­The gyrocopter, or more formally known as the gyroplane, rotorcraft, or autogyro, is a type of rotorcraft usually built from a kit or from plans. It utilizes unpowered rotor blades that turn at several hundred RPM to produce a lift that can sustain flight. It also has an engine-driven propeller that moves the gyroplane forward.

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Gyrocopters can be used to fly for fun, as an agricultural device (crop spray) or as a means to travel.

While the gyrocopter can be mistaken for a helicopter if seen from far away, these two aircraft work in very different ways.

With a helicopter, an engine causes the blades to spin and create the lift. With a gyrocopter, the engine propels the craft forward, and the air flow created by this movement forces the blades to spin and create lift. The good part about this is that even if the engine fails, the blades will continue to rotate because of momentum, and the craft will slowly descend for a safe landing.

How much does a gyrocopter cost?

The cost of gyrocopters depends on the manufacturer, the design, features, brand and where it’s purchased from. The costs can range from as little as $25,000 to more than $150,000.

We researched some of the most popular makes and models and included the average price inside our table below:

At Barnstormers.com, gyrocopters for sale by owners cost anywhere from $9,000 for a Dominator-style gyrocopter to as high as $125,000 for a 2012 Auto Gyro Cavalon, according to the classified ads active at the time of this writing.

According to the PRA.org, gyroplanes can be built from plans for less than $10,000 and about twice as much for single-place gyroplane kits.

Gyrocopter overview

Gyroplanes are usually built from kits, plans, or original designs. Many of the gyroplane kits come with seamless aluminum tubing as well as aluminum plates and fittings which are connected using aircraft-grade nuts, bolts and washers. Installation does not require welding. In the United States, gyroplanes are built directly from kits or plans and no companies produce ready-to-fly gyroplanes that are licensed to fly within the United States.

A single-seat is typically around 14 feet long and weighs around 500 pounds empty. Most cruise at 45 to 60 mph.

A quick build kit will usually comprise of standard and optional equipment. Standard equipment may include the following: all airframe components, control assembly, fuel pumps, an 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, and a throttle lock assembly. Optional equipment may include cabin doors with hardware, heater, and an oil cooler set. Time to build can range from 80 hours to 1,000 hours, depending on the specific make and model of the gyroplane.

What are the extra costs?

Complete gyroplane flight training is required to get an FAA gyroplane rating. Also, many gyroplane dealers require interested buyers to complete proper training from an approved facility before they can buy any gyroplane. Gyroplane flight training can cost about $1,500 to $3,000, depending on the class in which the student enrolls.

Individuals with no flying experience will need an average training period of 30 hours. Licensed pilots looking to convert will need to spend approximately 10 hours. At some schools, gyroplane training starts at $180 per hour with discounts provided to those who purchase hours in bulk.

Maintenance and operation of the gyroplane are a given. Some models may set users back about $500 for maintenance services needed after a specific number of hours.

If you are going to build your own gyrocopter, you may want to personalize it as well. There are certain decals and designs that you can get for the body of the aircraft in the same way that you can get decals made for your car. These will cost extra, but it can add a great dynamic to your gyrocopter.

Tips to know:

A pilot’s license is often required if the aircraft weighs less than 254 pounds. If it weighs more than that, a student’s pilot license is necessary.

Some gyrocopter manufacturers offer a stability augmentation kit that gives customers the alternative to enhance their gyro from being a single-bearing rotor head to a double-bearing unit.

Newer gyroplane models are equipped with safer aerodynamic stability designs and are less sensitive to turbulence compared to airplanes and helicopters.

When it comes to life expectancy, a gyrocopter has a practically unlimited lifespan. Depending on the manufacturer, the rotor, engine and propeller will have a varied lifespan. Generally, the time between overhauls for engines typically varies between 1,000 and 2,000 hours.

How can I save money?

Check for discounts offered for gyroplane flight training if you were to need it. Most schools offer discounted rates to those who purchase flight training hours in bulk.

Collect a list of the models and prices offered for gyrocopter kits. With the help of an instructor, choose a kit that best suits your budget and your skills.

Building the kit yourself will be cheaper than purchasing one that is already built. Purchasing a used model will be the cheapest option.

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ARTICLE DATE: 2012

Some young people know what they will do with their lives from an early age, and others flounder. Jim Vanek, president of Sport Copter, Inc., of Scappoose, Oregon, fits into the first category; he wants to design and manufacture the best gyroplanes made.

And he has a distinct advantage as he sets out to achieve his goal: the legacy of his father, Chuck Vanek, who designed and built his first sport gyro in 1957 and over the next three decades built and sold Vancraft kits under that company name.

So far, about 300 Vanek gyros have flown. Jim also gets a lot of support at home. His wife, Kelly, flies gyros solo, although she admits that motherhood has interfered recently with her flying activities.

Family legacy: Jim Vanek shows off his company’s Sport Copter Vortex gyroplane, the result of decades of development by him and his father, Chuck Vanek.

At age 10, young Jim began flying with his father in Vancraft two-seaters, which developed a reputation for being sturdy and reliable. Chuck Vanek retired in 1988 but continues as a consultant, and Jim, all grown up, continues the business, having changed its name to Sport Copters, Inc., in 1991.

