History of the Gyroplane - part 21 The Arrowcopter AC20
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 เม.ย. 2020
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This is part 21 of the history of the gyroplane. In this film we look at an aircraft that many got excited about when it was introduced in 2011. The Arrowcopter promised much then just fell off the radar.
It wasn't going to be cheap 140K Euros plus VAT but it was fast +200km/h and it certainly looked cool.
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I owned an AC20 N713TX (one of two in the US). My experience was a bit different in late 2014. The rebuilt factory floor was well organized and there were several in process. The machine was incredibly well built (I've also owned an MTO and a Cavalon and have many hours in Magni's). There's not a gyro that came close to the fit and finish that I've seen. As stated, flying was normal, but the yaw roll was pronounced at high speed (top end was 95-100kts). I attributed it to the sharp nose and the wings. If you let it get out of yaw trim I think the winglet would cause the roll into the windward side (just my theory). Landing the Arrowcopter was a dream. The wings gave some ground effect and the built in suspension made every lending butter smooth. I sold it, but honesty still kick myself for letting it go.
Hey Jason thanks for sharing this. I think I was over there in the August of 2014? But yes I agree the fit / finish / overall quality of the aircraft was very good and better than what is currently offered by other gyroplane makers. I only flew it for about an hour and yes perhaps you are right about the cause of the dutch roll - indeed it was quite mesmerising once it set in watching the horizon more about! I'm not sure if the fix would have been easy for them and the wind seemed to have gone from their sails UK wise with the certification issue. Ownership I'm not sure who supports the aircraft in the US but that would have been my biggest worry? Great colour from an owner thanks.
It’s a great looking aircraft. It is possibly even the best looking enclosed autogiro. I also believe you can swap the canopy for an “open” frame and customers can do the swap themselves and they are good looking as well. But any aircraft must be capable of being used. That means there must be a worthwhile range between MTOW and DOW, a C of G range that permits it to be used plus reasonable economy and performance. An aircraft is a total package so having one of the “useful” elements missing is a bit like a girl with a fur coat and no knickers.
Yes agree it’s a great looking thing and it’s flies ok at more relaxed speeds but push to the higher speeds it’s marketed at being able to do and it shows some limitations- the Dutch roll is quite funny as it’s really textbook! I suspect the undercarriage/ winglets interfere aero wise. Ultimately this was a real case of just not enough substance to the whole entity to make you feel they would have resources to re-engineer / stay in business long enough to resolve things. A big shame tbh.
This is a great series of videos on the history of gyrocopters. I hope you will be able to look at and discuss the current situation as it stands today along with the variety of non-factory built gyrocopters within the UK.
Sure. The plan is to do more in-depth aircraft but in the UK we have slim picking for non factory built!!
Best looking Gyro by a country mile. Shame really.
It’s to bad they went under , I believe a victim of bad management . A Chinese company bought them out and doesn’t look as if anything has been done since. It was a nice looking machine and with a few tweaks could have been a top contender in the market.
The auto captions are sometimes rather amusing. At 0:34 the cc renders "Arrowcopter" as "arab caucus."
Haha that’s what happens when you have a terrible accent!
The one I’d really like to see in the UK is the AG915 variant Trendek. I don’t like the Cavalon because the panel layout is absurd and the visibility is dreadful, add to that its 100mph VNE, high fuel consumption (or, at least, higher than an MTO Sport), and its narrow track and small rudder increasing the risk of it rolling-over on landing. I think there is a gap in the UK market for a much better side-by-side enclosed cockpit gyro and the AG915 looks like it would be a good contender.
