What pilot among us is buying this?

[cappisj1]

Showed up kind of random on my FB market place. A buddy is half looking for something more modern. But as I looked at the pics it’s got a generator style guzzi engine in it!

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/4L6Nw1xHea7QSkX8/?mibextid=79PoIi

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Probably an Ambassador engine, judging from the Marelli generator and starter. 

[Sprouty115]

File that under "show me a picture of how you're going to die, without telling me how you're going to die"...

[Moparnut72]

Assuming the hour meter is correct no wonder. Looks like an absolute death trap to me and no reflection on the powerplant.
kk

[bigbikerrick]

At first look ,I thought it was a gyrocopter, ala "Mad Max" but I realize its an actual helicopter!  It definitely has that "deathtrap" look to it. 
Rick

[jrt]

Hold my beer....

[s1120]

Looks pretty cool... but no Fing way would you find me strapped into it!!!!!

[guzziart]

It's all good if the cylinders & sludge trap were done!

[pehayes]

I wonder what was the outcome of the other 19?
:-(

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Huzo]

Looks pretty cool... but no Fing way would you find me strapped into it!!!!!

I’d like to see the pitch/ roll/ yaw control circuits and the collective, (if it’s not an auto gyro).

[John A]

It’s obviously air worthy.

[bigbikerrick]

The seller states it has a clutch, so in case of engine failure, you can disconnect the blades from the engine, and auto gyro safely back to earth! 
Rick

[Tom]

Where's Chuckie on this?     It even has the key ignition switch from a Loop.   

[sdcr]

I’m not a pilot, but wondering how much blade wash would cover the pilot, and would they be able to fly under those conditions?

[LowRyter]

This an autogyro?

[Tom]

Pictures show the blades being driven by belts. 

[Huzo]

This an autogyro?

An auto gyro is a rotor supported craft that looks similar outwardly to a helicopter, but differs in that the blades are driven by the incoming forward air (airspeed).
They differ in complexity to a helicopter, in that because the overhead rotor is not being driven by a vertical driveshaft, there is no torque reaction produced as a result.
No tail rotor is required on an auto gyro, but a rudder is usually present to align the fuselage (?) with the incoming airflow.
Also with an auto gyro, the angle of attack on the rotors is not constantly being manipulated due to the advancing/retreating blade phenomena.
My Dad built and flew an auto gyro in the late 1960’s and somehow survived….
But he was a bit af a “gyro gear loose type..”

[Shiny Hat]

So it has collective pitch control but no cyclic control. You lean back and forth to control for and aft pitch?
Is the seat adjustable to correct CG for a 150 or 350 lb. pilot, seems insane. Lightweight, lots of rusted steel.
Before quads were available, what’s wrong with horses.

[OtisV11]

What could possibly go wrong

[brider]

I don't have FB so I can't log in and read the full story, but if what I read is true, there MUST be other photos or documentation out there from King Ranch (I once had a King Ranch Ford F-150). That's a great example of American ingenuity, although I'm curious as to why they selected a Loop engine...must've been cheaper small Lycoming's available at the same time.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Vintage Co-Axial Ultralight Helicopter
$4,500
Listed 2 days ago in Lobelville, TN
Details

    Condition
    Used - Fair

Own a piece of history! When I bought this beautiful old flying machine, the seller told me the history of it. I have no way of verifying if this story is true. The helicopter used to belong to the King Ranch in Texas. It was specially designed for ranch hands to be able to fly low over the scrub brush and search/herd cattle. There were about 20 of these built, and this one belonged to the foreman of the ranch. This was the era of time before cheap, readily available ATVs and such.  With such vast amounts of land to cover, and that land covered by scrub brush and trees, a machine like this would be very useful in the maintenace and operation of a vast ranch. The helicopter is controlled by a throttle on the left hand, a center control stick for the right hand, and the pilot's weight. The center control stick operates the pitch of the blades (moved fore and aft), as well as back and forth to the left/right controls the rear rudder. Since it is a co-axial blade setup, there is no need for a rotating rear tail blade, as all axial forces are eliminated by the contra-rotating main blades. The rudder is hinged at a slanted angle and receives the downwash from the rotor blades, as well as air passing by in forward motion. To fly this helicopter, the pilot would essentially throttle up and change the pitch of the rotors via the center stick control. As the pitch was changed by the pilot, the blades would bite into the air and pop the machine up about 20 feet in the air. The pilot would point the heli in the desired direction with the rudder and then lean forward. The shifting weight of the pilot would send the copter forward in the desired direction. I have never flown it personally but am told by the previous owner that it was stable and not super-nimble. You would essentially point in the direction you wanted to go and then move forward. When a new direction was desired, you would slow your forward motion (lean back) and then point in your new direction before leaning forward again.
There is also a hand clutch near the control panel to disengage the rotors from the engine drive and theoretically enable safe autorotation to the ground in case of engine failure.



This is sold as not airworthy and for parts or display.

The main gearbox seals are leaking.
The condition of the gas tank is unknown.
The engine is a Moto-Guzzi motorcycle engine from Italy.
Engine turns over and has good compression. I have not tried to start it. 
The fabric covering the tail rudder is ripped on one side and needs repaired.
The linkage connecting the controls needs repaired in places and unstuck.
New rear tires.
Lobelville, TN
Location is approximate
Seller information
Jared AndRebekah Rowe
(6)
Highly rated on Marketplace
Joined Facebook in 2012

[Huzo]

Well ok, that answers a lot of questions, all good so far.
If the fore and aft movement of the pilot’s weight (c of m) is enough to tilt the blades in the desired plane, how critical is the pilot weight ?
If a light pilot leans forward say, 1 foot to initiate forward motion, then what happens if another pilot a touch heavier flies it ?
The c of m would be in the same vicinity with a heavy pilot sitting upright as a lighter pilot leaning forward.
How does the heavier pilot get the c of m aft enough to slow it down?
I’m not trying to say he can’t, but how is it achieved ?

[Huzo]

I’m not a pilot, but wondering how much blade wash would cover the pilot, and would they be able to fly under those conditions?

There probably would be less than one might think, given that the pilot is almost under the hub, that is where the airspeed of the blade is the slowest.

[jkguzzi]

Chrome bores?

[Tom]

"20 ft."  Meant to be operated by ranch hands.      Horses are fine but an aerial observation w/radios always help.   

Parker ranch out here will use a helicopter for observation and recovery sling some of the errant cattle.   

[cliffrod]

Wow- that would be PERFECT to park beside my Guzzi lawn tractor!! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AWYbYcLaUWg

Then, If i could only get that and maybe something like a guzzi-powered jacuzzi redwood hot tub to go between them, l dont know how i would ever improve my collection.. 

[Shorty]

Didn't they make a Harley shirt about that?  "If Harley made an airplane......?"        I wonder if carb ice ever became a problem.

[normzone]

Hell, Chuck in Indiana probably built it, then flew it to Tejas to deliver it.

This is why I took on and converted a five year old wild mustang to the faith - it was safer.

[Shiny Hat]

I searched and could not find squat on this helicopter, no idea who built it or if it even worked.
Searched King ranch and nothing on this particular one but they used helicopters due to the massive size of this ranch. Not all went well when two crashed into each other and killed both pilots.

[mondtster]

This makes the Adams-Wilson Hobbycopter look like a well designed machine.