Homebuilt and Sport Helicopters of New Zealand - Eagle R & D Helicycles

The next type of sport helicopter to be registered in New Zealand was the Eagle Research & Development Helicycle, the first of which appeared here in November 2004.

The Helicycle was designed by B J Schramm the founder of Rotorway and after much development the first example with a turbine engine flew in September 1997.  It was the first experimental single seat turbine powered helicopter to become available on the market and it used the Solar T62-32 engine that was and still is readily available.  Schramm conceived the Helicycle to be as affordable as a SUV and to be the motorcycle of the sky.  It comes as a kitset and is currently manufactured by Helicycle Ventures LLC of Mesilla in New Mexico.

The specifications of the Helicycle are:  length 18 feet 6 inches (5.63 metres), rotor diameter 21 feet (6.4 metres).  The empty weight is around 500 pounds (227 Kg) and MAUW in New Zealand is 850 Pounds (385 Kg).  With the 150 HP Solar T62-32 engine the cruise speed is around 95 mph (83 knots).

We have had three Helicycles registered in New Zealand to date, as follows:

ZK-HJU3 (c/n 2-17) was built by Alan R Cameron of Drury and it was registered to him on 29/11/04.  It is photo'd above at a flyin at Pikes Point on 29/10/05.  I remember that after it had taken off the grass below its exhaust was burnt!

It flew impressively.  It was damaged in a heavy landing near the Bombay Hills on 9/12/06.  I don't know if it was repaired but it was exported and its registration cancelled on 13/7/07 to become ZU-RBG.

Our second Helicycle was ZK-IBN (c/n 3-17) which was built by Chris D Green of Taupo and it was registered to him on 27/4/06.  It was sold to Bradley J Yorke of Wyndham on 18/10/09 and then to Mark A Van Der Linden of Wairoa Gorge near nelson on 4/8/10.  It was advertised for sale on Trade Me where I got the photo from, and it was eventually sold abroad.  It was cancelled from the New Zealand register on 12/1/15.

And our most recent Helicycle is ZK-HRZ2 (c/n 6-15) which was built by John Hood of Washdyke and registered to him on 24/11/20.  John says that it is really nice to fly.  

It it photo'd above recently.  Thanks for the photo John.