Hi - yeah I just don't see them bringing it to the UK and actually the way I see the UK market its probably not worth them doing so. IMO gyroplanes have gone the wrong way in that they have tried to get more sophisticated which has driven up pricing and I think we should have gone the other way. If someone marketed a
Gyrocopter flying club - Ah. An increase in VNE is useful. I agree that the AG915 will probably never reach the UK market. It doesn’t change my view that I’d rather have one of those than the Cavalon. Yes, the track may be the same between the Cavalon and the MTO Sport, but the larger rudder in the (pre-2017) MTO gives better authority. Compared to my MTO, I found the Cavalon to feel kind of “dead” in flight. It sort of felt like it was wallowing around compared to the MTO. I get the advantages of side-by-side enclosed cockpit vs tandem open-cockpit and I can see why people would choose that format but I really don’t think that the Cavalon is worth the money. In my opinion, there is just too much wrong with its design and to go from the unencumbered visibility of an open-cockpit aircraft to the cockpit of a Cavalon is too much of a step down for me. It could have been a much better aircraft. I would still like to fly an AG915 to see if it really does tick the boxes but so far, when I’ve flown enclosed cockpit aircraft, I’ve felt like I was looking through a letterbox at the outside world. Before I started flying, I didn’t think I was going to really like the MTO, but so far, I feel that I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My instructor used to say that an enclosed cockpit just provides a false sense of security and more shrapnel to kill you in a crash.
Abid Farooqui - Ohhhh... I like the American Ranger, too... That’s another one I’m hoping will make it to the UK and that I’ll get the chance to fly one. I know someone who owns one and flies it when he’s in the States.
... and I did say, “I would like to fly [the AG915] to see if it really does tick the boxes”. I’m certainly not convinced that it does but I know that the Cavalon really doesn’t and if it never makes it to the UK market, I’ll never have the option. Our choices in the UK are very limited and I would like for there to be a wider selection and a little more competition for the two manufacturers which currently service the UK market.
Do I understand correctly, that the company has indeed closed down?
I also have a partly formed idea that a far Eastern company (Singapore?) had bought manufacturing and IP rights?
Can anyone bring me up to date?
I've no idea of the latest situation commercially tbh - things in the UK were written off around 5 years ago and interest over here became effective zero. As far as the global situation is I've not heard anything recently.
UPDATE:
verticalmag.com/press-releases/chinas-sichuan-dahua-acquires-austrias-arrowcopter/#:~:text=Sichuan%20Dahua%20General%20Aircraft%20Manufacturing,leading%20European%20gyrocopter%20company%2C%20ArrowCopter.&text=Production%20of%20the%20all%2Dcomposite,the%20company's%20former%20key%20personnel.
is the entire series available for download!!
Hi no but I’m planning a book later this year
@@gyrocopterflyingclub6148 That sounds amazing ... FIRST ... MAKE the Series Video :) SECOND Add me to your Buyers List for the Gyro Book
Thanks Neville It will be publicised via a film
At some point. If you want to watch the whole series you could select playing from the playlist?
Этот завод сгорел и обанкротился?
А так красивая птичка 😊
Да, я думаю, что на заводе был какой-то пожар. Думаю, я мог бы сказать, что посетил этот завод, когда он был в Австрии, и полетел на самолете компании. Это была красивая вещь, но, как и во многих других небольших проектах, скорость сжигания денежных средств обгоняет продажи, а затем они разоряются, с пожаром на заводе или без него!
Cool.how much
I think off my head they cost around 150000GBP but I'm not sure what has happened to the company for a few years..
@@gyrocopterflyingclub6148 If mass production, the price should be much lower.
Well it was in production but hardly mass production!!
@@user-hk1oj2qx5y In aircraft there is no such thing as mass production like we think in other industries
B C A R.....not B CAR!
Ha yes I suppose you are right. Just my laziness. Potato patarto
Gyrocopter flying club Ha ha!! You’ll have to redo the whole series now!!!
Could have made longer videos .
Time wasted saying the same thing at the start of each .... makes me want to just give up, On the series.
Yeah thanks for the feedback and yes lots that can / could be improved. That said you do need to remember that back in April 2020 when this film was published it was part 21 of a series that had been running for over a month to that point. So the introduction was natural because back then many people were watching 1 film then waiting for the next. On the length you would be surprised just how few people want to sit and watch lengthy films on TH-cam. But if you do maybe try the Webinars.