Recently he occupied 12,000 square feet in a new hangar facility at Scappoose Airpark, where I visited last fall. A continuous driving rain would prevent any Sport Copter flight demonstrations that day, I thought. But I was wrong. Details later.

Improving the Sport Copter Breed

Sport Copter has designed and is preparing to complete and test three new sport gyros, all of them based on successful Vancraft machines. More than 100 improvements are incorporated in the new models, Jim Vanek said.

The bottom of the line is the Lightning, a legal ultralight powered by a two-stroke Rotax 503. Next is the Vortex, a homebuilt, licensed gyro powered by the liquid-cooled Rotax 582 or other engines.

Finally, there’s the Sport Copter II which is intended for training and law enforcement as well as sport flying.

All will be available in kit form, with or without the engine included, and complete or in small packages for those who want to spread out the cost of purchase. All three models incorporate significant innovations.

Sport Copter Roto-Control

Probably the Sport Copters’ most notable difference from most gyroplanes is the control system, which desensitizes pitch and roll control by providing more pushrod movement than is physically possible with the limited angular limits of standard and special aircraft rod ends.

Vanek calls his desensitized system Roto-Control.

A patent is pending, and he hopes that others in the small-rotorcraft industry decide to use Roto-Control because it addresses a major safety issue in small gyros and helicopters: over-control leading to pilot-induced oscillation (PIO), which is sometimes fatal.

Close to the ground, PIO has caused pilots to crash as they got ahead of or behind the gyro’s pitch response to ham-handed stick inputs.

At altitude, PIO has caused structural breakup that followed rapid forward stick movement that reversed the normally upward airflow through the disc.

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Company President Jim Vanek prepares to fly in an Oregon rainstorm. He’s done it before.

Both of these PTO-related problems should be minimized or eliminated by a system that requires large stick movement for a small control change, and that is what Roto-Control does.

To be fair and accurate, I must note that with proper training and attitude, neither of these PIO possibilities is a problem. As in all of flying, training—coupled with applying what you have learned—is the key to success. For me and thousands of others, gyro flying has been nothing short of a delight.

Sport Copter Ground Handling

Despite their simplicity and ability to operate safely (under proper guidance) in high winds, plenty of gyros have been rolled into a ball by their pilots while taxiing or attempting to take off.

(Landing accidents are rare because they touch down close to walking speed even in no wind; taxiing can present more of a challenge than landing.)

Many gyros link rudder pedals to the nosewheel. If the pilot touches down or tries to take off with the nose wheel off center (as might happen in a crosswind), a groundloop or rollover may occur.

Sport Copters’ solution is to use a free-castering nosewheel and to steer on the ground with differential hydraulic toe brakes as in Grumman-American airplanes and numerous high-performance homebuilts.

Vanek says that with their low e.g., the Sport Copters resist rollover even in rough terrain. But anything is possible, and the rotor mast—made of two beefy 1×2-inch aluminum extrusions—is designed to remain intact through a rollover even with the blade turning at flight speed.

Chuck Vanek’s gyros demonstrated this feature, Jim said, and he intends destructive testing to make sure that his new models stand up as well.

Sport Copter – Made To Be Tough!

Related to ground handling is how well an aircraft absorbs the bumps in rough-field operations, and Vanek claims his machines excel here. The new line incorporates special polyurethane shock absorbers in both the main landing gear suspension and in nose wheel shimmy damping.

Telescoping thick-wall tubes containing the shock absorbers extend from near the rotorhead to the main wheels, and they provide up to 8 inches of shock-absorbing travel.

Doughnuts made of the same material are built into the nose wheel assembly and act as a shimmy damper. Vanek has tested the system to 80 mph, he said, and it keeps the nose wheel steady.

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Also aimed at durability and maintaining integrity in rough conditions is the system of attaching the parts. Plastic or Teflon chafing pads are used between aluminum and other flat metal, and solid PVC plugs prevent crushing of metal tubes where they are bolted.

Sport Copter Pilot Safety

Vanek points to his seat as an example of his concern for pilot safety, particularly in a crunch. He believes that the seat/tank often seen on gyros introduces an unnecessary risk in a crash, where a resulting fuel leak could be serious; on Sport Copters, a separate fuel tank with a shutoff valve reachable from the seat is used instead.

LEFT: Close inspection of Sport Copter gyros indicates no-compromises quality. The company is equally committed to requiring professional gyro training.
RIGHT: The new Vortex gyro kit includes sheet metal tail parts, which turn out to be lighter than composite versions.

The seat itself, which Vanek calls a Cyber Seat, is made of composites and contains TemperFoam, which conforms quickly to the pilot’s body shape and is therefore extremely comfortable. More important, it provides crushable impact protection up to 14 G, according to its manufacturer, a neighbor at Scappoose Airpark.

Airframe and landing gear configuration also contribute to maximize safety in a Sport Copter, Vanek said, as landing attitude is exceptionally forgiving. The machine remains docile and controllable even when landed on the nose-wheel first, he said. Don’t try this at your home airport in an airplane.

