I'm from Argentina and I liked both its aircraft despite having to translate messages by messages all your answers, I was satisfied because I have already evacuated all my curiosity. Thank you very much for your time and interesting all that contributed. VIDEO EXELENTE. CONGRATULATIONS.
Ahh this plane. I could remember when my dad would take me to the airfield so I could watch him fly. he used an abandoned one by the way. i remember him flying over the house on other occasions. i wish i had my own. i always begged him to take me with him but it only seated one so that sucked. love the video. probably the best and only i've seen on youtube. cheer mate
I think you may be referring to the slight camera shake noticeable in some scenes. This is caused by the location of the camera and the aerodynamic forces acting upon it. The propeller is balanced and tracks correctly (both tips pass through the same point in space when the prop is rotated by hand on the ground.) There are no vibration issues with this prop. As for the noise being a little high, the engine noise at takeoff power is deafening. Those 4 exhaust pipes are not muffled in any way.
This is a superb aircraft design. The converted VW engine is a very reliable aircraft power unit. Have played your video-tape many times. Will pay real money if I could get my hands on some real construction plans. Somebody in Australia needs to talk the original designer into selling some plans up here in the U.S.A. There is a major market up here just waiting to be filled with a great design like this ! Thanks for your great in flight videotape. It really gives us fellow aviators a taste of flight in the "Tyro !" A really great airplane.
I am very interested in a set of plans myself. Please let me know if you find a source. A very flexible design. Here in northern calif. @ henry gonzalez, p.o. box 142, ione, ca. 95640/ henry.fiddlefardm@gmail.com Anyone else interested? Thank you all. Ciao
Soy de Argentina y me ha gustado tanto su aeronave que a pesar de tener que traducir mensajes por mensajes todas sus respuestas, he quedado satisfecho por que ya he evacuado toda mi curiosidad. Muchas gracias por su tiempo y muy interesante todo lo que aportó. EXELENTE VIDEO. FELICITACIONES. I'm from Argentina and I liked both its aircraft despite having to translate messages by messages all your answers, I was satisfied because I have already evacuated all my curiosity. Thank you very much for your time and interesting all that contributed. VIDEO EXELENTE. CONGRATULATIONS.
Yes I did and yes you have. There are not many 16-min videos in UA-cam that I have watched whole. I easily get bored and click something else or jump ahead. But this one was like being there and who would want to stop that ? :o) Good job, take care. Dimitris
Man that is so cool. An airplane at its simplest. That thing is just a stick with wings and a seat bolted to it! I can't imagine what a strong wind would do to you in that. Looks like such a fun experience though.
Hi Rob, met your son Pauly last night at a christmas party and when I mentioned I grew up and am going back to Nanango on the weekend he was shocked and told me about this video... very nice work and great to see Nanango airport getting some use! Sure beats driving to Kingaroy and back :D
Paul was telling me recently that he met you at a Christmas party. He was surprised to hear that you posted a comment on my UA-cam flying video. Nice to hear from someone who grew up in Nanango!
As you correctly point out, the aircraft is highly manoeuvrable and very responsive to control inputs, especially in pitch. Beautiful to fly! The Tyro has two 20 litre fuel tanks mounted inside the root of each wing. The fuel caps are positioned on top of each wing.
Wawooo Mr Robert thanks a Lot and a lot it's was my dream job and you make it easy for me from the very two years am just searching people on facebook and become friend with them to find the sam job you are doing i wanna say more and more thanks to you Robert
Greetings from India. I felt i fly in the air. I read all the comments and your replies. You are so cool to reply all. My long dream is build a ultralight aircraft and love to see the world from sky like you. Your video is so informative and induce me to make a similar aircraft in future. Expecting more videos from you. Hats off you to your performance.
Good question Essene. If the Tyro is held off until it is at minimum flying speed for a 3 point landing, the aircraft can become difficult to control. Wheeling it on (main wheel only touchdown) at a higher speed provides much better control during flare, touchdown and rollout, making it a safer landing technique. Once the tail wheel is down, speed washes off quickly especially on a grass runway.
Greetings from Greece. Great flying video, I watched it all and felt as if I was there myself. Australia looks beautiful. Have good times flying over it. Dimitris
Hey that's neat. Never seen a front engine design one. That way the motors even louder and you can catch some partial exhaust and watch the propeller flit in your eyes as you stare out the front.
It certainly is and that's a good way of describing it. When you strap into the 4 point harness it kind of feels like the aircraft becomes and extension of your body. Related to this is the ability to fly these minimum aircraft mostly by feel, meaning your whole body becomes finely tuned to the forces acting on the aircraft and how it responds to your control inputs. You can then fly with less reliance on instruments. This is commonly known as "seat of the pants" flying.
