Autogyros, have you built any?

[McColm]

Hi,
The V/TOL group build doesn't want autogyros to be included, which is a bit  of a shame, but their loss is a whiffers' challenge. Delving into the spare parts bin/stash.
Knowing full well that these designs/models would never fly in the real-world, makes my creative skills meet the challenge.
As another Whiff-er agrees the Shorts Sunderland is begging to be Whiffed. A pocket sized Princess.
Kits:
1/72
Airfix or the new Revell Shorts Sunderland
Airfix BAe Nimrod- wing section including engines
Rotors from a large helicopter i.e. MH-53 x2 or 1/48 scale, undercarriage sourced from donor helicopter and beefed up.
Tail section from E-2C Hawkeye 2000

or 1/144
Using a Boeing Clipper instead of a Sunderland.


The build
Down to the modeler in spec terms, weapons or civil street airliner.



 

[Radish]

As an option using the Airfix Sunderland, I once built a VERY SHORT SUNDERLAND, removing around 40% of the fuselage length.

As for autogyros, I built a German one, using an AH-1, with the aft fuselage removed and a radial engine added, stub wings, etc..

I've often considered building an autogyro version of the Lancaster, cutting the wings off outboard of the engines, and adding a big rotor to the fuselage top.

[Weaver]

Somewhere in the depths of the  To Do list is a plan to make an Airacobra-based autogiro, with the cockpit moved forward into the gun bay to make room for the rotor mast (which would have an engine-driven "rotor kicker", of course).

[McColm]

hi Raddish,
I might have a go at the Lanc idea, just waiting for a delivery of two Lancs.
Thanks,
Steven

[Mossie]

Sea planes are good.  In the Convair Advanced Designs book, there's a barmy concept for a flying boat gyroplane with a single counter weighted rotor that folded into the fuselage for normal flight.

[McColm]

I've seen pictures of a P-3 Orion with a large rotor and the tail section from a Hawkeye (tripple finned) add a hull to that and we're in business...

[Jschmus]

If HLJ can hold on to their stock until I start working again, I'd like to get one or two of these:

http://www.hlj.com/product/FNMFP-16