Gyroplane Training Centers International, LLC

Bee encouraged!  As committed as HoneyBee G2, LLC is to "Building The "Safest Gyroplanes In The World", we are equally as committed to training.....

Stay Tuned!
Jim

George Is Right!

Good Morning! 

Now that it is cold here in Hastings (though not to cold to fly yet!) building and shipping is really the bulk of what is going on around "Suite B".  For me personally, this has provided time to  deepen our corporate relationships with customers, suppliers and those working on our 2012 new products that will be released at the Spring and Summer shows. 

As part of my efforts, I get to see first-hand the new components (new and professionally  engineered components) that are in the Revision "C" platforms.  Virtually all of the "C" efforts are resident in every part of our line. The part shown to the right is one of those "C" revision components on all of our line. This "revised" pre-rotator gear ring has an improved and higher ratio, an improved bevel for smoother Bendix engagement and believe or not is stronger and LIGHTER than the previous gear ring!  Designing and cutting our own gears allows us to be  flexible and innovative; a goal for everything we do.

For those of you who purchase a suit once in awhile, you have undoubtly been exposed to the words and works of Mr. George Zimmer, President/CEO of Men's Warehouse.  He makes this statement about the experience of purchasing a suit from his organization. He states, "You are going to like the way you look. I guarantee it".  I have purchased several suits from George and he was right.  Good value, great look and a great experience.  What more could you ask for?

As President/CEO of HoneyBee G2, LLC (a wonderful little Gyroplane company located in Hastings, MI) I feel the same way as George Zimmer about this company. You are going to love the new "Revision C" Ultralights (Not a winker either!), the MicroLight, the Single Place-High Performance and the Two Place Tandem....and the way you look in them!  On behalf of this company, you have our Team's full commitment to build the safest, highest value line of Gyroplanes in the world.  With that said, you are going to "love" the newest G2's!

I guarantee it!

Jim


Jim Fields
President/CEO
HoneyBee G2, LLC

More On Revision "C"

Good Morning! 

A couple of days ago I wrote about some of the details for the Revision "C" Frames, well there is more.... Revision "C" Frames are the first frames that have had the flat stock portions of the airframes cut with a "laser" process. Historically, we have used water jet as the primary machining method on flat stock with a few exceptions for parts that needed to be cut in a standard 3 axis mill; high stress area parts. 

Water jetting, though great for many applications, leaves fine "stress risers" in the actual cut that has to be polished out or in the case of holes have to be subsequently precision reamed to final size.  The holes were really not the problem because there is usually an AN Bolt associated with all 3/16" - 1/2" holes.  The real problem that we were faced with were the edges of the parts.  The difficulty is when you are left with an edge that now has to be "healed/polished" to remove the stress risers left in the actual edge of the part.  The laser process has totally eliminated this issue and provides the look, fit and finish the G2's are known for. Categorically, the solution to the  "edge" specification problem has now and forever more been addressed. 

Now you can really "C" the quality....

Have a great weekend!

Jim

Revision "C"

Good afternoon! I trust you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday...Louanne and I sure did!  

Today I want to write about what we affectionately refer to as "Revision C" Frames. These are the frames that have received all of the attention for being easy to build, lighter by around 75 pounds and generally what will serve as the "final" of the basic HoneyBee G2 "open frame" line. 

In trying to explain what this means, sometimes a "revision" is something as simple as a larger radius on a part that makes assembly easier. Other times it is a "revision" from a load path review of a particular part that can be either lightened or changed to address the real need of the location. Sometimes it is a "revision" that is not a problem at all but rather a way to save weight. In the case of the part shown, this simple through hole on the CNC Lathe cuts weight by a couple more ounces and eliminates an area that could "over the course of time" trap dirt or debris; creating a corrosion area later.  In the case of this part, with a full enclosure, it will be somewhat hard to see and inspect making it more important over the life of the airframe.  It pays to sweat the details.... You know that feeling you get when you seen something that immediately strikes you as being well thought out when you first see it? That's exactly the feeling I had when I saw this part. I have to give the credit to Jeremy (Aeronautical Engineer Extraordinaire) who I trust explicitly when it comes to making engineering decisions; simple to the most complex of engineering decisions. He is brilliant at new product design and it shows. Wait until you see the "Revision C" Frames; they are by far the best of the frames that we have built.  Can't wait to show them to you at the shows!

Having a blast!

Jim

Welcome Dave Yant!

Doesn't Dave Look Good In PINK...

HoneyBee G2 is thrilled that Dave Yant has joined our Team!