The engine was supplied to me by the factory with this exhaust system installed. It is a proven design used in similar aircraft here in Australia. I am no expert on this but my understanding is that having pipes of sufficient length will prevent valve damage (stops shock cooling of valves at shutdown) and that angling the pipes back 90 degrees allows passing airflow to help scavenge (remove) exhaust gases from the cylinder head. Backpressure is apparently not a requirement on 4 strokes.
Yes. Like any light aircraft it the engine fails it is important to immediately push the stick/yoke forward and get the nose down to a position that will give best glide speed. The aircraft will now be in a fully controllable descent. The glide ratio of the Tyro is 7.5/1 meaning it will glide forward 7.5 feet for every foot of altitude lost. While it will glide perfectly well, it will not glide a very long distance so it is wise to keep clear landing areas within reach.
Good point and you are correct about the lens! The advantage of using the wide angle lens is that I can fit the whole aircraft in the viewing frame but the disadvantage is that the image is somewhat distorted. The wing span is in fact 30 feet which is quite long for an aircraft of this size, but in the ground shots the camera makes the span look a lot shorter. It's a low speed high lift wing. Cruise speed is 50 knots.
Yes this is a kit approved for home building in Australia. Not available in other countries as far as I know. Most Tyros fly with Rotax engines, however I chose the VW because although heavier than a Rotax it is extremely reliable, runs very smoothly and has a much longer service life than 2-stroke engines.
Hi Gleison, I have a reconditioned HS6 fitted with a TD needle. This model was popular in English cars of the 1970's. You can still purchase brand new ones today. I use only 20W-50 damper oil. Lighter damper oils cause engine hesitation on application of power, uneven mixture to cylinders and minor engine vibration. Fuel is 91 octane unleaded petrol (gasoline) with added upper cylinder lubricant. When correctly set up the SU works well with the VW 1600. Robert.
@Robert Shaw that's true, I didn't think of that. One option you could look into is to buy one of these cheap "car key" cameras off eBay. They can be as cheap as $10 but there are several models up to $70+ for a wide angle view of 120 degrees. They are very small and light, and are often used by RC enthusiasts. Would be small enough to tape anywhere, just as some additional complementary footage in tandem with the gopro. I believe they also go by the name "808 camera".
First thing to point out is that the Tyro has no brakes. It will roll to a stop pretty quickly on a grass strip due to the relatively high rolling resistance of grass. However the sealed (asphalt) runway you refer to is very smooth and it is actually difficult to slow down for the only exit at the 2000 ft mark! Kingaroy is an uncontrolled airport (no tower) and I could exit the runway onto the grass at any point if safe to do so (no conflict with other traffic). Robert.
No brakes, no flaps. The aircraft is mainly operated on grass strips and pulls up pretty quickly on grass once power is reduced to idle. Stall speed is 30 knots so flaps are not required for landing.
Hi Phil, I normally fly lower circuits but on the day of the video flight I chose 1000 ft due to the turbulent conditions and the fact that there was no other traffic in the area. In any case low performance aircraft are defined as max speed 55 knots and my Tyro can easily exceed that. Good luck with getting your Tyro back in the air. They are a superb little aircraft!
Yes, I could simply climb en route but for the first flight of the day I like to circle and climb while keeping the airfield within gliding distance until I am satisfied that all aircraft systems are functioning correctly. Makes for a safe return to the airfield if something is not right. Regarding the engine location, all aircraft have blind spots and you just have to manoeuvre the aircraft from time to time to clear those bits of the sky. Overall visibility is excellent.
Current price (2013) for components kit with VW engine and prop is AUD$21,000. Does not include instruments and fabric coatings. Aircraft then has to be home built based on supplied construction manual and plans. Only available in Australia.
Fantastic flight. Actually it's the first ever footage of a VW powered Tyro I've seen. We have the first Airframe ever converted to VW power (tyro). We bought it mid 90's after it had been flown into a fence and written off (relatively speaking). It's about halfway restored.
Could not tell you exactly but probably somewhere between medium (30 degrees) and steep (45 degrees). The Tyro is very manoeuvrable and is capable of doing fairly tight turns at low speeds. Stall speed straight and level is 30 knots but this increases during these tight turns so it's wise to add a bit of power when doing them.
The starter also requires a heavy battery to operate it. The aircraft has only one small electrical load, the engine ignition. This is provided by a small lightweight rechargeable battery which can operate 7 hours on a single charge. There are no moving parts (no magneto, no alternator) Radio and GPS have their own internal power supply. The prop is direct drive to the crankshaft and airflow during a glide (50 knots) is more than enough to rotate the prop for a restart attempt if required.
Be careful to not fly too close to the sun.. You don't want to end up like Icarus. ;) This is so cool, wow. And to think you built it yourself and everything. Greetings from the Netherlands.
There is some minor engine vibration transmitted to the airframe at high revs but I suspect that any camera shake is mostly caused by aerodynamic forces. The camera and mount are attached to the top of the wing strut just under the wing lower surface where they are exposed directly to the oncoming airflow. This airflow will vary with changes to pitch, roll, yaw and power settings so I am surprised how stable the camera actually is. I cannot find any fatigue cracks in the airframe.
