Photograph:
Rotor Flight Dominator ZK-RCB (c/n R98) at Tokoroa, New Zealand in 2009 (Peter Lewis – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two seat sport autogyro
Power Plant:
One 55 kw (74 hp) Rotax 618UL-2V two-cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled electronic dual-ignition engine
Specifications:
- Rotor diameter: 8.22 m (27 ft)
- Width: 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
- Height: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
- Length: 3.04 m (10 ft)
- Max speed: 145 km/h (90 mph)
- Cruising speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Minimum speed: 19 km/h (12 mph)
- Rate of climb: 229 m/min (750 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,048 m (10,000 ft)
- Take-off run: 122 m (400 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 30 litres (6.6 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 141 kg (310 lb)
- Useful load: 141 kg (310 lb)
- Loaded weight: 281 kg (620 lb)
History:
Rotor Flight Dynamics Inc of Wimauma, Florida has for some years been producing single and two-seat gyrocopters using the patented Dragon Wing Rotor, the Dominator being designed by Ernest Boyette. The Company produces parts and components for builders of gyrocopters, and full kit machines in single and two-seat variants, with the latter having seating side-by-side or in tandem, and offering rotor-blades varying in length from 6.7 m (22 ft) to 8.53 m (28 ft). The Dominator incorporates a T-tail for stability and has won a number of awards.
A variety of engines can be installed, but most use either the Rotax 582 or 618. The single-seat machine has a hydraulic pre-rotator permitting a take-off roll of 3 m (10 ft) to 9.14 m (30 ft). Variants include the Dominator, a single-seat open-frame machine with either a Rotax or Hirth engine driving a Warp Drive multi-blade propeller, which has a minimum speed of 19 km/h (12 mph). It has a cruising speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), and a gross weight of 281 kg (620 lb). The Dominator Tandem is a two-seat open-frame machine with DragonWings, of all-aluminium construction, bonded skin rotor-blades and a 177.8 cm (70 in) Warp Drive propeller on the pusher engine, having a max speed of 121 km/h (75 mph), a gross weight of 454 kg (1,000 lb) and a minimum speed of 32 km/h (20 mph).
A number of Dominators have been registered and flown in this region, those in Australia under the auspices of the Australian Gyrocopter Federation. In New Zealand Dominators include both single and two-seat machines. A number have been assembled by Auto Flight. Variants have been produced, known as the Auto Flight Dominator series or the Neil Hintz Dominator.
Machines registered include: ZK-RAB (c/n R86), ZK-RAI (c/n R96), ZK-RAQ (c/n RFDN10017), ZK-RAW³ (c/n 3), ZK-RAZ (c/n RAZ1), ZK-RBM (c/n 012), ZK-RBP (c/n 014), ZK-RCA (c/n 008), ZK-RAM (c/n 3 – later ZK-RAW), ZK-RCB (c/n R98 – ex ZK-RAE), ZK-RCE (c/n 010), ZK-RCV (c/n 009), ZK-RCT (c/n 00120013), ZK-RDH (c/n 018), ZK-RCY (c/n EAB1-428402), ZK-REG (c/n 007), ZK-REL (c/n 011), ZK-REQ (c/n 012), ZK-RCL (c/n RA114), ZK-RCJ (c/n RA559) and ZK-RCH (c/n R119), a few being registered as the Neil Hintz Tandem Dominator. Examples registered in Australia include G-0016, G-8888 and G-0108, all registered with the Australian Gyrocopter Federation.