The kit consists of:

• Composite tall tail assembly with an integral Non-symmetrical horizontal stabilizer. 
• Drop keel cluster plate assembly with hardware. 
• Welded steel tube landing gear with suspension. 
• PSRU mounting plate to allow inverting the PSRU thereby creating Center-Line Thrust.
• The kit also includes the Anti-Servo Tab which aids in static and dynamic yaw stability by aerodynamically returning the rudder to center when deflected.

www.americanautogyro.com/index.html

Contact Larry at: lboyerstep@aol.com

Recently, one of my students returned for some additional flight training.
After having spent several hours training with three different instructors in
RAF machines, mine included, he became very frustrated with his lack of
progress and had decided to postpone more training. Upon his return I
learned he had added a horizontal stabilizer to his RAF. This gave me an
opportunity to make my own evaluation of this controversial equipment.
Within four hours training, this student who had such prior difficulty with
unstable pitching was making good, consistent take off and landings. This
was accomplished in 10-15 mph wind, some cross wind. .

The following is my evaluation of the horizontal stabilizers affect in various
maneuvers:

I. Take off and landings with flights over the runway in and out of
ground effect at 50 to 75 mph. Very stable, no up or down pitch
tendency. Any uncontrolled vertical movement was noted to be flat,
no pitching.
2. Vertical descents and turns with low and high power settings at
various airspeeds were flat and stable with no pitching.
3. At 400 feet reduce power to zero thrust, maintain 60 mph descending
through 180 degree turn, flare to land. The rate of descent felt normal,
very solid throughout the maneuver. One significant difference was in
the flare. With out the horizontal stabilizer, the procedure I teach is a
two stage flare with the initial flare for transition from a descent to
a horizontal flight path over the runway in ground effect. As the
airspeed bleeds off the final flare is performed. Of course each time
you move the cyclic the nose does its up and down pitching . With
the horizontal stabilizer, the landing can be accomplished with one
flare and is much easier for the student to master.

During my evaluation flight I did not encounter any negative effects of the
horizontal stabilizer, even in steep climbs and steep turns. I first flew the
RAF with the stabilizer, then flew my RAF without a stabilizer, paying
particular attention to the nose up and down motion. While it's natural for
an experienced pilot to adjust to this motion, you can't expect this from the
student.

With so much experience, it's very easy for instructors to instinctively
compensate with minor adjustments that are beyond a students level of skill.  Using a horizontal stabilizer will enable students to achieve good,
safe, flying skills with less frustration and fewer hours of training. I see no
reason for it to take 25 hours of training to fly a gyroplane. Over the last
twenty five years, I've trained several hundred students in fewer hours using Benson style gyros with no enclosures. Instability in the rotor craft has a direct impact on the students confidence that he or she will be able to
successfully learn to fly the gyroplane.

Ron Menzie
CFI Designated Pilot Examiner

PreRotator Pulley Tensioner

Some people have problem with the pre rotator belt running off. This is due to the longer belt of the RAFs with the fuel injection manifold. The belt is approaching the length that requires a tensioner.

Use the tensioner belt from the cam belts off the EJ series engine.

Don't use the automatic part of the system just the idler pulley with the eccentric hole. Turn a spacer from 1" alloy rod to go between the RAF backing plate and the idler pulley. The 1" is turned down at one end to fit through the offset hole in the idler pulley. It is left a few thou short so that when the 7/16" bolt is tightened it stop the eccentric section from rotating so therefore keeps the belt tight on the non driving side.

                               

    With new suspension and additional width, 6 ft total

1.   Lift off stability, especially during a roll (cross-wind) both wheels maintain contact as the aircraft lifts allowing better roll and yaw control . Shows the same increased stability for cross-wind take off and landings.

With standard rigid gear 5 ft. wide

2.  At start of lift off with a cross -wind, without enough cyclic control, the aircraft will skip across pavement causing flat spots on the tires and more importantly for the student decreases the level of confidence in his or her ability to control the aircraft.