I would like to experiment with other camera locations/angles but would be a bit reluctant to mount a camera just in front of the rudder. It may interfere with the airflow over the rudder which is a critical control surface.
Maximum speed straight and level is 65 knots. Stall speed is 30 knots. Flies beautifully at 45 knots with throttle lever set at about 60% (2200 rpm) for economy cruise.
Congratulations,for such good job.My respect to you who dare thinking and dare realising.Wish you will always successful with your new plans in trhe future.
robert god blass you allll time man ========================= 1- i realy enjoye to see you flying 2- be care ful man 3- thank you iam your brother from saudia arabia
I like your video, beautiful airplane, I have flown vw for over 100 hours. Have you considered sticking on the big bore 1700cc pistons and cylinders, I had a 1600 and was amazed at how much difference it made.. if your not familiar it's a drop in replacement, no modification to the case or the head.
Robert, The back wall of the machine appears to be flat. Have you thought about putting slightly curved doors on with an inside shelf and external lock to use as a small parcel hold or a boot of sorts? I couldn't see any way for you to carry anything that you not happy strapped onto your legs! It wouldn't be very big or heavy but I imagine it would be super useful. Oh, thanks heaps for the video. It was well done and just enough narration to cover the flight perfectly. Hopefully you may get a few more to post! John Duxbury.
John Duxbury Hi John. As you can see the Tyro has no storage space at all. However since the video was made I have installed 2 lightweight vinyl saddlebags on the inside of the fibreglass pod. These are suitable for storing small items. I also use an aluminium kneeboard strapped to my left leg to hold maps. I don't need to carry much for the type of flying I do.
Thank you for your reply. I really like the idea of ultralight planes. I think it would be a fantastic hobby as well as a way of gettimg around. Good to hear about the saddlebags, at least you get a small storage space. Keep enjoying your flights, be safe and fly straight!
Why can't you Kenneth its not really any harder than working on cars or trucks go to EAA.org lock at chapter list find one near you and talk to the people that is how I got start and also spending 9 years working on helicopters in the military.
No, that would be flying to the point of fuel exhaustion (no fuel remaining). All pilots plan to arrive at their destination with fuel in reserve in case they need to hold above the airfield or divert to another airfield due to weather or some other unforseen circumstances.I always plan to arrive at my destination with at least 10 litres (one hour flying time) of fuel on board. Also, thanks for your positive comments about the flight and landing! Rob.
Hi, Great feedback on the video. Thanks for that. And yes you are right, the best way to destroy a good flying video is to pollute the sound track with music. My daughter wanted music on it. I said no way!!! Rob.
Amazing, crazy, genial, fun, dangerous, I have mix feeling watching this video. I would love to own one of these ...but again I'm not sure if I could put my life in risk just for the heck of it. But I respect and admire the guy who created it and built it, big time.
Hi Yan, Thanks for your comment. Great to hear from you. Viewers may be interested to know that Yan is an experienced aircraft designer, jet fighters not ultralights! I had the very great pleasure of meeting Yan during her recent visit to Nanango. What a truly amazing person.
Two 20 litre tanks, one in each wing. Fuel burn is 10 litres per hour giving endurance of 4 hours. Fuel is 91 octane unleaded petrol (gasoline) with upper cylinder lubricant added.
Hi Arun, The Tyro was designed by an Australian named Geoff Eastwood. Geoff designed it to be simple, reliable, low cost, low maintenance, rugged (can operate from unprepared strips), very manoeuvrable and responsive with excellent handling characteristics. Geoff also developed a VW engine conversion and propeller to suit the aircraft. I think your comment describes it perfectly. Robert.
The Tyro is a class of ultralight that is governed by the Australian Civil Aviation Order 95.10. This covers home built single seat aircraft with a maximum take of weight of 300 kilograms and a maximum wing loading of 30 kilograms per square metre. A Recreational licence issued by Recreational Aviation Australia is required to operate this aircraft in Australian airspace.
The Tyro is only available in kit form. All parts are supplied by the Australian manufacturer including prop and 50 hp engine. Airframe is all aluminium assembled with bolts and rivets. No welding, no wood. Kits are only available in Australia. You cannot get one in the Netherlands! Aircraft is stored in a hanger at my local airfield. Licence is required in Australia. Current (2012) cost of kit is AUD $21,000 not including fabric coatings and instruments. Garmin GPS, Icom radio available online.
I am surprised to see you say this because I chose the VW for it's high level of reliability, long service life and smooth running compared to my other option of Rotax 2-stroke. With VW engines certain modifications can cause crankshaft damage and overheating. Incorrect installation can also cause overheating. Mine is a stock standard 1600 with no cowling. High drag but excellent cooling due to unrestricted airflow. No issues, very reliable, runs beautifully.
Yeah the design caught my eye too. Trying to get one of their kits shipped here to the States is just out of the question... So you take photos and reverse engineer it... I'm working with the basic design and designing a two seat aircraft.
