliver a more controlled landing maybe
Still very early days and the path betwixt concept and production is oft strewn with wrecks and dashed plans.
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Liking this idea
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As long as it's a towed free-wheeling glider you're golden, try to power that rotor
and you'll have the same ground resonance issues as every other period attempt
at a "big" autogyro.
;D
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Oooh this is a bit left field, likeing it already :smiley:
Mog
>^-.-^<
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Quick status update, whilst undertaking round 1 PSR
It looks depressingly similar to the Rotodyne a bit now.
(http://www.modelblokez.org.au/bthpix/whatif/Helo/hardrada_2.JPG)
Italeri kit is pretty simple and with a bit of TLC appears that it would turn into a rather nice Horsa, which BTW is a rather large aircraft. I have a Hamilcar 1/72 Glider on the shelf and the Horsa is not that much smaller in span.
Some old school butt joins and clearly more care needed by me to minimize the PSR effort would have been nice. It also needs a quite substantial bit of weight to sit on the nose gear. I am short at the moment it appears and working on some creative weight adding method. Probably use the Drill hole, add weight/glue, plug hole by creating an instant inspection hatch method.
Went for the stub wing so as to not change the undercarriage layout, plus still have the towing points at the wing leading edge. Keeping as much Horsa in there as possible to make the conversion a logical stepping stone.
This is when my lack of Aerospace engineer vs Whiffer builder logic kicks in. The Gyro pilot would need to keep very vigilant to not let the rotor disk drop down below the tow rope or ..... well not the desired mission profile I would think.
JCF, yes fully Gyro, still using the towed glider model operationally.
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Very imaginative and looks to be proceeding on track with little to no deviation from the plan.
Are you using the stub wing parts from the Apache as your rotor pylon?
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Excellent and different concept. Do like it. :smiley:
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Autogyro rotors and helicopter rotors don’t operate in exactly the same fashion,
the gyro blades flap up in the front when the aircraft is moving forward.
The reason that earlier gyros have wings etc. is because the rotor had no
directional control function, the ailerons, elevators and rudder of the fixed
surfaces were used for control. The fixed surfaces and controls were blanked
on landing producing a complete lack of control which is the main reason for
the common rollover on landing accidents.
The wingless ‘direct control’ types tilted the rotor for directional control, this
was accomplished by a simple control stick attached directly to the rotor head,
as you might guess that’d be a questionable control method for the gyro-glider
unless it was being piloted by the Hulk.
;D
My inclination would be to add some sort of detachable control surfaces that’d
be used for directional control while under tow, they’d be dropped once the
gyro-glider was committed to it’s landing point. Otherwise you’d have no way
to control the machine while you were being towed.
Here’s a good piece on how autogyros work.
http://www.aviastar.org/theory/autogiro/index.html (http://www.aviastar.org/theory/autogiro/index.html)
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Ok Gang.. just about it for this build. Thanks for the encouragement.
Jon.. thanks for all that Gyro stuff, very interesting.
For this build, lets pretend that all the bits that need to happen may have happened as far a controlling the beast.
The build was pretty much done, a couple of struts added and the landing gear.
As far as finish, went pretty standard. There was a fleeting chance of a Prototype Yellow/black bands, but gave that away after looking at some of
my other less than stellar attempts at that type of scheme. Besides Invasion stripes are cool.
(http://www.modelblokez.org.au/bthpix/whatif/Helo/hardrada_3.JPG)
(http://www.modelblokez.org.au/bthpix/whatif/Helo/hardrada_4.JPG)
(http://www.modelblokez.org.au/bthpix/whatif/Helo/hardrada_5.JPG)
As detailed there are a zillion reasons why this would not work. But in whiffworld, it just might
Cheers all
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:smiley:
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The ex-glider gyro came out great!
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Me Likey . . . :smiley:
Don't worry, Direct Control for autogiros had been perfected before the war started, so no problems with controlling the beast . . .
Shame these weren't available for 'Market Garden' . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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Brilliant concept, good call on the colour scheme, beautifully built.
Query, would the Autogyro version carry more payload ?
Nice one Buzz
Mog
>^-.-^<
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Dang! That was quick! Looks mighty good!
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Great concept and an excellent build. 8)
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Fantastic!
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Fantastic indeed! And, on details, I love your asymmetrical wing roundel :smiley:
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Like the concept. Like the build.
That's it! What's not to like? ???
:smiley: 8)
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Like the concept. Like the build.
That's it! What's not to like? ???
:smiley: 8)
Yep, thatz it exactly for me too. 8)
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What's not to like? Nice execution !
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nice idea ;)
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Whoa! That came out great! 8)