Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
By hatzflyer
#1560312
Seen quite a few in France.
It will be interesting to see how they last, they don't look too robust in the flesh !
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By MercianMarcus
#1560320
rf3flyer wrote:Why "Not here in the UK OBVIOUSLY..."? The blurb says "authorised in Europe..."


Yep. Marketing people all exaggerate. It is authorised in Europe ... on a country by country basis. Theoretically it could be authorised in the UK but:

A) The LAA have an entire book filled with excuses as to why they can't do helicopters. Example (oh how I wish this was just a joke): excuse 1723b - they have too many moving parts.

B) The CAA. Nuf said.

MM
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By MercianMarcus
#1560323
hatzflyer wrote:Seen quite a few in France.
It will be interesting to see how they last, they don't look too robust in the flesh !


I think that is true of most light helis. What you want is a very robust rotor head; and that's perhaps not obvious to the casual observer.
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By muffin
FLYER Club Member (reader)  FLYER Club Member (reader)
#1560438
We have to put up with all the myriad disadvantages of being in the EU but are not allowed to share in some of the few benefits.
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By MercianMarcus
#1560478
CloudHound wrote:And yet look at the number of Gazelle heliocopeterers registered in far off places that zip around the UK.


Being wealthy overcomes many problems in life; not all, but many.
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By aerial
#1560642
When even the great and the good in helicopter design don't always get it right first time I believe the LAA are right to leave homebuilt helicopters to the CAA.
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By MercianMarcus
#1560645
aerial wrote:When even the great and the good in helicopter design don't always get it right first time I believe the LAA are right to leave homebuilt helicopters to the CAA.


What do you mean, specifically?

Surely aviation is littered with things that were not right first time. for example gyrocopters. Do you think the LAA should have nothing to do with those either?
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By aerial
#1560656
MercianMarcus
My opinion comes purely from a matter of resource. Can the LAA afford the expertise required to certify helicopters in a homebuild environment? Is the expertise available?
Nothing against homebuild rotorcraft, just a cautious view in respect of their sophistication.
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By MercianMarcus
#1560664
aerial wrote:MercianMarcus
My opinion comes purely from a matter of resource. Can the LAA afford the expertise required to certify helicopters in a homebuild environment? Is the expertise available?
Nothing against homebuild rotorcraft, just a cautious view in respect of their sophistication.


That seems to be a different argument. :D

The expertise and the resource would come as a package along with helicopters. Just like it did with factory build gyrocopters.
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By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1560671
A fixed-wing has many potential airframe failure-points,- certainly, there are plenty of youtube videos of badly damaged aircraft that keep flying against all the odds, but the average pilot would be somewhat challenged by 1/2 a missing wing or tailplane. A helicopterist ,by the nature of his craft constantly beating the air into submission, is, I suggest, more "keyed-up" (ok, as are crop-dusters, active -mission Military and display-pilots)

As MM pointed out, a great part of survival in an egg-whisk malfunction, is down to the continued integrity of the big fan on top. That, together with it's controls determines the chances of survival. Even a tail-rotor failure is not fatal, provided the pilot is on top of their game. "fly the disc" is the mantra, I believe.

Amateur builders know the risks of getting it wrong. The USA allows almost anything , AIUI in their experimental category and builders are treated as grown-up, allowed to make their own airworthiness decisions and Darwinian selection weeds out the thickos with more optimism than intelligence. :twisted:
The development of the Rotorway Exec. is an interesting example of how amateur involvement works in the test-pilot and development scenario.
Perhaps it's time for an loosely or unregulated environment in more complex types,than SSDR. (the latter are not dropping out of the air like flies and the latest low-cost rash of newly developed ones is heartening to see,as it will ,hopefully slowly rejuvinate the currently shrinking and dying UK GA scene :thumleft: