Archive/Old Mag/Simple G

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=156 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00e9cc00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B> <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="97" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 313 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Page"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive"><U><B>Archive</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><U><B>Contact</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Downloads"><U><B>Downloads</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Galleries"><U><B>Galleries</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Games"><U><B>Games</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magazine"><U><B>Magazine</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newsletter"><U><B>Newsletter</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reference"><U><B>Reference</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Video"><U><B>Video</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weather"><U><B>Weather</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f00640egerdp.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Archive </B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=380 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </FONT><A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Mini Limbo"><U><B><<  </B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/OldMag/Blank"><U><B>>></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="602" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1624 WIDTH="596"><div> <I><B>Simple G</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19437030.jpg" border=0 width="311" height="259" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">I've always had a fascination for autogyro's and have built three of the twin rotor variety over the years. The first was from a David Boddington kit, the second was an own design in the same theme, and the third was another own design but this time with outriggers instead of stub wings. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000CC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Autogyro Wingless"><U>Go Here</U></A></FONT> to see an article on it. But I was never really happy with them. What I really wanted was a true single rotor autogyro without wings, just like the later full size Cierva designs. I knew I needed to allow the blades to flap to equalise the lift across the rotor, but how to achieve this without lots of heavy metalwork?</div> <div>    I had followed the various advances in model autogyro's with interest through the years. The converted helicopter type holding no appeal for me as it was obvious that there could be no hovering flight with them because of their huge weight. Then along came the "Whistler" types with a single rotor and wings to dampen the flight and prevent the dreaded roll into the deck because of the dissymmetry of lift. These things just never hit the spot for me either.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19538f20.jpg" border=0 width="312" height="242" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">It wasn't until the Spaniard, Emelio Cabezas, designed his lightweight flapping rotor head and gimbal that "real" autogyro's could be built.  Things improved rapidly after this breakthrough. Next, Jim Baxter simplified Emilio's design by using polypropylene as the hinge which made the head very, very simple to build. Later, another step forward was made with the Delta hinge system designed by Lee Wayman, which improved spin up at take off and also helped with the dissymmety of lift problem. I wanted to get in on the act and design my own sport and scale types and, as there's no point in re-inventing the wheel, I decided to order a Jim Baxter plan for a single rotor direct control wingless design called "Simple G" so I could see how it was done and discover exactly how to make these lightweight flapping poly delta rotor hubs.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19638f10.jpg" border=0 width="312" height="241" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">I really enjoyed constructing the hub. It's constructed almost entirely from lite ply and can be made with nothing more than a sharp knife! You have to be fairly accurate with the hub parts otherwise you can end up with wobble in your rotor. The most difficult part is boring a hole for the bearing tube exactly in the centre. I did mine in a lathe. As the hub parts are triangular they fit nicely in the jaws of a three jaw chuck! For the bearing tube I used 10mm O.D. - 8mm I.D. aluminium tube from B&Q, a three foot length costs about £3. The bearings I got from a r/c car shop for £4.50. They are 8mm O.D. and 3mm I.D. I didn't fancy the piano wire rotor shaft glued into the head system and so used an allen cap 3mm bolt with its head buried in the gimbal and used a pair of nylock nuts to secure the rotor. This makes the rotor easily detachable for transport. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19737020.jpg" border=0 width="311" height="258" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">The fuselage is a 3/16 balsa 1/64 ply sandwich and is very tough. The only weak point is around the area of the cut out for the fuel tank. If I were to build another I wouldn't cut the hole and just hang the tank on the side. In two crashes my fus' has snapped across this hole. No other damage was done apart from stripping the gears out of the fore/aft tilt servo.</div> <div>    I fitted mine with a S.C. 12 which has proved to be a superb motor and provides plenty of power. Even after hundreds of flights the piston is still as new with no signs of discolouration on the skirt.</div> <div>    Flying Simple G is a wonderous and delightful experience! I just can't get enough of it! When you get over the difference of flying a gyro compared to a fixed wing, you begin doing almost vertical descents ending in on the spot landings with no ground run at all. Then you gradually explore the hover by slowing down and pulling more and more back tilt while at the same time balancing the increasing drag against more power until you can just hang there with the nose up at around 45 degrees on even on the gentlest breeze. Wonderful!</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19839f30.jpg" border=0 width="313" height="243" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">Later as you gain confidence you begin to realise that you can pull amazingly tight turns that are "on the spot" from any speed. With a normal aircraft there'd be a smoking hole in the ground, but not with the G. In fact it loads the rotor and increases the rotor revs and therefore generates more lift and so is even safer! Loops are easy and I'm sure she'd roll but I haven't plucked up the courage to try it yet! There is so much power in the left/right tilt that I'm certain she would. The speed range is huge. From zero to much faster than you ever expected.</div> <div>    This thing is so much fun to fly that I've fitted a bigger tank to give me 15 to 20 minutes air time and I've also fitted a bigger NiMH battery so I can double the amount of flights! This is like when you first went solo , the second the wheels touch down you want to tank up and get straight back into the air. Addictive. Tank up and go - land, tank up and go - land, tank up etc etc.... <I>G:-)</I></div> <div> <I>FF-25-10-02</I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Mini Limbo"><U><B><<  </B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/OldMag/Blank"><U><B>>></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>