Simple Model De La Cierva Autogyro

In this tutorial I will guide you through making a very simple flying autogyro model. This one is modelled on a Juan De La Cierva (who invented the autogyro) "Autogiro" from the 20s or 30s. This model can be dropped or thrown from a height or used the same way as a kite or my other gyro instructable. Here is the link:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Autogyro-Kite-Hafner-Rotabuggy/

Firstly, the materials & tools needed are:

Scissors
A pin
4 beads
Lightweight foam (usually from some sort of packaging)
Tape
A 60 degree set square or protractor
Something to use as ballast. I used prestik but you could use anything. taping a small coin to the nose will work fine.

Optional:
String
Wire
2 beads or wheels

Now, From that sheet of thin packaging foam, cut the main parts out. Before you can do this, you should draw them first for accuracy and scale.
Start with the rotors - Basically 3 long rectangles, it is very important that each one is exactly the same or the rotorhead will be unbalanced.
Next will be the fuselage and rotor pylon. Draw to the scale shown with the fuselage about the same length as 1 rotor blade.
Then cut out the tail and the slot it should fit in. Also cut out 2 small circles and an equilateral triangle with each side the same length as the width of a rotor blade. Put a little bit of tape on either side of the 2 circles to reduce friction.
Bend the ends of the tailplane up as shown in pic 5.

Tape the 3 blades to the triangle as shown and poke a hole through the centre of the triangle.

Bend each blade slightly along the dotted lines shown in the second picture.

Also poke holes through the 2 circles and make sure all these parts can rotate freely around the pin.

Tape the rotor pylon to the top of the fuselage as shown.

Put 2 beads onto the pin, then one of the 2 circles. Then the rotor base (triangle), other circle and 2 more beads follow.

Now that you've completed the rotorhead you can attatch it to the rotor pylon. This is done by simply poking the pin into the pylon. Don't push it in too far or the blades won't be able to turn easily. To finish it off, add some ballast to the nose.

To make your gyro more complete and allow it to be used like a kite aswell, you could add wheels which add to stability and a length of string to the nose.

For the undercarriage bend a small thin piece of wire to the shape shown. The wire I used was about 1mm thick and about 12 cm in length. After it has been bent into the shape shown in the first 3 pics slide the 2 beads or wheels into the outward-bent section of the wire and make sure the bead can't be moved up the wire. Then bend the end of the wire up to hold the wheel/bead on.

To fly it like a kite, just tape a length of string to the nose and hold onto the other end. Happy flying!