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THE ORIGIN OF THE MODERN GYROPLANE:
A tribute to the man who started it all

In the 1950s Bensen Aircraft Corporation exploded upon the sport aviation scene with their ground-breaking 'Gyrocopters' and 'Gyrogliders.' When the brilliant engineer behind this success, Dr. Igor Bensen, introduced the B-7 Gyroglider (1955), its unprecedented simplicity of design and ease of flight captured the public's imagination. Although the B-7 had no engine and was towed into the air very much like a kite, shortly thereafter the engine-powered B-7M Gyrocopter was introduced and a new age of powered homebuilt aircraft dawned. Dr. Bensen's revolutionary designs have been copied and modified, but, in the opinion of many, never surpassed.

The B-8M GyroCopter

The B-8M was the latest of the Bensen gyroplanes and it remains among the finest craft of its kind

The gyroplane (or 'gyrocopter' or simply 'gyro') is essentially a helicopter-airplane hybrid, offering many of the benefits of both and several of its own. Many consider it among the safest aircraft you can fly. Unlike a helicopter, the gyro's rotor blades are unpowered, necessitating a short roll for take-off—unless the craft is fitted with a pre-rotator, which can greatly reduce or even eliminate the need for a runway. A major safety feature of the gyro is that if the engine fails, the craft can be easily glided to a safe landing. Also, the gyro is less affected by high wind than typical fixed-wing aircraft and is not subject to stall.

The B-8M Gyrocopter (left and above) fits in the Experimental Aircraft category.
The unpowered B-8 Gyroglider (below) falls in the class of unpowered gliders and requires no license. Of course, proper training is an absolute necessity for the safe operation of any aircraft, whether ultralight or experimental.

The above 2 aircraft are the unpowered Bensen B-8 Gyrogliders, which were towed into the air by an automobile or, if fitted with floats, by a boat. Once airborne, the cable was released and, with proper skill and perhaps some help from the wind, the craft could continue its flight for many minutes. Once control of the glider was mastered, the craft was convertible to the engine-powered gyrocopter.

THE B-7(M) Gyro-Glider and Gyro-Copter

The B-7 Gyro-Glider (right) and the B-7M Gyro-Copter (below) are the innovative Bensen designs that, in 1955, ignited the gyro craze.
Here, Dr. Bensen himself demonstrates the flying abilities of his B-7. Once towed to an altitude of 50 to 150 feet (depending upon one's skill level), the cable can be released for the thrill of free and open skies. Later, an engine can be added to a B-7 (below drawing) for completely independent flight.

The B-6 Gyro-Glider

The B-6 Gyro-Glider (left), created in 1953, was one of the first Bensen design to come to the public's attention. The rotorblades mounted atop the B-6 are, unlike a helicopter's, free-spinning in response to the movement of air over their suface—very much like the propellor of a toy pinwheel. With a relatively modest forward tow speed (by car or boat) of about 23 mph, the rotorblades reached a speed of about 250 mph, providing lift for the Glider to take-off. The rotorblades already have a fixed, built-in pitch, so all the pilot needs to do is steer the Glider with the handlebars almost as one would steer a bike. Once airborne, the tow-line is released for a free and controlled flight—a flight that can last 15 minutes or longer. Indeed, even with a relatively mild wind of perhaps 23 mph, the B-6 can take off and fly very much like a kite!

The cleverly named Midjet (combining 'midget' and 'jet') was basically a B-6 with ramjet engines mounted on the rotor tips. This tiny helicopter was said to be capable of lifiting several times its own weight.