You have owned it for 18 years and are still restoring it? That's amazing. Mine is serial number 125. Kit purchased in 2000. First flew 2004. One major reason for choosing the Tyro was the availability of the VW engine as an option. I don't like 2-strokes. The VW runs very smoothly, is extremely reliable and has a long service life. I see that there are only 10 Tyros currently on the Australian register. I wonder what happened to the many that were built. Good luck with the restoration. Rob.
A big thankyou to the half a million viewers who have watched my flying video as at today's date (11 October 2016). And a special thanks to all those who took the time to leave a comment. Robert.
Robert, I am fascinated by ultralights and microlights, etc. Cannot get enough of them on UA-cam. Trouble is, I am scared to death of heights!! So tell me, are all of these pilots, including your good self, not scared of heights, do you think, which makes me a wimp, I guess? I so want to get the courage to try a flight with an instructor.
The strange thing is I can feel a little uneasy standing near the edge of the top of a very tall building and yet I feel completely comfortable flying an open cockpit ultralight. For some reason looking at the ground from an aircraft is different to looking down from a high ground based location. Definitely take a flight with an instructor. It's the only way to find out how you will feel. Good luck!
Robert Shaw Thank you for your reply Robert, makes sense I guess, because when flying in a Boeing, for example,I feel no sense of fear with regard to the height, in fact I enjoy it!! I shall make some flight enquiries in the Spring. P.S. I think your Tyro is a superb machine!
briotone :) it's all a matter of perspective. after a while you get used to the distance from your nose to the nose of the plane, wingtips and tail, and that sets a feeling of a "safe perimeter" in your head. Even after 10 years of paragliding, if i bend myself in a strange upside-down position, it hits me - "what the hell am I doing this high" :)) and I can instantly picture the acceleration downwards, if I were to fall out of the harness.... (what btw never happened to anyone).
It was always my hope that by mounting the camera out on the wing and framing the image just right, the viewer would get the impression that they were coming along for the ride, so your comment is much appreciated. Thanks!
Great video. I'm very familiar with VW 1600 engines. Both single and dual port. I'm curious as to what is needed to convert them for aircraft suitability?
This VW engine was designed specifically for the Tyro and was supplied to me with the airframe kit. As far as I know it is pretty much a stock standard 1600 rebuilt with new cylinders, pistons, heads, valves and a reground crankshaft. Aluminum air scoops are fitted over the cylinders to improve cooling. Cooling is so efficient that the oil cooler is not needed and is not fitted. The original carburetor is replaced with an SU type. The exhaust system is one short pipe for each cylinder with no muffler fitted and at full throttle it is LOUD.
@@robertshaw8590 Wow. No oil cooler. Thats kinda risky I would think. I can see not having a cooling fan since the prop blows air around the heads and cylinders. But the only oil that gets cooled is what goes through the rocker arm assembly, and thats not much at all. Anyhow, thanx. I like that and was considering paragliding. But then I saw these type. Game changer.
I'm from Argentina and I liked both its aircraft despite having to translate messages by messages all your answers, I was satisfied because I have already evacuated all my curiosity. Thank you very much for your time and interesting all that contributed. VIDEO EXELENTE. CONGRATULATIONS.
Nice to see an ultralight being flown instead of low level around the pattern. The suspension is genius and the flying great. Thanks
I like how it had subtitles to help describe how to land and take off properly
Ahh this plane. I could remember when my dad would take me to the airfield so I could watch him fly. he used an abandoned one by the way. i remember him flying over the house on other occasions. i wish i had my own. i always begged him to take me with him but it only seated one so that sucked. love the video. probably the best and only i've seen on youtube. cheer mate
Nice, love the way that old Vee dub sounds.
I think you may be referring to the slight camera shake noticeable in some scenes. This is caused by the location of the camera and the aerodynamic forces acting upon it. The propeller is balanced and tracks correctly (both tips pass through the same point in space when the prop is rotated by hand on the ground.) There are no vibration issues with this prop. As for the noise being a little high, the engine noise at takeoff power is deafening. Those 4 exhaust pipes are not muffled in any way.
This is a superb aircraft design. The converted VW engine is a very reliable aircraft power unit. Have played your video-tape many times. Will pay real money if I could get my hands on some real construction plans. Somebody in Australia needs to talk the original designer into selling some plans up here in the U.S.A. There is a major market up here just waiting to be filled with a great design like this ! Thanks for your great in flight videotape. It really gives us fellow aviators a taste of flight in the "Tyro !" A really great airplane.
I am very interested in a set of plans myself. Please let me know if you find a source. A very flexible design. Here in northern calif. @ henry gonzalez, p.o. box 142, ione, ca. 95640/ henry.fiddlefardm@gmail.com Anyone else interested? Thank you all. Ciao
Soy de Argentina y me ha gustado tanto su aeronave que a pesar de tener que traducir mensajes por mensajes todas sus respuestas, he quedado satisfecho por que ya he evacuado toda mi curiosidad. Muchas gracias por su tiempo y muy interesante todo lo que aportó. EXELENTE VIDEO. FELICITACIONES.
