Sneak Peek! New Ultralight Tail Underway

Good morning! 

With all of the talk (& attention) lately about the HoneyBee G2 Two Place Tandem, I have not invested the time to write about what is also going on with the Ultralight. In reality there is a TON of things going on with this frame too. For those that are leaning towards a legal Part 103 Ultralight Gyroplane, the current production batch of frames includes the "new" composite tail (saving approximately 13#'s!!!) and a host of other lighter, more trick features. Just wait until you see it!

Why would we go to the this extreme? It is because of our commitment to produce a world-class, quality,  4-Stroke powered Ultralight Gyroplane.  This change along with a couple of other tweaks gets us so close to being a reality! Our Ultralight has a beautifully harmonized light feel. It reminds me of the late 1990's when my late friend Jim Norcia and I used to terrorize the skies over West Michigan with real, Part 103 G1's. Those were good days! There are great things going on here!

Have a great day!

Jim

VIS™: What on Earth is this about?

In 1997, Ed Alderfer, Gyroplane CFI, gave me my Gyroplane instruction and my first ride at the same time in an EA-81 Subaru Air Command Tandem.  I had forgone "the fly before you buy idea" and went right to owning. You see the first HoneyBee Gyro (G1) prototype was back at home just waiting for me to fly it; first I had to learn to fly one. This approach has a way of really making a person committed to learning to fly a Gyroplane; it did me. 


Piling into the back seat of Ed's tandem gave me a number of impressions. Once the blades started spooling up, one major  impression was that the stick shook; like crazy compared to my fixed wing experience. Once we were up to rotation and flying speed, my hand was numb by the end of each hour of instruction.  Three hours of training later and my Gyroplane training was done and I was leaving the Columbus, OH area.   Ed was a great guy and is a friend to this day but I just did not really enjoy my "first dance" with the Gyroplane. There had to be more, there was so much more!


Fast forward 14 - 15 years and enter the HoneyBee G2 Platform. There are many solutions that are inherent in the G2 Project that rarely even get mentioned. Most things that are done come from a need to improve "the type" and its reputation inside of General Aviation left over from the Bensen era. These new "systems" have taken hundreds of hours to perfect and many have become standard on the G2's.  With our "blank page" approach (rather than copied from the industry) the G2 provides a solid platform that is fresh and engineered for safety, value and simplicity. I believe it shows. 


One area that is TOTALLY unique to the HoneyBee G2 Project is the VIS™ (Vibration Isolation System) in the upper portion of the Moving Mast; see red box area in picture.  This simple and highly effective system absorbs the "two bumps per rev" problem of a full teetering blade system. Certainly the 30' Sport Rotor Blades are a great part of a great system; Jim Vanek builds quality blades for sure.  On top of this, it is the VIS™ that gets the balance of the job done.  Why is this necessary? They say that "Perception is Reality"....Like it or not, first impressions are hard to break. When you climb into a G2 Tandem you will notice that there is virtually no stick shake; giving you the best possible impression of the line. It is so smooth that you don't feel anything but a harmonized control stick. For the single place G2 fans, it is possible that this standard feature on the Two Place Tandem will be available as an option on the Microlight and SP-HP G2's later on.  If you are interested I need to hear from you. Do you want this as a single place option? 


....Committed to building the safest Gyroplanes in the World™


Are you beginning to catch my vibes?




Jim 

Control Harmony

Harmonized Controls make a huge difference at 30' AGL and 65MPH 

I started flying in the fall of 1976.  It was an American Aerolight Cirrus 5B "hang glider". It had a 5 to 1 glide ratio and was considered a great machine in its day.  For the record, it was light in pitch and heavy in roll. That lead me to later fly Cessna's, Pipers, etc. which is discussed in greater detail in the Gyro Journal.    Some like the Corby Starlet was very nicely harmonized and was a blast to fly.  