Dave brings a great background of rotorcraft & aviation experience to our Team and it is great to have him on-board. His role will oversee all manufacturing, kit shipments and builder completions.  His role with HoneyBee G2 will even extend to oversight into the world of Gyroplane Training Centers International beginning in the Spring.  

Dave is not only a great rotorcraft mechanic but of equal importance to our Team is that he flies gyroplanes!  He got his start flying gyroplanes with one of the last G1's that were built in 2000.  In fact, that is how I met Dave in 2008.  I got a call from a college buddy (Dan Dantema) who invited me to come to Pinconning, MI and do a flight demonstration in one of the club members (Dave Yant's) original HoneyBee Gyros, a G1. I gladly accepted the opportunity and a little over three years later, Dave is here and on staff with HoneyBee G2!  Check out Dave's background.....

As a Helicopter A & P Mechanic...                                                                                                                           

• He performed overhaul inspections and upkeep on a fleet of  Bell helicopters under Part 135 Operations including remote field bases. He coordinated field aircraft repairs & part requirements and assisted in strict fleet maintenance schedules for each aircraft.
• As part of this, he documented all maintenance and repairs made to each aircraft providing a detailed history of all activities performed to each aircraft.

Dave is just what we needed!

As I have mentioned to you before, the best way to make a friend for life is to fly gyroplanes together. Dave is one of those guys that I just love being with....I can't wait for you to meet him. 

Welcome aboard Dave!  

Jim

Happy Thanksgiving To One & All!

Good afternoon!  

As the work week comes to a close, I wanted to wish all of you "Happy Thanksgiving"!  

It is hard to believe that it is already Thanksgiving again. What is even harder to believe is that our staff is already working on the 2012 Spring (Bensen Days) and Summer (EAA/PRA) Shows.  A couple of days after these events are over and it will be Thanksgiving again. Isn't it funny how the days fly by when you love what you do.

Take time to "bee" with your families!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jim

Ultralight HoneyBee G2: UPDATE

New UL Owner!

Good morning to all you Ultralight Gyroplane fans!

As you might expect, the statistics of this blog have consistently shown that the HoneyBee G2 Ultralight is a major favorite globally.  There are as many people following my posts on the UL as there for the Two Place Tandem.  

The challenge of creating a "great" (not just okay or good) flying UL Gyroplane is to make it safe and easy to fly. On top of this, it has to perform well.  That's exactly what we have done!  

I recently flew our UL and it is exactly what we want it to be.  The 202 performed flawlessly!  

Here are a few of the upgrades that are currently on our Ultralight HoneyBee G2 Gyroplane. 

1. Engine: The original engine was an MZ 201. This is a great engine but it did not provide us with the performance profile that we were looking for. The UL engine been upgraded to the MZ 202. WOW! What a difference that made.  
2. Plating: Jeremy did a  full review of loads and load paths which has allowed us to reduce the plating layouts in about 3/4 of the airframe. Since the UL was a downstream "child" from our heavier Single Place Frames, it is no wonder that the UL was overbuilt. We now have doublers where we need them and light plating where we don't.
3. New Tail: The new, carbon fiber-composite tail with an ultra simple hinging system saves us 13 pounds.
4. Wheels: The light weight, Azusa Light/wheels/tires saved us 6 pounds!
5. Rotor Head: Back in 1998, I designed our G1 Rotor Head; it is now standard on the UL.
6. Brakes: Nose wheel and Rotor Head brakes are both Hydraulic units and work great
7. Pre-rotator: Soft Start is standard
8. Panel: Grand Rapids Technology is standard with Rotor Tachometer....and more! 

Could this be a fully enclosed UL?

After flying (and lovin' it!) the one in the pictures for a couple of days, it was finally time to pack it up and send it home.  Our staff fell in love with this little UL so much that we decided to build one for "our own use" so that we can keep it around for awhile.

Boy oh boy, do I love flying UL's!

Jim

New Model Unveiled at HoneyBee G2!

Actually, I am just kidding.... Steve Greenwell (AKA The Warrior!) sent a LEGO Gyrocopter to me out of the goodness of his heart. It took me about 10 seconds to rip the package open and about 15 minutes to properly interpret the pictures to get it built correctly. 

As a way of updating everyone, it is Friday morning here and it has been a "quantum week" with great progress in many areas.  Jeremy is doing a fantastic job at getting us poised for our eventual application for certification, our new person (more on Dave Yant later) is in the process of moving here, the UL 4 stroke is making progress, the new drive is due to arrive any second and lastly, the HBG2 guys and the EW2 guys have just had a blast working and being successful all week long. This is really a great bunch of folk. 

In closing, Have a great weekend!

Jim

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