New kind of helicopter?

I live in San Diego, and besides flying, I like seeing what is passing
through the sky when I am grounded. I keep a pair of binoculars by my back
door, and go running out when I hear an aircraft passing overhead.

Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded like a
small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it is some kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light roar of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it has
two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10 Warthog, but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does anyone
know what kind it might be?

Thanks,
John Ross

ps. No, it's not one of them U.N. Black Helicopters.

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6...

I live in San Diego, and besides flying, I like seeing what is passing
through the sky when I am grounded. I keep a pair of binoculars by my
back
door, and go running out when I hear an aircraft passing overhead.

Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded like a
small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it is some
kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light roar
of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it has
two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10 Warthog,
but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does anyone
know what kind it might be?

Thanks,
John Ross

Did it look like this:
http://www.cartercopters.com

If it was, I have seen them fly at OSH, and it is a really neat autogyro.
Yep, thats right, autogyro!

Jim in NC--

maybe a NOTAR (No Tail Roter) type helio.. been around for years.. has the
twin boom you describe and has a "ducted fan" type to control the Tail...
hence the sound you may be hearing..

BT

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6...

I live in San Diego, and besides flying, I like seeing what is passing
through the sky when I am grounded. I keep a pair of binoculars by my
back
door, and go running out when I hear an aircraft passing overhead.

Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded like a
small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it is some
kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light roar
of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it has
two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10 Warthog,
but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does anyone
know what kind it might be?

Thanks,
John Ross

ps. No, it's not one of them U.N. Black Helicopters.

mmm... could be...


"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6...

I live in San Diego, and besides flying, I like seeing what is passing
through the sky when I am grounded. I keep a pair of binoculars by my
back
door, and go running out when I hear an aircraft passing overhead.

Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded like a
small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it is some
kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light roar
of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it
has
two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10 Warthog,
but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does anyone
know what kind it might be?

Thanks,
John Ross

Did it look like this:
http://www.cartercopters.com

If it was, I have seen them fly at OSH, and it is a really neat autogyro.
Yep, thats right, autogyro!

Jim in NC--

Did it look like this:
http://www.cartercopters.com

If it was, I have seen them fly at OSH, and it is a really neat autogyro.
Yep, thats right, autogyro!

They built the CarterCopter a half mile down the street from my house.
I've seen it up close and personal at KONY but didn't get to see it
fly however, it had some kind of cooling problem that day.

A neat piece of engineering fer sure!

Neal - (in Wichita Falls)

Could it be similar to the Mayo One helicopter?
http://www.mayo.edu/mmt/mayoone_indepth.htm The one I saw refueling at FRM
last Sunday was a twin tail jet helicopter. Once it took off, it got about
1/4 mile away and then couldn't be heard...

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6...
Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded like a
small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it is some
kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light roar
of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it has
two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10 Warthog,
but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does anyone
know what kind it might be?

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6

Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded
like a small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it
is some kind of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds,
just the light roar of a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature
(to my eye) is that it has two parallel vertical tail structures,
kind of like on an A-10 Warthog, but very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does
anyone know what kind it might be?

Thanks,
John Ross

ps. No, it's not one of them U.N. Black Helicopters.

I'm thinking you're seeing a gyrocopter like this one:


--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
_______________

Here's the link I meant to include in the last one:

http://www.groenbros.com

Hughes/MDD 600N or Explorer.
As another poster mentioned, uses the koanda effect of air blown through
a slot in the tail boom.
Because there is not tail rotor, you do not hear the beating effect of
the interaction of the main rotors and the tail rotors, only the turbine
engine(s) when it gets close.
I happened to be at the Mesa Airport when one of the first 600N's was
flitting about back in 1991.

"Greg Burkhart" wrote in
news:E7B_a.138125$o%2.58777@sccrnsc02:

Could it be similar to the Mayo One helicopter?
http://www.mayo.edu/mmt/mayoone_indepth.htm The one I saw refueling at
FRM last Sunday was a twin tail jet helicopter. Once it took off, it
got about 1/4 mile away and then couldn't be heard...

"John Ross" wrote in message
. 3.6...
Several times over the last few months, I have heard what sounded
like a small bizz jet overhead, and gone outside only to find that it
is some
kind
of a helicopter. I can hear almost no rotor sounds, just the light
roar
of
a jet engine. The only distinguishing feature (to my eye) is that it
has two parallel vertical tail structures, kind of like on an A-10
Warthog,
but
very much smaller.

It looks like a normal commercial 'copter, other than that. Does
anyone know what kind it might be?



That's the one. Here is another picture from the Mayo One website
http://www.mayo.edu/mmt/mayoone.htm

It looks sort of like the Hughes 600N
http://www.ae.gatech.edu/research/rcoe/ahshome/600n.jpg
but the tail surfaces are graceful and finlike, not stubby.

Thanks,
John Ross

ps. I want a Cartercopter.