All of the experiences of flying different types, categories, etc. gave me an appreciation for an aircraft that was properly harmonized for  pressures, travel and feel. When flying an aircraft of any type, if roll is light and pitch is heavy, you will have a tendency to over control on roll and be slow on your pitch inputs. Conversely, if roll is heavy and pitch is light you will have a tendency to over control in pitch and be slow on your roll inputs.  The magic however is to "match" or harmonize the pressures and responses of the control stick systems. Like most things, this is easier to talk about than to do in real world flying.  This is further complicated by the airspeed of the aircraft you are flying.  An example of this is the Japanese Zero of WWII.  American pilots flying P-38's were trained to keep the Zero's engaged at speeds above 250 MPH. Why? Because at this speed the Japanese pilots needed to use two hands on the control stick to dog fight due to heavy control stick pressures; in spite of being beautifully harmonized at "all air speeds" pressures in both axis's increased at the same time; requiring more force (read muscles here) with the increased speed.  This "two handed" approach made the aircraft difficult to maneuver precisely at higher speed and  more importantly made it even harder to reach the gun triggers that were mounted on the left side of the cockpit. At 250+ MPH it was hard to fly and shoot and chew gum at the same time. Below 250MPH, it was a different story....often favoring the Zero which then became easier to fly with one hand and shoot with the other. IE: Speeds at which the aircraft offered manageable forces with its harmonized controls.  


For the HoneyBee G2, our goal has been to create a harmonized pitch/roll condition where pressures gradually increase in both axis's with increased airspeeds; sounds like the Zero doesn't it? A benefit of this is the aircraft is solid at speed and more maneuverable at slower speeds, like the Zero.  Bringing this back to our G2 world, when you are flying an open frame the pressures will be different (lighter) than when that same frame is fitted with a full enclosure and it now goes 40 - 50% faster.  At these speeds, what used to work has to be re-tuned in moments and leverages to restore "that lovin' feeling" again.  What is the solution? It is "tune ability"!  For those that have seen the G2's, you have seen it in our control stick output arms; it is in our interim arms and it is now included with the Moving Mast "trombone slide" control linkages. This feature will continue to be part of our strategy as we seek to provide you all with an aircraft that meets your specific needs today and at the specific time you need it....no matter how fast you end up going.  


Living in Harmony!


Jim

220' Take Off!

Just an FYI here this morning... 

Many people have written me about the takeoff performance of the Two Place Tandem over the summer. My standard answer has been 300 - 500'.  The real answer based on my Missionary Pilot friend's (Wolfgang) measurement is actually much shorter. On our last flight it was measured at 220'.  WOW! The aircraft was full of fuel, my 205#'s and Wolfgang at around 180#'s.  Things are truly getting better all the time!

More later!

Jim 

Moving Mast!!!

In the original YouTube Video of the "Introduction to the HoneyBee G2 Tandem", there is a short clip of the Moving Mast being moved in flight. Recent flights have demonstrated that the Moving Mast works very well, on the ground or in flight.  What is more important is that the Two Place Tandem is demonstrating a "HUGE" (read enormous here) CG capability for varying passenger/cargo weights. As the passenger &  load increases the airframe can easily adjust to the need for a different configuration, even  during the flight.....my mind is racing to the possibilities of what this allows for! Can you imagine what is possible if one could make drops of cargo or supplies and adjust for the change of CG at the same time? I can!

Great things going on here!

Jim

Iterations & Being In The Aircraft Business

Back in 1997 when the "original" HoneyBee Gyro (G1) began, it took many attempts to get things right.  For instance, there were two major efforts to get the engine right; Kawasaki & ROTAX. There were three iterations of the Main Gear; the third one was right on. There were at least three iterations of the Nose Gear. There were three iterations of the Engine Mount. There were two iterations of the Tail Surfaces. There were two iterations of the Control Stick. You get my point here.... Coming full circle with the G2 Series, the Main Gear on the Ultralight and Microlight is purely the third iteration from the G1 of 1998 and it works just as good today as it did then. The Main Landing Gear of the HoneyBee G2 SP-HP only took two iterations and the 2PT took three and both have achieved their design goal of being able to handle up to 6G's! How many would you like?

One might ask why I am telling you this?...it is because I want you to have complete confidence in the G2 platform. It is a tribute to quality engineering and material selection that has been tested in "real life" flying, testing and disappointments over fifteen years. Speaking on behalf of the staff, I (we) speak from a context of trying, flying, crying and a commitment to build not only the safest Gyroplanes in the world, but ones that we fly and are proud to be associated with. 

Having said this, I am "tickled pink" about the HoneyBee G2 line and hope that you continue to love what you see coming from a little Gyroplane company in Hastings, Michigan as much as I  do.  There are solutions for things that no one has even asked for yet and there is more to come!

Color me pink,

Jim

Two Place Update 8-30-11

Can you believe it is September 30th? Where did summer (read...flying season) go? This kind of weather makes the Full Enclosure more and more of a highly anticipated reality. 

This week Hastings has had cold and rainy weather. Did I mention it has been cold and rainy in Hastings? In the last seven  days, I have flown twice and had to fight rain on the return trips both times.  The weekend is supposed to be warmer and perfect for some fall flying!  Count me in!