I'm from Argentina and I liked both its aircraft despite having to translate messages by messages all your answers, I was satisfied because I have already evacuated all my curiosity. Thank you very much for your time and interesting all that contributed. VIDEO EXELENTE. CONGRATULATIONS.
What a fantastic film! My son&I just really enjoyed watching this. Cheers for posting&enjoy flying that great aircraft.
Hey Robert. Thanks for taking the time to make and share your very enjoyable video. Cheers, Pablo.
Thanks for your comment Pablo. Glad you enjoyed the video.
For recreational flying you cannot beat gliding, for the pure enjoyment of flying.
Yes I did and yes you have. There are not many 16-min videos in UA-cam that I have watched whole. I easily get bored and click something else or jump ahead. But this one was like being there and who would want to stop that ? :o) Good job, take care. Dimitris
Man that is so cool. An airplane at its simplest. That thing is just a stick with wings and a seat bolted to it! I can't imagine what a strong wind would do to you in that. Looks like such a fun experience though.
A Tyro should only be flown in light winds!
Hi Rob, met your son Pauly last night at a christmas party and when I mentioned I grew up and am going back to Nanango on the weekend he was shocked and told me about this video... very nice work and great to see Nanango airport getting some use! Sure beats driving to Kingaroy and back :D
Paul was telling me recently that he met you at a Christmas party. He was surprised to hear that you posted a comment on my UA-cam flying video. Nice to hear from someone who grew up in Nanango!
As you correctly point out, the aircraft is highly manoeuvrable and very responsive to control inputs, especially in pitch. Beautiful to fly! The Tyro has two 20 litre fuel tanks mounted inside the root of each wing. The fuel caps are positioned on top of each wing.
Beautiful aircraft coupled with superb piloting. Well done!
+Edward Newbold Very nice comment. Thankyou Edward!
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Wawooo Mr Robert thanks a Lot and a lot it's was my dream job and you make it easy for me from the very two years am just searching people on facebook and become friend with them to find the sam job you are doing i wanna say more and more thanks to you Robert
Greetings from India. I felt i fly in the air. I read all the comments and your replies. You are so cool to reply all. My long dream is build a ultralight aircraft and love to see the world from sky like you. Your video is so informative and induce me to make a similar aircraft in future. Expecting more videos from you. Hats off you to your performance.
Nice flight, nice landings too. I'd reather be flying than behind the desk as i am now.
Nice looking simple design. Surprised you don't see more of this kind of ultralight. It looks almost to simple. :-) -keith
Great aircraft, great scenery; a good clip, not ruined with howling noise some people think is luverly music!
Good question Essene. If the Tyro is held off until it is at minimum flying speed for a 3 point landing, the aircraft can become difficult to control. Wheeling it on (main wheel only touchdown) at a higher speed provides much better control during flare, touchdown and rollout, making it a safer landing technique. Once the tail wheel is down, speed washes off quickly especially on a grass runway.
Greetings from Greece. Great flying video, I watched it all and felt as if I was there myself. Australia looks beautiful. Have good times flying over it. Dimitris
Hey that's neat. Never seen a front engine design one. That way the motors even louder and you can catch some partial exhaust and watch the propeller flit in your eyes as you stare out the front.
Ithad Beenso
Et tu, Brute.
The exhausts vent into the low pressure area above the wings.
It certainly is and that's a good way of describing it. When you strap into the 4 point harness it kind of feels like the aircraft becomes and extension of your body. Related to this is the ability to fly these minimum aircraft mostly by feel, meaning your whole body becomes finely tuned to the forces acting on the aircraft and how it responds to your control inputs. You can then fly with less reliance on instruments. This is commonly known as "seat of the pants" flying.
The engine was supplied to me by the factory with this exhaust system installed. It is a proven design used in similar aircraft here in Australia. I am no expert on this but my understanding is that having pipes of sufficient length will prevent valve damage (stops shock cooling of valves at shutdown) and that angling the pipes back 90 degrees allows passing airflow to help scavenge (remove) exhaust gases from the cylinder head. Backpressure is apparently not a requirement on 4 strokes.
Yes. Like any light aircraft it the engine fails it is important to immediately push the stick/yoke forward and get the nose down to a position that will give best glide speed. The aircraft will now be in a fully controllable descent. The glide ratio of the Tyro is 7.5/1 meaning it will glide forward 7.5 feet for every foot of altitude lost. While it will glide perfectly well, it will not glide a very long distance so it is wise to keep clear landing areas within reach.
Must be alot of fun ! great riding, but i am scared while i am watching =D
Good video and article - loved the landing with the shadow......
