AutoGyro Calidus

The AutoGyro Calidus is a German autogyro, designed and produced by AutoGyro GmbH of Hildesheim. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.^[1]

The Calidus was approved in the United Kingdom in 2010 in a modified form as the RotorSport UK Calidus.^[1]^[2]

Design and development

The Calidus features a single main rotor, a two-seats in tandem enclosed cockpit with a complete aerodynamic cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a four-cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912 engine or turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914 engine in pusher configuration.^[1]

The aircraft fuselage is made from composites and is a faired teardrop shape to ensure smooth airflow over the variable pitch pusher propeller. Its 8.4 m (27.6 ft) diameter rotor has a chord of 20 cm (7.9 in). The aircraft has an empty weight of 265 kg (584 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (990 lb), giving a useful load of 185 kg (408 lb). The design incorporates vibration dampers that greatly reduce the level of main rotor vibration transmitted to the cockpit.^[1]

The design is noted for both its cruise speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and range of 800 km (500 mi). It was developed into the side-by-side configuration AutoGyro Cavalon.^[1]

Operational history

By December 2012 eight examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. Most are in the Experimental - Amateur-built or Experimental - Exhibition categories. Also by December 2012 three examples had been registered with Transport Canada in the Special Certificate of Airworthiness Limited category.^[3]^[4]

Variants

AutoGyro Calidus: Base model for the European and North American market.^[1]
RotorSport UK Calidus: Modified model for the United Kingdom market, imported assembled and modified by RotorSport UK.^[2]

Specifications (Calidus)

Data from Bayerl^[1] and the manufacturer^[5]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 4.78 m (15 ft 8 in)
Width: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Height: 2.74 m (9 ft 0 in)
Airfoil: NACA 8-H-12
Empty weight: 265 kg (584 lb)
Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
Fuel capacity: 86 litres (19 imp gal; 23 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912ULS four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 75 kW (101 hp)
Main rotor diameter: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
Main rotor area: 55.4 m² (596 sq ft)
Propellers: 3-bladed variable pitch composite, 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn)
Cruise speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
Never exceed speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn)
Rate of climb: 5 m/s (980 ft/min)
Disk loading: 8.1 kg/m² (1.7 lb/sq ft)

References

^ a b c d e f g Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 176. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
^ a b "Type: RotorSport UK Calidus" (PDF). Gyroplane Type Approval Data Sheet (TADS). United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^ Federal Aviation Administration (29 December 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^ Transport Canada (29 December 2012). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^ "Flight and Operation Manual for Gyroplane Calidus" page 1-4. AutoGyro GmbH 2011. Accessed: December 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AutoGyro Calidus.

Official website
Video flight report on AVweb