What’s On Top – Sport Copter Rotorhead

The rotorhead is unusual in several respects. It is more massive than those found on many gyros. And it contains replaceable polymer bumper stops and shock isolation based on compression of special polymer and Teflon bushings mounted in stainless steel retainers. These features reduce shock and vibration transfer between the rotor and the rest of the aircraft.

McCutchen Sky Wheels composite rotorblades are sized at 23 feet for the ultralight Lightning, 25 feet for the Vortex. and 30-foot diameter in the Sport Copter II. In addition, Vanek is in the process of producing his own rotors, which are made with an aluminum extrusion leading edge and bonded aluminum skins.

Building The Sport Copter

Assembly of these gyros is essentially a bolt-together process not requiring fabrication or drilling of parts.

Not yet ready during my visit were the step-by-step building instructions with photos and a video that includes operations, tune-up and service instructions. The manual and video are to be included with each kit.

Estimated building times are 40 hours for the Lightning, 50 hours for the Vortex and 100 hours for the two-seat Sport Copter II. A prerotator is standard on the Vortex and Sport Copter II, and differential brakes are standard on all three.

Plenty of options are available for these gyros, but each kit contains nearly everything needed to get in the air.except flight instruments, fuel, a helmet and maybe a bit of paint. In the Lightning ultralight, a viable option would be to limit flight instruments to a $25 Hall airspeed indicator.

The other end of the scale is a fancy electronic panel that includes vertical speed, airspeed, altimeter, outside air temperature, engine hours, coolant temperature, rotor speed, EGT, engine rpm and CHT. The price: $960 on the Lightning and Vortex; it’s standard on the Sport Copter II.

Sport Copter Vortex

NOTE: These are old prices as printed in the article about 2012. Prices for the kits are $7200 for the Lightning and $12,900 for the Vortex, including Rotaxs 503 and 582 engines respectively. The estimated price for a Sport Copter II with a 2.2-liter Subaru engine is $25,000.

Sport Copter – On The Horizon

In addition to completing, testing and kitting three gyroplanes, Jim Vanek is working on another project: setting up the North American distributorship for a series of four-stroke aircraft engines made in the Czech Republic.

The Verner SVS 133 and SVS 137 are described as direct-drive, 62-65-hp, long-stroke engines that have been powering trike ultralights in Europe. Vanek plans include distributing single- and dualmag versions with stainless steel exhaust systems.

The first sample was expected in Scappoose as this is being written in March. Jim Vanek plans to fly the engine on a Vortex gyroplane.

Flying The Sport Copter

Not-so-gentle rain continued all morning in Scappoose as I gathered this information and clicked some pictures. By lunchtime, the storm had become a gully-washer, and conditions continued as we returned to the big hangar.

“Don’t fly the Vortex on my account,” I told Jim Vanek. I wasn’t looking forward to being responsible for rotor or propeller leading-edge rain erosion—or for soaking him to the skin; the “cabin” on the prototype Vortex is accurately described as a semi-enclosure.

Despite my protests, Vanek donned his flight jacket and gloves, fueled the gyro, opened the hangar door, started the Rotax 582, and taxied into the sodden gale. I hopped into the right seat of somebody’s pickup truck for a ride of a few hundred feet to the Scappoose runway.

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Vanek set brakes, engaged the prerotator, released brakes and rolled maybe 100 feet before climbing steeply into a 15-mph headwind. We watched as he flew the pattern and made a no-hands low pass. Hmmm. That thing is stable.

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LEFT: Key to the special control system in Sport Copter gyros is this patent-pending part of the control linkage.
MIDDLE: Special polyurethane shock absorbers are incorporated into maingear suspension.
RIGHT: The same polyurethane material is used in the nosegear as a highly effective shimmy damper.

Finally he climbed to about 1000 feet nearly overhead. I knew what was coming. Yep, deadstick. No more engine noise. In still air, the Sport Copters will no doubt meet the 4:1 deadstick glide ratio claimed for them. But facing the breeze, the gyro’s glide was much steeper. Vanek, of course, accounted for that.

With stopped prop, he touched down smoothly on the center-field grass 25 feet in front of the truck. An instant Rotax restart, and he was airborne again from the somewhat rough turf.

The next landing was a final, and I checked to see if Vanek was soaked; after all, he had included both-ways rudder skids in his fly-by demo, and the enclosure sides are open. I need not have worried. He was dry and assured me that he was comfortable. And the rotor and prop retained their leading-edge paint.

Assuming the Sport Copter Vortex is representative of all the company’s gyros, these machines will be real confidence-builders for their properly trained pilots. Sport Copter insists on professional training before anyone flies its products.

The company refers customers to local gyro training schools or invites them to its school in Scappoose, which currently trains in a McCulloch J-2 gyroplane (a certified product of the early 1970s) for $130 per flight hour. Eventually, the school will offer instruction in its Sport Copter II.

Lacking rotorcraft ratings but having been signed off for gyroplane solo some time ago by gyro CFI Steve Graves, I may have to get current and sample a Sport Copter myself at some point. I’ll let you know.

The massive rotorhead system features sealed main bearings and replaceable parts prone to wear.