For those of you who have been following the Two Place Tandem, this has been a quantum week.  The 2.4L is "tuned and puts out more thrust than mankind is capable of measuring". I will have a full report next week.  

The new Main Gear is on it too....and it is gorgeous.  It looks simple and it is....it installed just like the original gear and overall the entire platform is continuing to impress everyone that is exposed to it, including me.  When I am thrilled about it, there is really something to cheer about and I am absolutely GEEKED OUT about it! 

So far everyone that has a gyroplane background that knows we are using this engine in a gyroplane has said we could not have picked a better engine.  I absolutely believe we have the right engine in the G2 Tandem.  

Stay tuned!

Sweatin' the details,

Jim

PS: A special thanks to the Engine Works Worldwide (EW2) guys  (John W. & Jimmy O.) for all of their expertise, both in gyros and high performance engines! Could not have done it without you guys!

How The HoneyBee Gyro Came To Bee

First HoneyBee Gyro (G1) Prototype

For those of you that have been following the Gyro Journal, you probably have wondered if I was ever going to get around to adding the next chapter.  Here it….let's continue the story of the HoneyBee Gyro...

There is a four letter word the human mind completely and immediately understands.  The response in other languages is more than likely a similar response to the English word. The word is "free"; what an amazing word. I only know of a couple things in my life that have been completely "free".  One was my salvation and the other was plans for the Gyrobee.

In 1997 Popular Rotorcraft Association provided a link to the Gyrobee Project. Once there web surfers found that Dr. Taggart graciously provided FREE plans to thousands just like me over the world.  It is true that Martin Hollman created the first Part 103 Legal UL Gyroplane called the "Bumble Bee" but it was really Dr. Taggart that spread the blessings of an UL gyroplane called the Gyrobee all over the world. I was one of those people that received a blessing. 

In 1997 I discovered the Internet with the help of AOL who made it come alive on a practical level.  By simply installing the AOL disk, my laptop became the information highway, just like Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore said it would.  I discovered what "search engine" meant.  I learned that the "blue writing" took me all over the globe in a matter of seconds. It was a marvelous awaking to the world of "HTML", hyper text markup language.  I could look up P-51 pages....P-38 pages...and last but not least gyroplane pages. What more could a guy ask for? I was learning more and more about how to find things and what hot spots on the pages did, how to navigate and how to return to where I came from, how to bookmark, etc. Every day I was growing and learning "skills" on how to get around in the "World Wide Web".  It was during this time that I discovered the little rolling "New Ultralight Gyroplane-Free Plans" icon at www.pra.org. Clicking on that icon changed my life forever.  I, like many of you, took the download.

With the plans in written form I immediately began printing and organizing the pages into a three ring binder. I started looking for materials, pricing blades, looking at engines and dreaming of the day when I would actually fly an UL Gyroplane. I dreamed of my new UL Gyroplane and what it would take to offer it as a kit aircraft too. I needed to contact Dr. Taggart and have that discussion. Finding him was easier than I thought. The URL of Dr. Taggart's website was clearly at Michigan State University who was an hour and fifteen minutes from my home. MSU was one of my largest and best college customers; they purchased truckloads of Rubbermaid from me.  Because I had gotten over the fear of cold calls about 100 years prior, I simply called the main number at MSU and asked for Mr. Taggart. They immediately sent me to the department where he worked, the phone rang, I got his voice mail, I left my number and within an hour Dr. Taggart called me back. He was easy to talk too and within minutes we had a date in Mason, MI for coffee and donuts ….to talk about the Gyrobee!

On the following Saturday morning, Dr. Taggart and I were setting together having coffee and donuts telling tall tales (not Tall Tails) of our flying experiences, drawing  on napkins and discussing the Gyrobee. With a couple of donuts and a lot of coffee in me, Ralph probably felt that he had me softened up enough to suggest that we not build the Gyrobee but rather build the next generation Gyrobee and call it the HoneyBee.  I felt like Ralph "slipped me a mickey" and I was shocked. I did not want to build something else, I wanted to build a slightly upgraded Gyrobee. This kind of thinking had never crossed my mind. As Ralph stated in the original video we did together, "Jim had a puzzled look on his face"....I am sure that I did. I wanted a Gyrobee and that was all I hoped for. When Ralph started suggesting these ideas, at first it sort of set me back. 