Good point and you are correct about the lens! The advantage of using the wide angle lens is that I can fit the whole aircraft in the viewing frame but the disadvantage is that the image is somewhat distorted. The wing span is in fact 30 feet which is quite long for an aircraft of this size, but in the ground shots the camera makes the span look a lot shorter. It's a low speed high lift wing. Cruise speed is 50 knots.
Cool, informative, and very enjoyable video. It is very good quality. Thanks so much for sharing.
Great video and brilliant camera angle.
Happy landings.
Regards,
Wayne.
U.K. Microlight pilot.
Great film, thanks for sharing. A nice simple little craft, brilliant. Cheers
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.
Nice ship, camera angle, flight. Thanks.
Thanks Rob for the info on the mounts.
Yes this is a kit approved for home building in Australia. Not available in other countries as far as I know. Most Tyros fly with Rotax engines, however I chose the VW because although heavier than a Rotax it is extremely reliable, runs very smoothly and has a much longer service life than 2-stroke engines.
First seen this plane on the "Discovery Wings" channels....about 15 or more years ago.....
Hi Gleison,
I have a reconditioned HS6 fitted with a TD needle. This model was popular in English cars of the 1970's. You can still purchase brand new ones today. I use only 20W-50 damper oil. Lighter damper oils cause engine hesitation on application of power, uneven mixture to cylinders and minor engine vibration. Fuel is 91 octane unleaded petrol (gasoline) with added upper cylinder lubricant. When correctly set up the SU works well with the VW 1600.
Robert.
@Robert Shaw that's true, I didn't think of that. One option you could look into is to buy one of these cheap "car key" cameras off eBay. They can be as cheap as $10 but there are several models up to $70+ for a wide angle view of 120 degrees. They are very small and light, and are often used by RC enthusiasts. Would be small enough to tape anywhere, just as some additional complementary footage in tandem with the gopro. I believe they also go by the name "808 camera".
First thing to point out is that the Tyro has no brakes. It will roll to a stop pretty quickly on a grass strip due to the relatively high rolling resistance of grass. However the sealed (asphalt) runway you refer to is very smooth and it is actually difficult to slow down for the only exit at the 2000 ft mark! Kingaroy is an uncontrolled airport (no tower) and I could exit the runway onto the grass at any point if safe to do so (no conflict with other traffic).
Robert.
I want one so bad...that looks like a lot of fun.
thats looks so fun, does that gelopy have wheel brakes or flaps?
No brakes, no flaps. The aircraft is mainly operated on grass strips and pulls up pretty quickly on grass once power is reduced to idle. Stall speed is 30 knots so flaps are not required for landing.
superb flight Love the Aircraft built define my freind .
Hi Phil,
I normally fly lower circuits but on the day of the video flight I chose 1000 ft due to the turbulent conditions and the fact that there was no other traffic in the area. In any case low performance aircraft are defined as max speed 55 knots and my Tyro can easily exceed that.
Good luck with getting your Tyro back in the air. They are a superb little aircraft!
Fantastic first landing :) Great footage. Very enjoyable.
Good job. Beautiful aircraft!
Yes, I could simply climb en route but for the first flight of the day I like to circle and climb while keeping the airfield within gliding distance until I am satisfied that all aircraft systems are functioning correctly. Makes for a safe return to the airfield if something is not right. Regarding the engine location, all aircraft have blind spots and you just have to manoeuvre the aircraft from time to time to clear those bits of the sky. Overall visibility is excellent.
nice, im looking at some ultralights and came across one of these on gumtree, they look good and im considering buying one
Current price (2013) for components kit with VW engine and prop is AUD$21,000. Does not include instruments and fabric coatings. Aircraft then has to be home built based on supplied construction manual and plans. Only available in Australia.
Fantastic flight. Actually it's the first ever footage of a VW powered Tyro I've seen. We have the first Airframe ever converted to VW power (tyro). We bought it mid 90's after it had been flown into a fence and written off (relatively speaking). It's about halfway restored.
Nice job....
Loved every second of it👍👍👌
Could not tell you exactly but probably somewhere between medium (30 degrees) and steep (45 degrees). The Tyro is very manoeuvrable and is capable of doing fairly tight turns at low speeds. Stall speed straight and level is 30 knots but this increases during these tight turns so it's wise to add a bit of power when doing them.
The starter also requires a heavy battery to operate it. The aircraft has only one small electrical load, the engine ignition. This is provided by a small lightweight rechargeable battery which can operate 7 hours on a single charge. There are no moving parts (no magneto, no alternator) Radio and GPS have their own internal power supply. The prop is direct drive to the crankshaft and airflow during a glide (50 knots) is more than enough to rotate the prop for a restart attempt if required.
Be careful to not fly too close to the sun.. You don't want to end up like Icarus. ;)
This is so cool, wow. And to think you built it yourself and everything.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
There is some minor engine vibration transmitted to the airframe at high revs but I suspect that any camera shake is mostly caused by aerodynamic forces. The camera and mount are attached to the top of the wing strut just under the wing lower surface where they are exposed directly to the oncoming airflow. This airflow will vary with changes to pitch, roll, yaw and power settings so I am surprised how stable the camera actually is. I cannot find any fatigue cracks in the airframe.
