Heaven and Helicycle

Buford John Schramm was a remarkable man. His contributions to aviation—rotary-wing aviation in particular—are myriad and of a significance commensurate with Schramm’s having been inducted into the EAA Homebuilder’s Hall of Fame—despite the fact he wasn’t an EAA member at the time of tragic, 2006 death.

In addition to founding kit-helicopter manufacturer RotorWay, and operating a non-ferrous metal foundry that supplies materials to Bell, Hughes, Sikorsky, and Motorola, Mr. Schramm is remembered for developing the Helicycle—a rotorcraft widely esteemed among helicopter enthusiasts and counted among the preeminent home-built helicopter designs.

The Helicycle’s essence and the culture of the company that produces it—Helicycle Ventures—are concisely framed in the following mission statement: "Design and produce a new-generation rotary-wing aircraft which will provide more utility at less cost than any previous helicopter. Our goal, in essence, is to create a single-place quality equivalent of the Robinson R-22 for 1/5 the price. Good hardware is not enough. We are totally committed to do everything in our power to guarantee the success and safety of our builders and pilots, we will provide complete customer service from video and personal instruction right through to on-site check-out and flight-testing." –B.J. Schramm

The Helicycle itself is a sleek, 850-pound [Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW)] conventional helicopter powered by a single, eminently reliable Solar T62 turbine-engine. The aircraft cruises at a respectable 95-miles-per-hour and manages an impressive 900-foot-per-minute climb rate to its 11,000-foot service ceiling. In its normal configuration, the Helicycle is designed to duplicate the performance and flight-characteristics of the industry-standard R-22. The machine’s 7.5/1 power to weight ratio—identical to that of the Hughes 500—facilitates a 9,500-foot IGE (In Ground Effect) hover, and takeoffs and landings at pressure altitudes greater than 9,000-feet.

Helicycle Ventures owner Keith Southard reports that even working at full-capacity, his company is hard-pressed to keep up with demand for its product. Currently Helicycle kit production is booked out six-months in advance.

The basic Helicycle kit retails for $67,000. The price includes the engine, but Helicycle buyers ought budget another ten-thousand-dollars for flight-instruments, avionics, paint, upholstery, and ancillary bits and bobs—so states Mr. Southard. To the subject of total outlay, Southard advises Helicycle builders: “You’d have to work really hard to get to eighty [thousand dollars].

The Helicycle’s economy and excellent engineering are further evinced in the relatively expedient 450-hours in which first-time builders can expect to complete their aircraft—and that once assembled and certified airworthy by a Helicycle Ventures check-pilot, the aircraft’s per-mile operating costs are demonstrably lower than those of a full-sized pickup truck.

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