After a couple of hours together, the idea of a next generation Gyrobee started sinking in and the idea of a "HoneyBee Gyro" started getting traction in my mind, the momentum started building. Soon my laptop was humming  with "tweaks" in AutoCAD Light.  Getting the data into CAD would allow for machining with automotive precision and provide me with a production quality frame. Getting the data into CAD also allowed me to make the changes that Ralph and I were coming up with. Getting the data into CAD allowed me to put the aircraft together "electronically" before we started cutting all the aluminum that it would take. For the record, paper is cheaper than 6061-T6 for sure! 

Days and days went by; probably a month in total.  By then the new "HoneyBee Gyro" was really born and it was a work of art!  The "Improvements" were: 

1.     New Nose Gear (It took three iterations to get it right)

2.     New Adjustable Rudder Pedals

3.     New Fiberglass Rod Main Gear (It took two iterations to get it right)

4.     New Composite Tail (No more Brock Tail)

5.     New Engine Mount (It took two iterations to get it right)

6.     New Control Stick 

7.     New Lighter Tires and Wheels (It took two iterations to get it right)

Within 60 days it was complete and it was absolutely beautiful as gyroplanes go! It was the HoneyBee Gyro (G1). That was fourteen (14+) years ago and I still enjoy seeing and flying gyroplanes.

At this point (1997) in the design stage of the HoneyBee Gyro (G1) was 99% done with 50% to go. Building a gyroplane is not flying a gyroplane. Flying one requires a gyronaut and I had only sat in one gyroplane in my life, that was the new HoneyBee Gyro (G1) setting on the shop floor.  There was much to learn….

Embrace the struggle!

Jim

Attention CFI's!

Good afternoon! 

Thank you for all of the feedback in the most recent survey. Some have clicked on the buttons and others have sent me private emails regarding how they could be involved in flight training with us; this has been very  helpful for our schedules and staffing plans.  

With that lead-in, those of you that are interested in joining us (at GTCI) as a CFI, please send me your information/Resume' at HoneyBee G2, LLC.  If you want to  email it to me, please send it to info@honeybeeg2.com.  For those that want to mail it, please send it to HoneyBee G2, LLC, 1010 Barber Rd., Hastings, MI 49058. I will confirm receipt of it to you and place your information in the file for the respective flight centers that may be close to where you live; wouldn't that be fun!

Again, looking forward to flying together!

Jim

Update On SP-HP & The Suzuki: FYI

For those that made it to the EAA 2011 Airventure event and made it out to the Ultralight Field, you probably got a first hand look at the Pink Single Place-High Performance HoneyBee G2 flying!  With 90 HP and over 400 lbs of thrust it is a great flying machine.  This aircraft flew flawlessly for the entire show and was an absolute joy to watch and fly. When the show was all wrapped up, we packed up the aircraft and headed for Mentone.  The aircraft was ready for some maintenance and I knew that when we got to Mentone, I was going to be flying it back to Michigan. It was due for an engine and gear box oil change; this was a good time to do it. 

Once it was unloaded and fueled up at Mentone, I took off with about 30 minutes to spare for daylight in Hastings.  Off I went into perfect weather on a simple 1 hour and 55 minute trip home.  Fifteen minutes into the flight is when the trouble began..... On one of my routine scans of the panel I noticed that the Coolant Temperature was in the yellow at 215 degrees.  That was odd, it had never done this before.  I looked down again a moment later and it was back in the green at 205 degrees running cool....for awhile.  There were no noticeable issues with the engine most of the time but it would spike just enough to let you know that something was going on and maybe wrong.  The tell tale signs did not seem to be a problem; just the gauge. Well, the engine ran fine all the way back to Hastings in spite of the gauge telling me that the engine was running very hot for seconds at a time.  When I landed, there was no coolant missing, it had not filled the overflow tank and everything seemed just fine or so it seemed. 

To make this a short not long story, please understand that it would take me pages to tell you the full story of what we have learned since that return trip.  The short story is that the Enigma/ARDAC/MFD just flat out malfunctioned....in a big way. This failure caused us to look at the pump, the sensors, the head, the radiators, etc. When we finally got to the bottom of the issue we learned so much by just going back to a simple, non-electric analogue coolant temperature gauge.   What a great and simple fix it was....though frustrating to say the least.

Guess what? Since we have gone this direction, the Suzuki never has "run hot" since; it runs at 175 - 185 degrees, hour after hour after hour. What a great engine. I am real convinced that some additional changes are being made to our panels. I think you will love what you see!

There is so much to learn!

Jim