Gyroplane Training 
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Web by: Rebel Systems Training Days April 7 - 22 2001 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 May 26 - June 2 2001 April 1 - 11 2002 |
Day 6 The forecast for today was looking good, so it was hoped to get a few sessions in. As you can probably guess from the tone the weather had other ideas. Anyway I had first slot and it was up for some more circuit bashing. The circuit was beginning to get bumpy. Bumpy is a relative term, and for those in trikes it was smooth as cotton! I'm just glad I was in the VPM as I would be all over the place in the trike. I know what this would have felt like! Circuits were fine. I had got those sorted no problem, but the power down sequence from circuit to landing was giving me problems with not winding the power down gradually fast enough if that makes sense! Coordinated yaw/roll was giving a problem as I wasn't used to the yaw axis at all, and there was a degree of coordination required between the two. When you land a trike the front wheel needs to be square and straight with an impending catch as the wheel touches. SO, I would almost lock the rudder pedals as the nose came down - WRONG. This is going to take a while to break this habit I think! We did 8 circuits in all, in 1 hour 5 minutes in this session. My rudder control was improving. Some might say imperceptibly, but I felt it was. The last landing I didn't lock it off. Trouble is during these stages you concentrate on 3 to 4 things, and forget number 5. I can feel the improvement so I'm happy. The VPM is certainly a delight to fly. Martin is sitting next to me, listening to the wind rattling the windows of the control tower. The forecast said 8 knots, more like 20 gusting I reckon. We'll see if it calms down later. As a little light relief an army helicopter decided to drop in for tea, (or at least the Pilot did), and here's a picture of him departing. Nice sound the turbine winding up. I wish I could afford to go this route, but 600 UK Pound per turbine hour!
Afternoon and the wind has died a little. Tower has it at 15 knots, ish! Martin decided that it was a little bumpy for him at the moment, so gave me the next slot, although it was his. Anyway, onto circuit bashing again. Big circuit this Carlisle. It take about 8 minutes each circuit. Still the same problems, although beginning to improve. Not selecting the point to descend correctly, generally being too high for target touchdown. Got that sorted, and then started introducing a drift - into wind! Got that sorted... etc! It did improve honest. Now for thick to thin wedge practice. To improve the turnaround we went on an in airport boundary tight circuit, being deposited just before the transition and given full control. A few of those later and it was beginning to click. Last 180 turn onto finals was tight and Roger talked me through those as well. Good stuff! Finished with a hover taxi crabbing. Very poseur, but Roger, not me as you might expect!!! That was another 1 hour 5 minute session and whilst it started in a very frustrating manner I was beginning to get it. Another session should consolidate the landing, with maybe another to polish, interspersed with the next part of the learning curve. I think that is tight turns as well as take offs. Roger likes to teach landings before takeoffs. The weather towards the weekend isn't looking so good so we'll see how it develops. Well, being a hive of activity here, there is more. Chris our resident trainee instructor, is desperately trying to get his formally Benson B8M + Cricket bits through to permit, (It's taken 4 years to get here!), had the next hurdle to clear, namely the hangcheck. He said he was well hung! Anyway, we strung the estranged cricket up from the hangar roof on a hoist to check where it balanced. This is a picture of said activity: Should have pilot in situ mind you. This is the highest that this hybrid Cricket has been for many years! I don't think I could have stuck with such a long term project. I hope that Chris gets it in the air soon.
The aim of the game is to check the angle of dangle when the pilot is in situ. The designer stipulates acceptable range for the type. Chris had already failed this bit when his mast angle was found to be wrong, so he had new plates on from Peter Lovegrove, so was somewhat apprehensive. Using a prop pitch gauge to determine the angles it was demonstrated that with 11 stone Chris in the front the angle was just over 3 degrees, and with me, a somewhat "toned" 14 stone plus the angle was 3.8 degrees. It was interesting to see how it was done, and the little that a significant increase in pilot weight made. Mind you I don't much like the cramped seating position of these earlier "Crickets". I think what Mike is doing at http://www.cricketgyroplanes.com is a good thing to produce machines that are the same. As I mentioned earlier I was somewhat dismayed to find that every machine in the hangar was different in the most fundamental ways. Well, onwards. Next session steep turns and more "thin Wedges". |
