Anti tank Jet Gyrocopter

[Bluesteel]

When I was about 11 years old I was inspired by the autogyros of Wing Commander Ken Wallis and came up with the idea of a jet powered autogyro capable of carrying a range of anti-tank missiles on stubby wings. The idea being they could be small, nippy, relatively inexpensive and have a good load to power ratio (all autogyros do).

They would operate at low level and flit around the European plains taking out WarPac tanks as they attacked (it was still the height of the Cold War when I came up with this idea).

I also used my somewhat dubious artistic talents to draw a rough sketch of what the prototype might look like. It's only in pencil so doesn't photograph too well:



I've only just turned this sketch up after a long time I thought it was lost/destroyed. So now I've found it, I think I'd like to make it as a 'What-If'.

Now, my question number 1 is, should I scratch build or is there anything I could base it on..?

Question number 2 is, should it be a single seater or two seater?

Bluesteel

[B777LR]

Single seater!

The propeller can perhaps come off the airfix Whirlwind helicopter.

[GeorgeC]

Twin-seater, side-by-side, perhaps?  If so you might use a Jet Provost / Strikemaster for the front fuselage and gear.  All the tandem seat trainers would see to be a little big as a basis for an autogyro.

Regards

GeorgeC

[Bluesteel]

Twin-seater, side-by-side, perhaps?  If so you might use a Jet Provost / Strikemaster for the front fuselage and gear.  All the tandem seat trainers would see to be a little big as a basis for an autogyro.

Regards

GeorgeC

Now that's a good idea for the 2 seater.

I'm now thinking of an He-162 Salamander as the basis of a single seater.

Bluesteel

[Ollie]

Use the nose of a Cobra or a Bronco and work your way from there.

 

[Daryl J.]

Put tiny turbojets on the tips of the rotor and that thing would sound like the Chief Angels of Hell breathing down your neck!


Daryl J.

[Bluesteel]

Put tiny turbojets on the tips of the rotor and that thing would sound like the Chief Angels of Hell breathing down your neck!


Daryl J.

That's not such a daft idea as it sounds. One of the problems with autogyros is that the rotor blades are unpowered. They need to be brought up to rotational speed for take off somehow. With piston gyros it's done by clutching in the engine to get them rotating and disengaging once up to speed. So there's no reason why some of the jet efflux couldn't be allowed to 'bleed' up and along the rotors to get them turning through tip jets - it would also de-frost the rotor blades on cold days!

Bluesteel

[Hobbes]

Actually, the N.H.I. H.3 Kolibri helicopter was powered by ramjets on the rotor tips. IIRC there were a few more along these lines.  

[MartG]

Looks like Little Nellie's big brother

[Captain Canada]

Neat stuff ! Pretty good for an 11 year old !



Looks exactly like something I would have drawn !

[Bluesteel]

Looks like Little Nellie's big brother

Big Nellie!  

The last time I spoke to Ken Wallis, he was showing a film of a huge amount of footage of Little Nellie shot in Japan for You Only Live Twice, that never made it into the film. This included chasing and being chased by cars along a stretch of unopened motorway and flying Little Nellie under the motorway bridges! It was interesting to note that Wing Commander Wallis did all the flying himself - didn't trust anyone else to fly it!

Interestingly the Wallis Autogyro was briefly tested by the Army as a potential liaison and spotter aircraft, but nothing came of it. While chatting to the Wing Commander he agreed with me, that an uprated version may indeed have been able to carry anti-tank missiles and be used in an aggressive mode. So it's a very genuine 'What-if'.

Have a look at:

http://www.kenwallisautogyro.com

Bluesteel

[Bluesteel]

Bought a 1:32 Revell Heinkel 162 as a base model out of which to hack my Jet Autogyro. A big job, but I think I can see how to get one from the donor kit, with a few additional extras....

Bluesteel

[Davey B]

I would've recommended a Pucara, if you were prepared to run to £15...

[MMM]

I've been thinking about doing a battle 'gyro using a Huey Cobra as the fuselage (rounding off the tail boom), and an OV-10A Bronco as the wings and tail. Have gone so far as to purchase both kits (I/48).