PS: Would love to see a future video with a GoPro strapped just in front of the rudder, facing forward. Although this angle is also really nice.
I would like to experiment with other camera locations/angles but would be a bit reluctant to mount a camera just in front of the rudder. It may interfere with the airflow over the rudder which is a critical control surface.
Maximum speed straight and level is 65 knots. Stall speed is 30 knots. Flies beautifully at 45 knots with throttle lever set at about 60% (2200 rpm) for economy cruise.
I must say that landing gear looks tough. I have a Kolb Firefly and the gear will bend easily. Keep on flying!
Great flight, you must be proud! Gefeliciteerd uit Nederland................
Congratulations,for such good job.My respect to you who dare thinking and dare realising.Wish you will always successful with your new plans in trhe future.
Nice video. The little plane seems to be a ball to fly.
robert god blass you allll time man
=========================
1- i realy enjoye to see you flying
2- be care ful man
3- thank you
iam your brother from saudia arabia
Very nice! Enjoyed the video very much. Thanks
Fantastic fun! Love to have one of these in the UK.
I like your video, beautiful airplane, I have flown vw for over 100 hours. Have you considered sticking on the big bore 1700cc pistons and cylinders, I had a 1600 and was amazed at how much difference it made.. if your not familiar it's a drop in replacement, no modification to the case or the head.
Robert,
The back wall of the machine appears to be flat. Have you thought about putting slightly curved doors on with an inside shelf and external lock to use as a small parcel hold or a boot of sorts?
I couldn't see any way for you to carry anything that you not happy strapped onto your legs!
It wouldn't be very big or heavy but I imagine it would be super useful.
Oh, thanks heaps for the video. It was well done and just enough narration to cover the flight perfectly. Hopefully you may get a few more to post!
John Duxbury.
John Duxbury Hi John. As you can see the Tyro has no storage space at all. However since the video was made I have installed 2 lightweight vinyl saddlebags on the inside of the fibreglass pod. These are suitable for storing small items. I also use an aluminium kneeboard strapped to my left leg to hold maps. I don't need to carry much for the type of flying I do.
Thank you for your reply. I really like the idea of ultralight planes. I think it would be a fantastic hobby as well as a way of gettimg around.
Good to hear about the saddlebags, at least you get a small storage space. Keep enjoying your flights, be safe and fly straight!
Amazing...I love it. Well done. I wish I could learn how to make planes.
Why can't you Kenneth its not really any harder than working on cars or trucks go to EAA.org lock at chapter list find one near you and talk to the people that is how I got start and also spending 9 years working on helicopters in the military.
You are one lucky guy, thanks for sharing.
No, that would be flying to the point of fuel exhaustion (no fuel remaining). All pilots plan to arrive at their destination with fuel in reserve in case they need to hold above the airfield or divert to another airfield due to weather or some other unforseen circumstances.I always plan to arrive at my destination with at least 10 litres (one hour flying time) of fuel on board.
Also, thanks for your positive comments about the flight and landing!
Rob.
Must be great to able to that
What a great sense of freedom Enjoy
Gteat vid many thanks
Amazing. Simply amazing. I am speechless
Hi,
Great feedback on the video. Thanks for that. And yes you are right, the best way to destroy a good flying video is to pollute the sound track with music. My daughter wanted music on it. I said no way!!!
Rob.
Amazing, crazy, genial, fun, dangerous, I have mix feeling watching this video. I would love to own one of these ...but again I'm not sure if I could put my life in risk just for the heck of it. But I respect and admire the guy who created it and built it, big time.
Hi Yan,
Thanks for your comment. Great to hear from you.
Viewers may be interested to know that Yan is an experienced aircraft designer, jet fighters not ultralights! I had the very great pleasure of meeting Yan during her recent visit to Nanango. What a truly amazing person.
Two 20 litre tanks, one in each wing. Fuel burn is 10 litres per hour giving endurance of 4 hours. Fuel is 91 octane unleaded petrol (gasoline) with upper cylinder lubricant added.
Hi Arun,
The Tyro was designed by an Australian named Geoff Eastwood. Geoff designed it to be simple, reliable, low cost, low maintenance, rugged (can operate from unprepared strips), very manoeuvrable and responsive with excellent handling characteristics. Geoff also developed a VW engine conversion and propeller to suit the aircraft. I think your comment describes it perfectly.
Robert.
Nice little plane! Good vid!
Thanks for the "ride". Nice.
Awesome light aircraft. 😁😁😁
Wow it went above the clouds 👍👍
The Tyro is a class of ultralight that is governed by the Australian Civil Aviation Order 95.10. This covers home built single seat aircraft with a maximum take of weight of 300 kilograms and a maximum wing loading of 30 kilograms per square metre. A Recreational licence issued by Recreational Aviation Australia is required to operate this aircraft in Australian airspace.
it looks safety, i want one! congrats...
