Gyrocopter is known for its many names like a gyroplane, rotorcraft, or Autogyro. It is a type of rotorcraft that is built from a kit or a plane.
Gyrocopter can be used for many purposes, such as for fun, as a means of travel, or as an agriculture device to spray on crops.
Nearly every Gyrocopter can hold one or two people, or some may be designed for four people as well.
But one question may blow up in your mind at this moment, and it can be:
Table of Contents
How much does a gyrocopter cost?
In general, Gyrocopters are less expensive than helicopters. The average cost can be as little as $25,000 to more than $150,000. However, many factors affect the actual price of Gyrocopter, such as design, feature, brands, manufacturer, and where it is purchased from.
Here’s a list of some popular brands who make Gyrocopter also with their average price;
- Airgyro Cavalon $111,000
- Airgyro Callidus $90,000
- Airgyro MTO $66,000
- Aerotek ELA G10 Eclipse $92,000
- Autogyro GmBh Cavalon Gyrocopter $80,000
- Aerotek ELA G8 Ranger $58,000
- Sportcopter II $85,000
Gyrocopters can be purchased and operated for a fraction of the cost of G.A. aircraft and for about 10% of the cost of buying a helicopter.
Helicopters are famous for their excellent mechanical complexity, with several moving parts depend on each other to function correctly.
However, Gyrocopter can perform 90% mission of a helicopter only at 10% of the cost.
It might seem costly but it is nothing compared to the Cargo Plane Cost
Is an Autogyro a Helicopter?
A Gyroplane is very similar to a helicopter. It uses a non-rotating rotor to develop the elevator and a motor propeller, identical to a fixed-wing airplane, just to ensure thrust.
However, it is very similar to the rotor of a helicopter in its appearance. But it does not have powerful rotor blades like a helicopter.
The rotor rotates due to the passage of air through the lower rotor. An independent engine provides the front-wheel drive. In engine failure, the Gyrocopter will decline, but the main rotor blades will continue to rotate and provide lift due to the continuous flow of air through them.
Therefore, throughout the flight, the Gyrocopter is in a constant state of autorotation and behaves similarly to a fixed-wing aircraft, except that its wing rotates.
Gyrocopter looks like a small helicopter and sometimes even can be mistaken for a helicopter if seen from far away. The main difference between these two is that there is no engine to rotate the main rotor. The rotor is simply self-propelled (self-rotating) due to the way air flows through it, which, together with a concise landing turn, means that a gyroscope is one of the safest aircraft.
Additional Cost Of A Gyrocopter
Before buying a Gyrocopter, there are many things to do that add additional cost like it requires proper training, Gyrocopter flight training requires FAA gyrocopter rating.
Gyrocopter Training Cost
Before buying the Gyrocopter, buyers must get proper training from an approved facility to avoid any inconvenience while flying. It will add additional cost as trainers demand hefty fees.
On average Gyrocopter, fight training can cost about $1500 to $3000 depending on the student’s class.
Students that do not have any flying experience need to get training of about 30 hours. At the same time, some experienced and licensed pilots need to get training of about 10 hours.
Some training schools start at $180 per hour and offer a discount to those who purchase hours in bulk.
Operating and Maintenance Cost
Gyrocopters also need proper maintenance and operation. Some models of Gyrocopter need $500 for maintenance services after a specific number of hours.
Assurance cost of Gyrocopter
Gyrocopter owners are bound by rules and regulations to arrange suitable insurance. The insurance cost can be $1800 per year.
Fuel Cost:
Gyrocopter utilizes four gallons of fuel an hour, and it requires regular automotive fuel in its 100 horsepower engine.
Extra Accessories Cost
If you want to build your own Gyrocopter, you can personalize it as well. There are certain accessories and designs that you can get for the body of your aircraft. This will add extra cost, but it will add significant change to your Gyrocopter.
Essential tips to know
There are some tips that one must need to know if he owns a gyrocopter.
- Innovative Gyrocopter is designed in such a way that gives more safety and stability as compared to airplanes and helicopters.
- If the aircraft weight is less than 254 pounds, then the pilot’s license is required, but if the aircraft is more than 254 pounds, then a student’s pilot license is necessary.
- Some models of Gyrocopter provide an opportunity to its customers to enhance their gyroplane from single bearing rotor head to double bearing unit.
