Jump to content

007's 'Little Nellie' MK II


Richard Harris
 Share

Recommended Posts

Chris,
Nope not a heli as they are powered rotors and these are free wheeling 'wings', people do always frown upon these things though.
I can throw a couple in the car on the off chance I can get a flight.
 
Alan,
A kit? . It would spoil all the fun for me.You would have to put a lot of time and money into it, something I don't have either of.
 
Rich
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Due to the model last time out pitching its nose down at lower airspeeds when power was applied I decided to make up a new motor mount bringing the motor downwards.
This brings it closer to the vertical CG position, I had to prop down in diameter to give adequate clearance. I tried it Monday evening but the smaller prop just didn't give me enough thrust, basically just crawling off the ground so the flight was aborted.
I re fitted a larger prop but the boom was fowling, so I have angled the the motor slightly to give me the clearance needed between prop and boom.
To test this I used my REX as this was my 'test design' for a 2 bladed fin only model, it worked fine on this model so I made the mods to 'Nellie'.
Went out last night with it and it is 100% better in the air, fast or slow it keeps the fuselage horizontal in the air and has made it predictable to fly. Even bursting the power shows not tendencies in pitch.
 
It feels 'safe' now
 


All ready for the weekend
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
Danny,
Very lucky indeed!
 
I have met him a few few times and he is one of the most remarkable and interesting people I have ever met. He told me the story about that crash, the engine gave up during its flight. He had used a special glue to hold something around the magneto area 15 years previous, some of the this glue had got stuck in the magneto causing the dead stick.
When I went to meet him for the first time back in 2009 I took along a few of my models to fly, in return he demonstrated his Zeus and it was misfiring badly. Hard to believe he was 93 then and is still doing the same these days.
Its no easy task to get your leg over those instruments, I have tried and it wasn't pretty!
 
 
This was my flight, not the best flight in the world but the Tempest had only been flying for a month and I was still 'playing' with things. (that's a poor excuse I know!)
 
He is not all about autogyros and is an old school engineer. He made the first slot car and track, interestingly made from salvaged WWII bomber parts which is still working well. Miniture pistols (made from Wellington parts) and cameras etc.
 
I have lots of photos and would be more than happy to show them? He has let me take measurements, photos of almost every part on 'Nellie' a true gentleman who can talk for England!
 
It would be good if we could get the Asher's up there while he is still with us, it would make for an excellent article I think. But I am biased.
 
 
 
Rich
 
 

Edited By Richard Harris on 25/11/2011 14:23:30

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wonderful videos Rich Thanks for posting them. i wouldn't have gone up with it misfiring like that. I loved the way he dashed/taxiid out the gate and down the lane!!

An article/interview would be good, but not sure if its RCM&E material. I would read it thats for sure, but perhaps we are odd....... Maybe more suited to Aeroplane, or Flypast?

A great and inspirational character.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be good if we could get the Asher's up there while he is still with us, it would make for an excellent article I think. But I am biased....
 
 
excellent idea rich---hopefully young asher's-to give him his correct name will maybe take note.......i'm sure there are others we could/would like to see featured in the mag as well.......there's a few unsung heroes out there...... some of the surviving 'dambuster's ' lad's-they were on tv the other week-giving their version of the raids.....
 
ken anderson ne..1 unsung heroes dept.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Danny,
I believe they are 2 brand new Bristol Centaurus radial engines, Ken spotted them at a scrap yard and didn't want to see them crushed so bought them for their scrap value. They are huge!
There are all sorts of engines dotted around his house, in his sheds and work shops as well as many other historical things.
Not sure if I have a picture but he has the bomb site mechanism out of a WWII Dornier 17, the engineering of this bit of equipment is superb. Ken would never say where he got it from though!
He has an engine hoist that he uses to lift the engines in and out of his autogyros, all parts off aircraft. I think (if memory serves me correct) the ratchet mechanism is off what they used to lift and hold the bombs in Wellingtons.
 
Rich
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I was like a child in a sweet shop looking around, its just too much to take in in a single day.
 
A few more photos
 



'I never leave the house without being armed'...those were kens words when he pulled out the tiny working pistols. He had to make his own bullets and showed us piece of 1/2" thick oak where one of the bullets and gone straight through I paid for the next round after that!

Couldn't you just picture our Tim sat at that drawing table!!
 

One of his cameras he made back in the 60's
 

Some of his OD single seat boats from the early 60's before turning to the dark side.
 

some kind of jet engine in the back ground
 
Rich

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Danny,
Its his home 'Reymerston Hall' up in Norfolk. I wrote to him about my autogyro designs etc and he invited me up to fly. He walks you around his house and there is a story behind everything.
He is always doing tours for model clubs etc, its well worth a trip up (or down). To me he is the interesting thing, has a mind like a 21 year old. Don't get me wrong everything else there is good but just materialistic.
His whole collection has been donated to a museum on his passing, I think in Norfolk somewhere.
 
He has also built a replica of his great uncles mono plane, YES, no rotors!!
 
 
Rich
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Hi Richard,

I have been following this post, as well some other for some time. I have build a Little Nellie autogyro or shall I say TRIED. This was my first autogyro project. Last week the day finally arrived that I was ready to testrun.

I am however struggeling to get Nellie to auto rotate. I spun the head by hand and then sped off, but the head did not auto rotate at all. In fact it just turned slower. My head is turning anti clockwise when standing and viewing from the top (looking towards the front).

I would appreciate any assistance. I have tried to add a photograph - hope it worked.

Regards,

Jan Rautenbach

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Rich

I have added three photographs. It seems as if it will show this time. If not I see one can click on my first post on the left on the three photo's (in blue underlined) - it will then take you to the album I created. I used the Clark Y profile (except I kept the bottom section flat). I made a jig and sanded the blades very close to the profile. I also added a shim under the blade for the negative incidence (I tried it on both sides of each blade - was not sure whether I had it on the right side, but it made no difference).

I really appreaciate the assistance. I can not wait getting Nellie in the air.

Regards,

Jan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...