Hi ... my name is Randy (aka "Bassman"). Below are my two fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft on the left is a 1993 Kolb Firestar KXP which I have been flying since 2001. The photo on the right is my 1983 Corben Baby Ace which was reconditioned in 2000. Click below to enlarge either photo.
I currently have a 1993 RAF kit which has yet to be completed. Here are two photos of the uncompleted aircraft. The airframe is about 60% completed. Overall, I would estimate that the aircraft is perhaps 25% completed. I plan to either complete it soon ... or sell it.
I bought an Air Command gyro back in 1988. Here's a photo of me fueling it back in 1989. Yes, the seat is also the gas tank ... the proverbial "hot seat". I later changed to a 3-bladed Warp Drive prop. It was a great flying little aircraft! I took it to Texas, Ohio, and Florida (several times) in my trailer.
Faster than a speeding pullet ... able to leap tall trees with a little power ... it's GYROMAN!! Nope, it's just me in my Air Command gyroplane.
Seriously though, can you imagine the view you get flying down the middle of a river waving to the fishermen below ... or flying over a marsh full of white birds and lily pads with the sun reflecting off the water ... or flying down a beach full of sunbathers out beyond the breaking surf ... or flying over a forest of colorful trees with deer running through them in the fall .. or flying above a train speeding down the railroad? When the engineer saw me flying overhead, he hit the horn and just about blew me out of the sky! Well, I've done all those things ... and more. It's about as close to being a bird as you can get!
These photos of my two gyros (Bensen and an Air Command) were taken at a Bensen Days flying event held at Okeechobee back in 1989 ... with a somewhat younger me. My 25' Aerotec trailer (in the background) housed both gyros nicely. I used the trailer for camping too ... it was fun.
This was my first gyro ... which I built back in 1972-73 as a fairly stock Bensen B8M with a McCulloch (Mac) 90hp engine. I flew it from 1973 until about 1978 ... when I started working in earnest on my fixed wing pilot license. I still have it too. That old Mac was loud, but she would sure make that little gyro perform! I later modified it with Brock seat tank and wheels (as shown here). I had many hours of flying enjoyment with this one and won a 3 foot high trophy for "Best Workmanship" back in the mid-1970's. Once did a 100 mile cross country on (in?) it ... although unintentionally (long story behind that one).
And here's the Bensen flying ... with me at the controls. These photos were taken at Lancaster County, SC airport ... where I learned to fly and did most of my flying back in the 1970s. This was back before powered training was available. The rudimentary training I had was in a dual seat glider pulled behind a car on a tow rope, much like a water skier. When I went to power, I was basically on my own ... not a real great (nor safe) way to learn. But that was the only way you had to learn back then. Now, there are two-place gyros with instructors ... much better ... and which I highly recommend.
I must have gone up and down that runway a 500+ times before flying off over the trees. My first steps were balancing the nosewheel, then short hops, then flights all the way down the runway, then turns, then off the end of the runway, making a big loop ... and finally, around the pattern. Talk about exhilaration the first time I flew it off the end of the runway and over that big hickory tree. Whew! If you look closely, you will notice that I have just broken ground in the top photo and a few minutes later was in the wild blue yonder. That big Mac made it climb like a home-sick angel ... when it was running. Some had lots of trouble with the Mac, but I must admit that mine never let me down ... mostly because I kept it in tip-top shape.