- Gyrocopter offers unlimited life expectancy. Generally, the life span of the engine, rotor, and propeller is different for every gyroplane depending upon the manufacturer.
- To become certified to fly Gyrocopter, one must have a written and practical test.
Components of Gyrocopter
Quick Build Gyrocopter kit usually consists of standard and optional equipment. Standard equipment includes many components such as;
- Airframe components
- Control assembly
- Fuel pumps
- Engine electrical switches and breakers
- Fuel injection
- Integrated electronic flight information system
- Propeller
- Rotor blades
- Rotor brake assembly
- Rotor tachometer
- A factory pre-built tail
- A throttle lock assembly
Optional equipment of Gyrocopter may include;
- Heater
- Oil Cooler set
- Wing
- Cabin Doors
An average time to make Gyrocopter can be from 80 hours to 1000 hours, depending on the specific model of the gyroplane.
Gyrocopter VS Helicopter Cost
Helicopters are complex machines and more expensive to maintain as compared to Gyrocopter. According to an estimation, it takes five hours of maintenance to fly a high-performance helicopter. Agencies could spend $600 per hour to fly a helicopter that is much more than flying a gyrocopter. A gyroplane usually takes $150 per hour to fly.
The helicopter uses an engine to drive the rotating rotor blades, while an engine does not power the upper rotor blades of Gyrocopters. Instead, the engine drives a rear propeller that pushes the gyroscope forward. As the aircraft moves, air naturally passes through the rotor blades, creating a lift.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the authorities warned of the safety problems of ultra-light Gyrocopter, for which pilots do not need to be certified.
But as federal regulators addressed safety issues, they narrowed down the definition of ultralight to describe a single-seat aircraft weighing less than 155 kilograms.
The vast majority of modern aircraft, like most gyroscopes, do not meet this definition. Therefore, it requires a driver’s license.
However, now Gyrocopters are FAA-certified and made a significant safety leap over the last 30 years.
Related:
Gyrocopter Overview
Gyrocopters are generally built from plans, kits, or original designs. Many Gyrocopter kits come with aluminum tubes, aluminum plates, and fittings that connect using air-quality nuts, bolts, and washers.
Installation does not require gluing. Gyrocopters are built directly from kits or plans, and no company produces ready-to-fly gyroplanes authorized to fly in the United States.
- Safety of Gyrocopters:
Professionally designed gyrocopters are constructed and designed to offer more safety than helicopter aircraft of the same size. U.S. Federal Aviation Administration named them light-sport aircraft. Gyrocopters handle turbulence much better than fixed-wing airplanes, and they do no stall.
- Speed of Gyrocopters:
A gyroplane is fast speed aircraft that has a four-cylinder engine. It can reach the speed of 112 mph in the Fair or on the road. Gyroplanes are designed in such a way that they can drift at low altitudes and need a 540ft runway for take-offs.
- Easy to Fly:
Gyrocopters are safe and easy to fly with three flight control pedals, making them perfect for beginners who have never flown before. These flight pedals are much more accessible and more straightforward than any plane or helicopter.
Top picks of Gyrocopters with low prices than Helicopter:
X2 Black Gyrocopter: It is one of the fantastic gyroplanes that is very easy to maintain and operate. It is designed to provide high standard safety and comfort.
X4 Club Gyrocopter: C – 22 X4 Club Is specially designed for four persons. It provides excellent safety as a robust coating is attached to all its parts.
MEDIVAC Gyrocopter: This Gyrocopter is a flying ambulance. It is designed in an extraordinary way that has a stretcher for patients and specialized medical equipment. It is perfect for monitoring military patients. It is much cheaper to operate than a helicopter.
Hawk 4 Gyrocopters: Hawk 4 was the first single-engine four-seat gyrocopter that provides a safe flight. It costs approximately $295,000.
World’s fastest Gyrocopter
Arrow Copter is the world’s fastest Gyrocopter that is designed in such a way that enhances its performance, speed, and safety as well. It offers the lowest external noise level than any other gyrocopter due to its innovative shape and complete carbon fiber construction. Arrow Copter’s actual price is $150,000.
Arrow Copter is made entirely of composite construction for heavy loads without a steel frame. It has been tested and approved to the highest level of certification in Europe, which is based on the Rules of Section T of BCAR, U.K. Arrow Copter is an innovative high-performance gyrocopter available in a single-seat setup.