The Tyro is only available in kit form. All parts are supplied by the Australian manufacturer including prop and 50 hp engine. Airframe is all aluminium assembled with bolts and rivets. No welding, no wood. Kits are only available in Australia. You cannot get one in the Netherlands! Aircraft is stored in a hanger at my local airfield. Licence is required in Australia. Current (2012) cost of kit is AUD $21,000 not including fabric coatings and instruments. Garmin GPS, Icom radio available online.
Nice plane, my dad used to have one. I reckon I might get one if I ever start flying
Молодец ! При посадке торможение какое ????🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵
I am surprised to see you say this because I chose the VW for it's high level of reliability, long service life and smooth running compared to my other option of Rotax 2-stroke. With VW engines certain modifications can cause crankshaft damage and overheating. Incorrect installation can also cause overheating. Mine is a stock standard 1600 with no cowling. High drag but excellent cooling due to unrestricted airflow. No issues, very reliable, runs beautifully.
Such a neat design. Personally, I've never seen anything like it.
Yeah the design caught my eye too. Trying to get one of their kits shipped here to the States is just out of the question... So you take photos and reverse engineer it... I'm working with the basic design and designing a two seat aircraft.
Beautiful thanks for sharing
You have owned it for 18 years and are still restoring it? That's amazing. Mine is serial number 125. Kit purchased in 2000. First flew 2004. One major reason for choosing the Tyro was the availability of the VW engine as an option. I don't like 2-strokes. The VW runs very smoothly, is extremely reliable and has a long service life. I see that there are only 10 Tyros currently on the Australian register. I wonder what happened to the many that were built. Good luck with the restoration.
Rob.
beautiful flight and very simple aircraft design. i really wish the plans were available in the U.S.A. is there any chance they will be someday?
A big thankyou to the half a million viewers who have watched my flying video as at today's date (11 October 2016). And a special thanks to all those who took the time to leave a comment. Robert.
Robert Shaw
Pabitra Ale n
Glad you posted. What is the main fuselage made from including the tail boom. I like the design
Robert Shaw where can i but one.. im in the UK?... I NEED IT FOR THE SUMMER TIME ASAP..
you guys need ultralight legislation....no licence....
great video and thanks for the flight !!
Robert, I am fascinated by ultralights and microlights, etc. Cannot get enough of them on UA-cam. Trouble is, I am scared to death of heights!!
So tell me, are all of these pilots, including your good self, not scared of heights, do you think, which makes me a wimp, I guess?
I so want to get the courage to try a flight with an instructor.
The strange thing is I can feel a little uneasy standing near the edge of the top of a very tall building and yet I feel completely comfortable flying an open cockpit ultralight. For some reason looking at the ground from an aircraft is different to looking down from a high ground based location. Definitely take a flight with an instructor. It's the only way to find out how you will feel. Good luck!
Robert Shaw Thank you for your reply Robert, makes sense I guess, because when flying in a Boeing, for example,I feel no sense of fear with regard to the height, in fact I enjoy it!! I shall make some flight enquiries in the Spring.
P.S. I think your Tyro is a superb machine!
briotone
:) it's all a matter of perspective. after a while you get used to the distance from your nose to the nose of the plane, wingtips and tail, and that sets a feeling of a "safe perimeter" in your head. Even after 10 years of paragliding, if i bend myself in a strange upside-down position, it hits me - "what the hell am I doing this high" :)) and I can instantly picture the acceleration downwards, if I were to fall out of the harness.... (what btw never happened to anyone).
... nice riding with you, mate ...
It was always my hope that by mounting the camera out on the wing and framing the image just right, the viewer would get the impression that they were coming along for the ride, so your comment is much appreciated. Thanks!
Sweet machine mate !
Very nice design are there plans does it meet CAO 95.10 ?? ??
Great video.
I'm very familiar with VW 1600 engines. Both single and dual port. I'm curious as to what is needed to convert them for aircraft suitability?
This VW engine was designed specifically for the Tyro and was supplied to me with the airframe kit. As far as I know it is pretty much a stock standard 1600 rebuilt with new cylinders, pistons, heads, valves and a reground crankshaft. Aluminum air scoops are fitted over the cylinders to improve cooling. Cooling is so efficient that the oil cooler is not needed and is not fitted. The original carburetor is replaced with an SU type. The exhaust system is one short pipe for each cylinder with no muffler fitted and at full throttle it is LOUD.
@@robertshaw8590
Wow. No oil cooler. Thats kinda risky I would think.
I can see not having a cooling fan since the prop blows air around the heads and cylinders. But the only oil that gets cooled is what goes through the rocker arm assembly, and thats not much at all.
Anyhow, thanx. I like that and was considering paragliding. But then I saw these type. Game changer.