The Gyroplane Flight Manual
Sample selections
Read a sample of the information you'll find in this book.
Note: All material on this page copyright © 2003 and earlier years by Paul Bergen Abbott
Select a chapter or scroll down.
Chapter 2 - Meet the Gyroplane
Chapter 3 - Picking the Best Gyroplane
Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
Chapter 14 - How Safe is a Gyroplane?
Chapter 2
Meet the Gyroplane
What is it about gyroplanes that fascinates people? Among sport
aircraft, there's one main appeal: This is a unique flying experience.
Being airborne on spinning rotor blades is different. Since those
blades are always moving, the gyroplane can stay in the air at any
speed. Stalls, as in an airplane, are unknown among gyroplanes.
Gyroplanes are very maneuverable. They can turn tightly,
close to the ground, to stay over a small area. Steep banks that are
considered aerobatic in an airplane are normal play for many
gyroplanes. Punch the pedals and a gyroplane will turn to fly sideways
(the rotor doesn't care which direction the body points). Pour on the
power and you'll usually find an impressive rate of climb. This is a
type of aircraft that loves to play.
There are a lot of myths about gyroplanes. Like "They're
dangerous." "They're unproven." "They have a lot of unknown flight
characteristics." Not true.
Gyroplanes are no more dangerous than other homebuilt
aircraft. It's the builders and the pilots who are the problem in both
gyroplanes and airplanes...
There's lots more in the book on this topic.
Other topics in this chapter:
How is a gyroplane different from a helicopter?
Can a gyro be flown as an ultralight?
What choices are there?
How do you get started in gyroplanes?
What can you do with a homebuilt gyroplane?
Ready to order? 
Read other chapter samples:
Chapter 2 - Meet the Gyroplane
Chapter 3 - Picking the Best Gyroplane
Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
Chapter 14 - How Safe is a Gyroplane?
Chapter 3
Picking the Best Gyroplane
I'm going to give you some advice that will simplify your task of
checking out all the gyros that are available to you. To choose the
best gyroplane, here are the basic choices you need to make:
Other information in this chapter:
Popular gyroplane designs are compared. For example, the open-frame Brock KB-2 is compared to the enclosed RAF 2000. The single-seat Air Command is compared to the two-seat Parsons Trainer. Several others are also compared.
Ready to order?
Read other chapter samples:
Chapter 2 - Meet the Gyroplane
Chapter 3 - Picking the Best Gyroplane
Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
Chapter 14 - How Safe is a Gyroplane?
Chapter 6
Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
You can climb aboard a powered trainer, take off and decide rather
quickly what you think about flying in a gyro. The special feel of
these light, breezy rotorcraft is something that pleases a lot of
people--and disappoints others. It's nice to be able to find out your
own particular reaction without first having to pay to buy a machine.
In a powered trainer, you're going to find out very soon what gyro
flying is like.
The powered trainer will take off, fly and land just the
way a single-seat machine will do. The airspeeds for liftoff, for
maneuvering and for landing will be about the same. On takeoff the
powered machine will lift off about the way a single-seater will....
There's lots more in the book on this topic.
Other topics in this chapter:
Ready to order?
Read other chapter samples:
Chapter 2 - Meet the Gyroplane
Chapter 3 - Picking the Best Gyroplane
Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
Chapter 14 - How Safe is a Gyroplane?
Chapter 14
How Safe is a Gyroplane?
First, let's state a simple fact: There's danger in many things we do.
We sacrifice more than 40,000 lives each year in the United States in
our automobiles. Good statistics on gyroplane accidents aren't
available, but they would undoubtedly be much lower than the accident
rate in cars.
If a gyro does crash, there are certain ways in which it
protects you. There's a vertical mast or rotor pylon above you that
serves as a roll bar. The airframe is very strong for its size...
There's lots more in the book on this topic.
Other topics in this chapter
Can I make my gyro stronger?
What causes gyro accidents?
(A detailed analysis of each of the worries gyro pilots have and how realistic they are.)
Ready to order?
Read other chapter samples:
Chapter 2 - Meet the Gyroplane
Chapter 3 - Picking the Best Gyroplane
Chapter 6 - Learning to Fly a Gyroplane
Chapter 14 - How Safe is a Gyroplane?
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