Photograph:
Little Wing Autogyro G-007 (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat light sporting gyroplane
Power Plant:
One 86 kw (115 hp) Rotax 914 four-cylinder turbocharged horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Main rotor diameter: 8.22 m (27 ft)
- Length: 8.22 m (27 ft)
- Fuselage length: 5.48 m (18 ft)
- Height: 2.44 m (8 ft 5 in)
- Rotor disc area: 53.23 m² (573 sq ft)
- Max cruising speed: 121 km/h (75 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 105 km/h (65 mph)
- Minimum speed: 24 km/h (15 mph)
- Landing speed: 16 km/h (10 mph)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Landing roll: 7.6 m(25 ft)
- Service ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 34 litres (7.5 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 159 kg (351 lb)
- Loaded weight: 340 kg (750 lb)
History:
Little Wing Autogyros of Mayflower, Arizona, has for some years now produced a series of light single-seat fully enclosed tractor autogyros. Designed by Mr Ron Herron, the first machine, looking very much like a 1930s Pitcairn design and, known as the LW-1, was constructed using the fuselage of a Piper design, a rotor pylon being attached to the fuselage through four isolation dampers. An outrigger undercarriage with oleo struts was designed, and a 75 kw (100 hp) Continental O-200 engine installed. Lateral control was achieved with cables directly connected to the control torque tube being controlled by a conventional elevator in pitch, the rotor head being tilted in the lateral axis.
A 2 + 2 variant of the LM-2 has also been produced. An automotive starter was used to pre-rotate the blades. It was flown and used as a proof-of-concept aircraft and development led to the LW-2, an ultralight variant which used an airframe similar to that of a Piper Cub but smaller and using 4130 chrome moly steel tube. It used a McCulloch engine, but this was later replaced by a 52 kw (70 hp) liquid-cooled AMW engine with dual ignition. It was flown throughout the 1990s.
Further development of the LW-2 lead to the installation of a conversion of a Volkswagen dual ignition engine (2180-cc) and this had a rotor brake and an electric pre-rotator, this becoming the LW-3 with a fully tilting head. Further designs have appeared, including a two-seat variant, and a shorter version, designed to reduce the likelihood of tail damage from the rotor blade during ground running. Plans have been made available to amateur constructors and a number have been being built around the world, including Australia and New Zealand.
The kit has a welded steel tube framework with fabric covering. At the time of publication the latest in the series was the LW-5, designed by Messr R Herron and A Keech, intended for high performance flights. It is this aircraft which set three trans-continental US speed records for its class, and records for speed over 500 km (311 miles), altitude 8,049 m (26,408 ft), time to climb to 6,000 meters (19,685 ft), and distance without landing of 993 km (617 miles).
A variety of engines has been installed, including the Rotax 914, Hirth F-30 two-stroke, VW-2180, Subaru EA-81 and the Australian-built Rotec R-2800 seven-cylinder radial. At least two examples are known to have been imported to Australia, one being fitted with a Rotec radial engine (G-007), the latter being an LW-3 built by Murray Barker of Mordiallic, VIC, which first flew in September 2011.