UFO HeliThruster and IFR?

Yes, I confess. I don't know much about rotorcrafts. Especially
regarding gyrocopters my knowledge is even more limited.

However, on the net I just stumbled over UFO HeliThruster. Rumors are
that it is rather stable. The manufacturer not only sells kits but also
(FAA-?) certified planes.

If I would buy such a certified HeliThruster, fit it with the necessary
instruments, and give it an N-registration, would I be allowed to fly it
IFR given that I had the necessary pilot certificates? Would I be
allowed to fly it outside US?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
virtuPIC
--
Airspace V - international hangar flying!
http://www.airspace-v.com

virtuPIC wrote:
Yes, I confess. I don't know much about rotorcrafts. Especially
regarding gyrocopters my knowledge is even more limited.

However, on the net I just stumbled over UFO HeliThruster. Rumors are
that it is rather stable. The manufacturer not only sells kits but
also (FAA-?) certified planes.

If I would buy such a certified HeliThruster, fit it with the
necessary instruments, and give it an N-registration, would I be
allowed to fly it IFR given that I had the necessary pilot
certificates? Would I be allowed to fly it outside US?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
virtuPIC

With the certified probably not. With the EX-AB sure, if you can get the DAR
to write the limitations correctly.

If you do this let us know. We are always looking for a deal on good used
avionics and salvage is usually a pretty good place to look.

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
virtuPIC wrote:
Yes, I confess. I don't know much about rotorcrafts. Especially
regarding gyrocopters my knowledge is even more limited.

However, on the net I just stumbled over UFO HeliThruster. Rumors are
that it is rather stable. The manufacturer not only sells kits but
also (FAA-?) certified planes.

If I would buy such a certified HeliThruster, fit it with the
necessary instruments, and give it an N-registration, would I be
allowed to fly it IFR given that I had the necessary pilot
certificates? Would I be allowed to fly it outside US?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
virtuPIC

With the certified probably not. With the EX-AB sure, if you can get
the DAR to write the limitations correctly.

If you do this let us know. We are always looking for a deal on good
used avionics and salvage is usually a pretty good place to look.

I did a little looking and there doesn't seem to be an FAA certified version
and for that matter I couldn't find any of them flying in the US.

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
virtuPIC wrote:
Yes, I confess. I don't know much about rotorcrafts. Especially
regarding gyrocopters my knowledge is even more limited.

However, on the net I just stumbled over UFO HeliThruster. Rumors are
that it is rather stable. The manufacturer not only sells kits but
also (FAA-?) certified planes.

If I would buy such a certified HeliThruster, fit it with the
necessary instruments, and give it an N-registration, would I be
allowed to fly it IFR given that I had the necessary pilot
certificates? Would I be allowed to fly it outside US?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
virtuPIC

With the certified probably not. With the EX-AB sure, if you can get the DAR
to write the limitations correctly.

If you do this let us know. We are always looking for a deal on good used
avionics and salvage is usually a pretty good place to look.

LOL. I was wondering how you'd bring
it all together in the end...

Jim Stewart wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
virtuPIC wrote:
Yes, I confess. I don't know much about rotorcrafts. Especially
regarding gyrocopters my knowledge is even more limited.

However, on the net I just stumbled over UFO HeliThruster. Rumors are
that it is rather stable. The manufacturer not only sells kits but
also (FAA-?) certified planes.

If I would buy such a certified HeliThruster, fit it with the
necessary instruments, and give it an N-registration, would I be
allowed to fly it IFR given that I had the necessary pilot
certificates? Would I be allowed to fly it outside US?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
virtuPIC

With the certified probably not. With the EX-AB sure, if you can get
the DAR to write the limitations correctly.

If you do this let us know. We are always looking for a deal on good
used avionics and salvage is usually a pretty good place to look.

LOL. I was wondering how you'd bring
it all together in the end...

You might also want to ask yourself why
so many of the pictures show pilots wearing
helmets....

