The GyroTec DF02 is a German
autogyro
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-d ...
, designed and produced by
GyroTec Michael Obermaier of
Wörth am Rhein
Wörth am Rhein (, ) is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the G ...
. The DF02 is supplied as complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
[Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 180. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
The DF02 features a single main rotor, a single-seat enclosed cockpit with an optional
bubble canopy
A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility.
The designs of bubble canopies can vary drastically; so ...
,
tricycle landing gear
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of th ...
and a twin cylinder, liquid-cooled,
two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
,
dual-ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
,
fuel-injected
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in Reciprocating engine, reciprocating piston and Wankel eng ...
Hirth 3503
The Hirth 3502 and 3503 are a family of liquid-cooled, in-line twin-cylinder, two-stroke, carbureted aircraft engines, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft and small homebuilts. It is manufactured by Hirth of ...
engine in
pusher configuration
In aeronautical and naval engineering, pusher configuration is the term used to describe a drivetrain of air- or watercraft with propulsion device(s) after the engine(s). This is in contrast to the more conventional tractor configuration, wh ...
.
The aircraft uses a diameter, high-inertia Averso Aviation rotor, with a chord of . The rotor head was designed by GyroTec and includes a
disc-style rotor brake, pre-rotator and integral articulation stops. The DF02 has an empty weight of and a gross weight of , giving a useful load of .
The bubble canopy can be removed for flight in warm weather. In 2009 the canopy size was increased to accommodate taller pilots.
Specifications (DF02)
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.gyrotec.de/
2000s German sport aircraft
Single-engined pusher autogyros