Gyrokite Assembly & Flying Instructions
For a smooth, trouble-free operation of
your wind powered helicopter, please follow our guidelines for assembly and
flying preparation.
General
Instructions
• Best
wind conditions for flying the Gyrokite are a nice steady breeze and a
wide-open area. We recommend between 10 –25 kts or 20-50 kph.
• The
sea breeze at the beach, a large park or sports ground is a great place to
fly.
• Keep
away from overhead power lines, airports and other people.
• Think
about safety and other people at all times.
• Do
not fly the Gyrokite in thunderstorms or if there is any lightning
• ADULT
SUPERVISION IS RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 16 AND UNDER
Adjustments
YOU
MUST DO THIS WITH ANY NEW KITE AND THEN AFTER MOST FLIGHTS...
***If the rotor stops spinning, if they try
to spin in the wrong direction, or are slow to accelerate:
To
correct this grip both rotors by the tips, and twist them and hold them in
position for a minute or two so the plastic gains some memory.
TWIST SO THAT
THE THICKEST EDGE, (the edge that the arrow points toward) IS TWISTING DOWNWARD
TOWARD THE LANDING GEAR.
Preparation
for Flying
Pre-rotate the rotors:
In
order for the rotors to rotate to a high speed it is necessary for the pilot to
pre-rotate or spin the rotors first by hand. After practicing the spinning
action with a flick of the wrist, you will be able to grip the teeter and snap
it sharply so that the rotors are spinning in the direction indicated on the
rotors.
Proper Position for rotor acceleration:
The pilot must
hold the helicopter kite so that the tail is pointing at the ground and the landing gear
is pointing directly into the wind.
For a
right-handed person, the proper position is to hold the copter in the right
hand from the point where the string attaches, and so that the right shoulder
is pointing directly into the wind. Now before ever releasing the copter,
practice spinning the rotors and holding the copter so the wind is directly
hitting the bottom of the spinning rotors. As the rotor accelerates tip the
kite forwards and they will start to generate lift which you can easily feel.
Off You Go!
When
the kite wants to fly, let it go very gently as you let some line out through
your fingers. Do this slowly so that the kite is always pulling on the line.
Doing it too quickly will cause the kite to fall and the rotor will lose speed.
Balancing the Gyro-kite
If the gyro-kite leans to one side soon after you let it
go, then catch it again and adjust the rotor head. Twist the shaft in the same
direction that the kite leans. Make only small adjustments. By doing this you
are moving the centre of gravity so that the gyro-kite body “hangs” directly
beneath the rotors.
Gyrokite Tips
& Troubleshooting
To assist you in getting the most out of your helicopter and
for troubleshooting, please follow these tips...
Proper Assembly
The first step is to insure that you have correctly
assembled the heli-kite. Confirm that the rotors are inserted with the printed
side facing upward. The teeter (part that holds the rotors) has two attachment
flanges that should also be pointed upward. If you have difficulty inserting
the rotors into the teeter pockets, you should try soaking the teeter in water
for a few hours. If you have difficulty inserting the landing gear spokes into
their holes, try rocking the landing gear back and forth until it goes in all
the way. If you are having trouble getting the teeter to snap onto the rotor
head, you should try first sliding the teeter completely over the rotor pin
with the rotor pin turned sideways, and then give the rotor head a ¼ turn as
you pull the teeter upwards, as if you were pulling it back off of the rotor
pin.
Balancing The Rotors
If your rotors shake or vibrate when they get up to a high
rotation speed, they are probably out of balance. To balance them remove the rotor
assembly from the gyro-kite, and insert small wire, like a paper clip into the
tiny holes. Now using very small pieces of scotch tape, add to the lightest
side until the rotor assembly is balanced. This is just like balancing a
children’s seesaw
Now You Are Reading To Launch
Once you have gotten the hang of holding the heli-kite
properly and pre-rotating the rotors, you are ready to release the gyro-kite
onto a short length of line. Now the gyro-kite will tend to drop down to knee
level, and will try to spin in circles until you get the hang of keeping the
heli-kite out to your side, so that your body doesn’t block the wind. Your body
creates a vortex in the wind, or a spinning action which wants to pull the
gyro-kite in and make it spin in circles. You should focus on keeping your
right shoulder pointing into the wind and keeping your arm extended until the
heli-kite begins to pick up altitude. A small gust and the gyro-kite will be
above your head in about two seconds. Now your body won’t be affecting the
heli-kite as it will be above your head.
A Tangle-free Line
A good way to keep the line from getting tangled in the
rotor when you are getting ready to launch the kite is to lie the line out on
the ground. 10 metres is enough to begin with and always keep this line behind
you or in front of the kite so that the wind cannot blow it into the rotor.
Other Launching Techniques
If you cannot get the hang of launching by yourself then get
a partner to help you. Extend about 20-30’ of line and have someone hold the
end. Then the other person can hold the gyro-kite in hand, pre-rotate the
rotors, and as the rotors begin to create the necessary lift, gently release
the heli-kite above your head.
Understanding the Wind
The best wind for learning to fly is a steady, smooth 15-20
mph wind. Very high winds, will allow for a quick launch but the gyro-kite will
tend to jump around a lot and may crash more often. If the wind is less than 10
mph you may find that the upper level winds are stronger. You can add a little
wind speed by walking backward smoothly with the flying line, (don’t run
because this will shake the heli-kite around which slows down the rotors and
will cause the opposite effect than what you want) which is to add a couple of
MPH to the wind
Every gyro-kite Will Fly
No matter what you think you have tried, and no matter how
much frustration may have getting your heli-kite to fly, you can be very
confident that your gyro-kite will fly if you operate it correctly. Every
gyro-kite is made with nearly 4,000 pounds of pressure in an injection mould,
and the tolerance is held to within 1/1,000th of an inch. They are designed to
fly immediately upon assembly, however some minor adjustments may be required
(see balancing rotors, twisting rotors) in order to perfect the dynamics of
each heli-kite, after it travels inside packaging and gets handled during
assembly
Storing The gyro-kite
It is important to store the heli-kite away from the
sunlight. While the plastic does have UV resistance it is good to still store
the gyro-kite away from sunlight. Also if storing the heli-kite with the rotors
assembled it may be necessary to twist the rotors a bit the next time you fly,
because they will tend to sag a bit during storage. If they sag, they also tend
to twist a bit because of the different thickness of the front and rear edges
of the rotors. A better idea is to remove the rotor assembly from the heli-kite
and store it flat beside the gyro-kite.
Lubrication
I t is a good idea to lubricate the rotor head with either
oil or a dry graphite. any sort of oil is fine to use but try to keep the
gyrokite out of any dirt once the shaft has been oiled.If it has been some time
since its last flight then the rotor shaft should be reoiled.
Balancing the Gyro-kite
If the gyro-kite leans to one side soon after you let it go,
then catch it again and adjust the rotor head. Twist the shaft in the same
direction that the kite leans. Make only small adjustments. By doing this you
are moving the centre of gravity so that the gyro-kite body “hangs” directly
beneath the rotor.
Proper Handling - Easy Does It
Make only gentle movements when controlling the kite. Rough
handling will cause the heliheli-kite to “shake” and the rotor blades will slow
down reducing lift.
