Eagle Helicycle

12/31/2009. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "In the early-1970s Buford John Schramm founded Rotorway, Inc. to market his Scorpion and Scorpion Too light helicopter designs. These designs further evolved into the Rotorway Exec and Elite.

Schramm left Rotorway many years ago and designed the single-seat Helicycle, a prototype was flown in 1995, initially as a pure helicopter and powered by a 65 hp Rotax 618 engine. In 1996 or 1997 the prototype was modified to the so-called compound configuration after it had received two 10 hp McCulloch engines on stub wings after the cabin and driving pusher type propellers. Reportedly the prototype also underwent trials with a 45 hp Zenoah G-50 (with pusher type propeller) on the port wing.

The compound mode was later dropped and in 2002 prototype aircraft was modified to receive an 80 hp Rotax 912. However, shortly afterwards a de-rated 105 hp Titan T62 turbine engine was fitted and this engine also became available for the kits, which was available from Eagle Research & Development Corporation, although Helicycle aircraft were also built with piston engines.

The first kit build Helicycle (with T62 turbine engine) was completed and flown in 2002 by Douglas Schwochert in the USA and several dozens of aircraft followed including examples in South Africa and New Zealand. Sadly the designer Buford John Schramm was killed in a crash with a Helicycle in April 2004."