Avian 2-180 Gyroplane

[Richard Harris]

Not a build log, more of an experiment to try and get a model to fly built by someone else that has been passed on to me.

I have been playing with this for a week now and it is certainly different and quite a challenge. The more I play with it the more the fascination grows for building a more scale like version on a bigger scale.

It is a model of an autogyro developed in the early 60's, heres a bit of info on who manufactured it :

Avian Aircraft Ltd. was founded in 1959 by Peter Payne, together with a small group of fellow designers and engineers, who had left Avro Canada once the contract for the "Arrow" interceptor was completed. This Canadian company has its headquarters at Georgetown, Ontario, and from its inception concentrated on the design and construction of helicopters and autogyros.

This little two-seat Gyroplane was a compound aircraft flew in spring 1960 as an experimental machine, and a small production run followed. After the rotor had been set in motion for vertical take-off, movement was transferred to a four-blade, dueled pusher propeller at the tail. The Avian 2/180 underwent various modifications and improvements before being granted approval as a civil aircraft in 1967. The engine was a 200hp Lycoming LO-360 which enabled it to fly at 193km/h. In spite of its good performance, high costs prevented further development.

Avian Industries was established by a group of ex-Avro engineers in Toronto in 1959 to develop a two-seat autogyro known as the Avian 2/180 Gyroplane. This small aircraft had an all-metal egg-shaped fuselage with a tandem two-seat cockpit in the front enclosed by a large bubble canopy, and a 180hp Lycoming O-360-A engine in the rear driving a pusher propeller inside a circular duct. The Gyroplane was fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage and had a three-blade rotor fitted with compressed air tip nozzles to assist 'jump starting'. The prototype (CF-LKF-X) first flew in early 1960 but was subsequently damaged beyond repair, and it was followed by a second similar aircraft (CF-MTV-X) on 16 February, 1961. Avian then built the first of three pre-production prototypes (CF-NWS-X) with a larger annular duct, no tail fins and a more extensively framed cockpit canopy. These were followed by a 'certification prototype' (CF-JTO-X) which had further canopy modifications, spring steel undercarriage legs and a 200hp Lycoming IO-360 engine. The Avian 2/180 was certificated in 1968, but it seems that the company went out of business shortly thereafter without starting production.

Here is a video of the model I have been playing with today, it does fly well but it has been an up hill struggle.

Lipo eating, noise polluting but fun!

Rich

[Richard Harris]

A bit more info:

Shortly after the Avian Company was formed in 1959, a company program was initiated to develop an autogyro-type craft which was coined the Model 2/180 "Gyroplane".

There were actually two prototypes that were built, the 2/180A which utilized compressed air nozzles on the rotor tips for jump-starts. The 2/180B prototype used a mechanical drive to the rotor.

The prototype began its flight test program in early 1960, but unfortunately was badly damaged in an accident that was not the fault of any design deficiency.

Details of the system included a 180 horsepower Lycoming four cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine. The engine drives a rear duct-enclosed two-bladed propeller. A belt drive also powered the overhead rotor. The production version used compressed air nozzles at the blade tips for propulsion.

The top rotor had three blades, with flapping hinges. The blades had steel tube and leading edge spars, wood core, and fiberglass covering, and used a NACA 0015 configuration.

The plane had a non-retractable tricycle landing gear with a steerable nose wheel and disc brakes.

The craft had a maximum speed of 265km/h and didn't reach stall speed until 40km/h. It had a 4200m service ceiling and a 650km range, along with a vertical rate of climb at sea level of 5m/s.

Designed to carry two-to-three passengers, the 2/180 had a rotor diameter of 10.05m, a 4.92m length, and an 2.62m height. The vehicle weighed only 490kg empty with a normal loaded weight of 775kg.

[JOHN WIGHTON]

As an update to Richards excellent piece above, the AVIAN 2/180 serial 656 (reg N656JT) - now named Pegasus, is in the UK.  

 

ARC Aerosystems at Cranfield bought the project for the IP and the fact it is the only Part 27 type approved gyroplane int he world!

 

The aircraft is currently at Avalon Aerospace having its toe nails clipped and polished!

 

The aircraft has had a C of A for many years, despite it not flying.  Whilst in the UK we are aiming to fly it (possibly under a G-reg and CAP 1220 E-conditions).

 

Some more information is on the arcaerosystems.com website and my own company website www.acroflight.co.uk

 

Richard - did you get it to fly again?

[David P Williams]

AutoGyro of Germany have sold fully approved gyro planes for a few years now. I used to work for Rotorsport UK who are their UK agents and handled most of this certification work for them.

[Richard Harris]

John,

I did manage to get the Avian 2 flying quite well though it does have its limitations.

As the thrustline is not quite inline with the vertical CG it became pitch sensitive under power, as the motor is fixed the only way I could get around this without adding mass was to increase the span of the rotors adding more drag.

This cured the pitching whilst the rotors are loaded up, as they become unloaded the misaligned thrust takes over again.

So the only way to fly it is smoothly keeping the turns flatter and airspeed constant with better  throttle management.

Another issue is that the yaw control is strong under power, as soon as power is  decreased it gets weaker until its non existent as power is cut, you need to gain quite a bit of airspeed to regain rudder authority. 

 

Thanks for all the information regarding the Pegasus, looking at your website you been envolved in some great projects. Please let me know how the Pegasus project progresses? I'd would love to see it!

 

 

Rich