You might also want to ask yourself why
so many of the pictures show pilots wearing
helmets....

Yes, indeed. I've been wondering a long time...UFO claims they are
safe. And I can't imagine an accident where a helmet would be of real
use. Is it just my lack of fantasy? Lack of knowledge?

Well, since there seems to be no FAA-certified HeliThruster answers
have become less interesting. However, there might be some gyrocopter
with closed cabin that is easy to handle, stable, able to reach some
100 mph, and IFR-capable. (?)

virtuPIC
--
Airspace V - international hangar flying!
http://www.airspace-v.com

virtuPIC wrote:
You might also want to ask yourself why
so many of the pictures show pilots wearing
helmets....

Yes, indeed. I've been wondering a long time...UFO claims they are
safe. And I can't imagine an accident where a helmet would be of real
use. Is it just my lack of fantasy? Lack of knowledge?

Well, since there seems to be no FAA-certified HeliThruster answers
have become less interesting. However, there might be some gyrocopter
with closed cabin that is easy to handle, stable, able to reach some
100 mph, and IFR-capable. (?)

virtuPIC

I don't think you will find any gyrocopter that is suitable for IFR flight.
It just isn't the nature of the beast.

Steve R wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
virtuPIC wrote:
You might also want to ask yourself why
so many of the pictures show pilots wearing
helmets....
Yes, indeed. I've been wondering a long time...UFO claims they are
safe. And I can't imagine an accident where a helmet would be of real
use. Is it just my lack of fantasy? Lack of knowledge?

Well, since there seems to be no FAA-certified HeliThruster answers
have become less interesting. However, there might be some gyrocopter
with closed cabin that is easy to handle, stable, able to reach some
100 mph, and IFR-capable. (?)

virtuPIC
I don't think you will find any gyrocopter that is suitable for IFR
flight. It just isn't the nature of the beast.

On the helmet issue, fighter pilots wear helmets and in the event of a crash
in those birds, the helmet is useless. Of course, they have the recourse of
ejecting and the helmet plays a big role in protecting the pilot in that
event. Wearing a helmet does not guarrantee survival but it can tip the
scales in the pilots favor under the right circumstances and we never really
know what those circumstances might be in a given emergency situation. So,
I have to ask, what's your life worth to you? If a helmet will increase my
chances of living through a given situation by a couple of percentage
points, I don't have a problem wearing one!

Indeed, I have no problem with you wearing one.

OTOH, since I've never seen a pilot in a
standard certificated fixed-wing aircraft
wearing a helmet, I must assume that the
helmeted gyrocopter pilots are feeling a
greater degree of risk than the fixed-wing
pilots.

Steve R wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...

I don't think you will find any gyrocopter that is suitable for IFR
flight. It just isn't the nature of the beast.


As far as gyrocopters are concern, I agree, they're not an ideal IFR
platform. However, neither are helicopters when you get right down
to it but they fly IFR all the time. Making an aircraft IFR
certified, at least as I understand it, is more a matter of installed
equipment (gauges, radios, auto pilots?) than the aircraft itself.

The issues that Gyros have with negative G's make them less IFR capable than
a similar helicopter or fixed wing aircraft. Has any manufactuer EVER
certified an Gyro for IFR flight?

In in most cases, in the experimental-HB arena the only difference in a IFR
legal plane and a one that isn't legal is the installed equipment.

I came across an abandoned autogyro in the Oklahoma panhandle in a farmer's
field alongside his other abandoned trucks and tractors. It was a two-place
tandem fully enclosed fiberglass cockpit with what I believe was a 260 HP
engine. I think it was built by Aerospace Industries if I remember right,
and it carried an N-number registration. I'm pretty sure it would cruise
above 100 mph because it had a pretty small rotor diameter.

I used to regret I didn't try to talk the guy into letting me haul it out of
his field for him ;-)

--
Jim Carter
Rogers, Arkansas