(Badwater Bill) wrote in message . ..

But the coolest thing I've just done is bolt a car starter motor and
ring gear to my Snobird gyroscope so I can sit in the seat and spin up
the rotor blades to autorotation speed. I used to have to do that by
hand, now it just drains one motorcycle battery completely to do it.
I spun it up today in fact. Then I stopped it and tried to spin it up
again (in zero wind conditions). Didn't work. The Voltage on the
battery was down to 4 Volts during the second spin up.

Damn!

All I need is a bigger and heavier battery, but that means I have to
lose about another 10 pounds off my big fat gut to compensate for it.

What the ****... OVER.

Just have to bite the big one and stop eating pizza and drinking
Newcastle beer.

BWB

Bill,

have you looked into the Wunderlich Flexible Shaft Prerotators? I
believe he has setups for the Rotax engines, and it'll be lighter than
a battery/starter combo. And you don't have to worry about charging
it. I use one on my Bensen, also his rotor brake. I don't have a rotor
tach, but it'll spool up my blades fast enough that blade flap on
takeoff is not a problem.

Dick Wunderlich doesn't have a website, but you can contact him for
info/brochure at:

Dick Wunderlich Prerotators
306 W.16th St.
Lockport, Ill. 60441
Phone: 815-838-0450
Fax: 815-838-0630

Also, Ernie Boyette uses a hydraulic pump/motor setup on his
Dominators that people have adapted to different machines. His contact
info is at his website:

http://www.rotorcraft.com/dominator/

I don't have any good pics of my prerotator, but I think I may have
some closup pics of the hydraulic units, from the PRA fly-in in
Waxahatchie last year, if you need them. The pump motors are probably
available at Graingers.


Mike