Gyro-Kopp-Ters Midnight Hawk

The Gyro-Kopp-Ters Midnight Hawk is an American autogyro, designed by Bob and Arden Kopp and produced by their company, Gyro-Kopp-Ters of Lake City, Florida. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1][2]

Midnight Hawk
Role Autogyro
National origin United States
Manufacturer Gyro-Kopp-Ters
Designer Bob and Arden Kopp
Status In production (2015)

Design and development

The Midnight Hawk features a single main rotor, a single-seat open cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a four-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, 90 hp (67 kW) Subaru EA-82 automotive conversion engine in pusher configuration. The engine is available with a belt reduction drive or as a direct drive version.[1][2]

The aircraft mounts a 25 ft (7.6 m) diameter Dragon Wings main rotor made by Rotor Flight Dynamics, with a chord of 7 in (17.8 cm). Standard equipment fitted includes a hydraulic pre-rotator. The propeller used is a three-bladed Powerfin composite, ground adjustable with a 5 ft (1.5 m) diameter. The aircraft has an empty weight of 510 lb (231 kg) and a gross weight of 810 lb (367 kg), giving a useful load of 300 lb (136 kg).[1][3]

The company estimates the assembly time from the supplied kit as 60 hours.[3]

Operational history

By November 2017 four examples had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.[4]

Specifications (Midnight Hawk)

Data from Bayerl and Gyro-Kopp-Ters[1][3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 12 ft 1 in (3.68 m)
  • Width: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
  • Empty weight: 510 lb (231 kg)
  • Gross weight: 810 lb (367 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 16 U.S. gallons (61 L; 13 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Subaru EA-82 four cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke automotive engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
  • Main rotor diameter: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Powerfin composite, ground adjustable, 5 ft (1.5 m) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 85 mph (137 km/h, 74 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.0 m/s)

References
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 180. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 195. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
  3. Gyro-Kopp-Ters (2 January 2009). "Specifications". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  4. Federal Aviation Administration (18 November 2017). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 18 November 2017.
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