Kevin O'Brien wrote in message ...
In article , Ken Sandyeggo
says...

Yes Bernie it does. With centerline thrust, there is no force above
the vertical center of gravity to push it over. You need thrust above
the vertical center of gravity in order to experience
(once-in-a-lifetime only) a buntover. Once you do it, at least you
don't ever have to worry about doing it again.

Actually, Ken, you could still manually bunt the thing over with the stick.
Can't think of why anyone
would. The AAI redesign does seem to eliminate power pushover (the most common
cause of
bunting), and reduces the divergent pitch-recovery mode that leads to PIO (the
next most common
cause). It also takes out that long slow oscillation that RAF's have.

I have been following the AAI thing for a while... spent a couple hours with Jim
Mayfield at
Mentone... spent more time at Fondy during OSH... flew it slightly (not much).
The demonstrators
they have been using are not their new gyro but modified RAF's like yours.
Theirs is going to have
a slightly larger cabin as well.

I have a big story I'm working up on the whole AAI vs RAF thing... RAF is
demoralised, and many of
their dealers have bailed. But others are standing by out of loyalty. It's kind
of a mess.

RAF's answer is a sort of a trim vane mounted to the rotor mast, behind the
cabin. They call it the
Rotor Stabilator. Seen it?

cheers


Kevin,

I'm not a real technical bug, but you're right, I should have said
"power-pushover." I've seen photos of it. Minds that are more
scientific and knowledgeable than mine analyzed the RAF "stabilator"
and pronounced it basically worthless on the gyro forum. RAF says
that it "stabilizes the rotor." The gyro forum is down right now.
When it comes back up, I'll copy and paste the analysis of the RAF
stabilator. As far as I know, they only have 3 dealers left in the
U.S. There were four left, but the one in Florida got all his tickets
suspended for a year. (They had around a dozen just a few years ago.
They lost their New Zealand and Australian dealers also.) It was for
instructing in an illegal gyro, but he's the one that had about 4
students and a passenger die in unstabbed RAFs after taking lessons
from him in less than a year. I think you have to read between the
lines on the FAA's findings. I think that they needed to get him on
the ground for awhile someway.

My converted gyro flies like a dream now. It was a great investment
on the conversion. No more pitching and yawing all over the place.

Ken J. - Sandy A. Ghowe




-=K=-

Rule #1: Don't hit anything big.