The Chayair Sycamore is a South African autogyro, designed and produced by Chayair of Musina. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1][2]

Sycamore
Role Autogyro
National origin South Africa
Manufacturer Chayair
Status In production (2012)

Design and development

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The Sycamore features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in-tandem open or optionally enclosed cockpit, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914F engine in pusher configuration. The 160 hp (119 kW) Subaru EJ22 is optional.[1][2]

The aircraft fuselage is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing and mounts a 9.10 m (29.9 ft) diameter Advanced Kinetics rotor. The tailplane features five vertical tail surfaces for improved directional stability. The enclosed Sycamore Mk 1 version has an empty weight of 380 kg (840 lb) and a gross weight of 590 kg (1,300 lb), giving a useful load of 210 kg (460 lb).[1][2]

Operational history

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By December 2012 one example had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration in the Experimental - Amateur-built category.[3]

Variants

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Sycamore Mk 1
Enclosed cockpit version[1][2]
Sycamore Mk 2000
Open cockpit version[1][2]

Specifications (Sycamore Mk 1)

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Data from Bayerl[1][4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Length: 5.40 m (17 ft 9 in)
  • Width: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
  • Height: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
  • Empty weight: 380 kg (838 lb)
  • Gross weight: 590 kg (1,301 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 55 litres (12 imp gal; 15 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 914F four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke, turbocharged aircraft engine, 86 kW (115 hp)
  • Main rotor diameter: 9.10 m (29 ft 10 in)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Warp Drive Inc carbon fibre

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 153 km/h (95 mph, 83 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 128 km/h (80 mph, 69 kn)
  • Endurance: 2.5 hours
  • g limits: 3.5/-0.5
  • Rate of climb: 4 m/s (790 ft/min)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 178. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. ^ a b c d e Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 192. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
  3. ^ Federal Aviation Administration (31 December 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 31 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Chayair (2007). "Sycamore Mk 1". Retrieved 31 December 2012.
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