Photograph:
AutoGyro Europe Cavalon G-4848 at Temora, NSW in April 2012 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Germany
Description:
Two-seat high-performance sport gyrocopter
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Length: 4.6 m (15 ft 2 in)
- Width: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Height: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
- Rotor diameter: 8.4 m (27 ft 6 in)
- Max speed: 161 km/h (100 mph)
- Cruising speed: 130 km/h (81 mph)
- Never exceed speed: 161 km/h (100 mph)
- Rate of climb: 290 m/min (950 ft/min)
- Take-off to 15 m (50 ft): 200 m (656 ft)
- Landing over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 15 m (5 m)
- Fuel capacity: 100 litres (22 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 316 kg (697 lb)
- Disposable load: 244 kg (538 lb)
- Loaded weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
- Luggage capacity: 20 kg (44 lb)
History:
The AutoGyro Europe Cavalon was a development of the Calidus by the manufacturer of this series of machines, AutoGyro GmbH of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony in Germany, and before that the MT-03 series, featuring two-seats with fully adjustable seating, controls and a large fuel capacity to give good range. The type was first shown to the public at the AERO Exhibition event in Friederichshafen in Germany on 13 April 2011, it being described as a “state of the art two-seat side-by-side gyrocopter”.
The machine could be fitted with either the 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS engine, or the 914UL Turbo engine, driving a HTC 3B CCS three-blade composite variable-pitch propeller. The Cavalon had a similarity to the RAF 2000 gyrocopter but development led to the installation of a tail boom with horizontal tail surfaces which improved stability, and the rotor was raised above the fuselage.
The type made its Australian launch on 23 October 2011. Three were soon sold, the first G-2387 becoming a demonstrator, and the second being delivered to Mr D McFarlane of Tamworth in January 2012. A further example was demonstrated at Natfly 2012 at Temora, NSW.
Other Cavalons registered have included G-5861 (c/n V00174), G-4848 (c/n V00008), G-1857 (c/n V-00108), G-1970 (c/n V00030), G-2387 (c/n V00006), G-1828 (c/n V00028) and G-1880 (c/n 00285).
Examples have been imported to New Zealand and these have included ZK-AVL (c/n V00115), ZK-DJW (c/n C00272), ZK-MKH (c/n V00062), ZK-PJE (c/n V00061) and ZK-ZGG (c/n 00063).