DESIGN: Electrotor-Simplex ~ Gimbal

• Apparently the vertical separation of the hinges, combined with gravity, creates moments that attempt to center the cyclic stick.
• Mechanical Flight-controls: This vertical separation should perhaps remain.
• Alternatively: What if the pitch and the roll hinges were to be located in the same horizontal plane?
  Then, what if both pair of hinges had springs on both sides and these springs applied cyclic-stick (and teetering stand) centering moments comparable to the moments that were provided by the previous vertical hinge separation?
• It appears that the above will now provide the gyrocopter with a degree of controllability (rotor - fuselage coupling) during all modes of flight; now including situations where the rotor is lightly loaded.
• This spring method will be more mechanically complex and less mechanically reliable than the gravity method.
• Electrical Flight-controls:
• If the control position is held by constant electrical power to it's actuator then probable this vertical separation should remain. Electrical failure should result in the rotor tipping to its home position. However springs would do the same thing.
• In addition, if electrical actuators are very strong the spring no longer have to be week so as to accommodate the pilot.
• If the control position is held mechanically between changes (such as a worm and screw with a ratio more than 10:1) then it will probably not make any difference if the pitch and roll hinges are in the same plane.
• In fact, the use of electrical actuators probably eliminates the need for springs or vertical separation. Maybe not so. If the electrical device is being used to hold position then the spring will be required to center the control if the motor fails and this sound like a safer idea than a 'locked' position upon failure.
• See A143.html for additional information on controls for the Electrotor-Simplex.

• I suspect that the powering of the rotor will reduce the Induced drag, but not the Profile drag, and this may allow for the longitudinal spacing between the transverse (pitch) axis and the mast's centerline to be reduced somewhat.

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