Freewind Bumble B
Bumble B | |
---|---|
Role | Autogyro |
National origin | France |
Manufacturer | |
Status | Production completed (2014) |
The Freewind Bumble B (transl. Bumblebee) is a French autogyro that was designed and produced by of Vimory, introduced in about 2013. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[1]
Freewind Aviation seems to have been founded about 2013 and gone out of business in 2014.[2] It is not clear how many aircraft were produced, although at least one example flew.[1]
Design and development[]
The Bumble B features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in tandem open cockpit with composite fairing and a windshield, tricycle landing gear and a modified four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke, turbocharged 122 hp (91 kW) Rotax 912 engine in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft has a two-bladed rotor with a diameter of 8.4 m (27.6 ft) and a chord of 21.5 cm (8.5 in). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 258 kg (569 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 192 kg (423 lb). With full fuel of 75 litres (16 imp gal; 20 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is 138 kg (304 lb).[1]
Reviewer Werner Pfaendler described the design as, "a low cost but good quality gyrocopter with excellent flight characteristics".[1]
Specifications (Bumble B 912 Supercharged)[]
Data from Tacke[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Empty weight: 258 kg (569 lb)
- Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 75 litres (16 imp gal; 20 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × modified Rotax 912ULS four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke, turbocharged aircraft engine, 91 kW (122 hp)
- Main rotor diameter: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
- Main rotor area: 57 m2 (610 sq ft)
- Propellers: 3-bladed composite
Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
- Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
- Rate of climb: 3.1 m/s (610 ft/min)
- Disk loading: 7.9 kg/m2 (1.6 lb/sq ft)
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
- Freewind aircraft
- 2010s French sport aircraft
- Single-engined pusher autogyros