Mon, Jul 30, 2012
The Parent Company Of The Butterfly Gyroplane Has Changed Its Name
By David Juwel
Larry Neal, owner and designer of the Butterfly Aircraft decided that Aerial Surveillance LLC would better describe his products to the world. With 7 different models of gyroplanes from the small ultra light to the massive 300hp Turbo Golden, they are now selling kits worldwide with dealers in several countries. The term “Aerial Surveillance” more closely identifies their product line with their end users, i.e., Law Enforcement, Park Services and Ranchers.
The Aurora is their premium model for aerial surveillance and it doesn’t need an airport. It gives you 5-hours of flight time or 300 miles without refueling. It can accomplish 90 percent of the mission of a helicopter at 10 percent of the cost. As a public use aircraft it can be delivered fully assembled and ready to fly to municipalities or government agencies.
Their smallest model, the Ultralight, can carry a 225 lb person, fits in the back of a pick-up truck, has an electric starter, and a 3.25 hp electric pre-rotator that brings the rotor blades up to 230 RPM before releasing the brakes. They also have a Super Sky Cycle that is half motorcycle and half gyroplane. It is dual registered as a street legal trike, and an experimental gyroplane. It has both a flight engine and a drive engine. The rotor blades fold up for road travel.
If you haven’t flown in a gyroplane yet, it is quite exhilarating because you’re in an open-frame aircraft. If you’re not used to flying without an enclosure, its no problem. Just work your way up in altitude, a hundred feet at a time. As you gain confidence in the aircraft, you’ll very quickly become more and more comfortable at any altitude. They are such a versatile aircraft that some ranchers in Australia use them to herd cattle, much like the cowboys in our old west did. It’s the only aircraft I know of that can turn on a dime and give you nine-cents change…literally.
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