٢٠١٨/٢/١٢ Bensen B-8 - Wikipedia

Bensen B-8
The Bensen B-8 is a small, single-seat autogyro developed in
B-8
the United States in the 1950s. Although the original
manufacturer stopped production in 1987, plans for
homebuilders are still available as of 2017. Its design was a
refinement of the Bensen B-7, and like that aircraft, the B-8
was initially built as an unpowered rotor-kite. It first flew in
this form in 1955, and on 6 December a powered version,
designated B-8M (M for motorised) first flew. The design
proved to be extremely popular and long-lasting, with
thousands of sets of plans sold over the next thirty years.

B-8M in Canada Aviation Museum

Contents Role Recreational autogyro

Manufacturer Bensen or homebuilt
Design and development
Variants
Designer Igor Bensen

Aircraft on display First flight 6 December 1955

Specifications (Typical B-8M, standard rotor)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
External links

Design and development

The B-8's design is extremely minimalist, with not much more to the aircraft than a pilot's seat, a single tailfin, a rotor,
and (in powered versions) the powerplant. In May 1968 a B-8 and B-8M were studied by the USAF under the
Discretionary Descent Vehicle (DDV) program as the X-25B and X-25A respectively. In this scheme, it was proposed
to integrate combat aircraft ejection seats with a small autogyro or rotor kite to allow downed pilots more control over
their post-ejection landing spot. The X-25A and X-25B were used to evaluate the piloting and training requirements of
the autogyros. No full-scale operational tests were ever performed. The U.S. Air Force stopped funding the DDV
program with the end of the Vietnam War.[1]

One B-8M, named Spirit of Kitty Hawk (registration N2588B) was used to make a special commemorative flight
exactly duplicating the first flight of the Wright brothers' original Flyer on the sixtieth anniversary of the occasion.
This same aircraft was flown by Igor Bensen himself between May 1967 and June 1968 to set twelve world and US
speed, distance, and altitude records for autogyros, the largest number of such records to be held by any non-military
rotorcraft.

Variants
B-8 Gyro-Glider - unpowered rotor-kite intended to be towed behind a car
B-8B Hydro-Boat - B-8 with a full boat hull intended to be towed behind another boat
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٢٠١٨/٢/١٢ Bensen B-8 - Wikipedia

B-8M Gyro-Copter - standard motorised version, main production

type. Usually powered by a McCulloch 4318 engine

B-8MH Hover-Gyro - twin, coaxial rotor design with powered lower

rotor and autorotating upper rotor, giving it the capability of
hovering. Upper rotor and drive propeller powered by separate
engines
B-8MJ Gyro-Copter - B-8M modified for "jump" take off by a small
second engine providing power to rotor head with anti-torque
provided by rudder correction under power.[2]
B-8MW Hydro Copter - float-equipped B-8M X-25A 68-10770 in flight
X-25A - B-8M evaluated by USAF. Single example (serial 68-
10770) first flown 5 June 1968 and preserved at the National
Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
B-8 Super Bug - similar to B-8M but with extra engine to spin up rotor before take-off

B-8HD Super Gyro-Copter - development of Super Bug first flown in 1979 with hydraulic drive to pre-rotate
rotor rather than separate engine
B-8V - B-8 powered by a Volkswagen air-cooled engine
B-8W Hydro-Glider - float-equipped B-8 intended to be towed behind a boat[3]
X-25B - B-8 evaluated by USAF. Single example (serial 68-10771) first flown 23 January 1968 and preserved at
the AFFTC Museum at Edwards Air Force Base.
Rotorcraft Minicopter Mk 1 - South African variant with pre-rotator and cockpit fairing.[4]
Aeroflyte DGH-1 - 70 hp (52 kW) license-built model from Aeroflyte.[5]

Aircraft on display
US Southwest Soaring Museum[6]
New England Air Museum[7]
North Carolina Museum of History[8]

Specifications (Typical B-8M,

standard rotor)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83 Bensen B-8M Gyrocopter at the
Arkansas Air & Military Museum in
General characteristics
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Crew: 1 (pilot)
Length: 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)
Main rotor diameter: 20 ft 0 in (6.91 m)
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
Main rotor area: 314 ft2 (29.17 m2)
Empty weight: 247 lb (112 kg)
Gross weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch 4318AX flat-four piston engine, 72 hp (54
kW)
Performance
A Bensen B-8M, 1988
Maximum speed: 55 mph (137 km/h)
Range: 100 miles (160 km)
Endurance: 1.5 hours
Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

See also
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Brock KB-2
Wallis WA-116 Agile

Related lists

List of experimental aircraft

References

Notes
1. Jenkins et al. AMERICAN X-VEHICLES, X-25 (https://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf) NASA, June 2003.
Accessed: 18 February 2012.
2. Air Progress: 8. October 1977. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Air Trails: 80. Winter 1971. Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. Air Progress Sport Aircraft: 4. Winter 1969. Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. "EAA Fly-In". Flying Magazine: 37. November 1960.
6. US Southwest Soaring Museum (2010). "Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders" (http://swsoaringmuseum.org/
collection.htm). Retrieved 26 May 2011.
7. Bensen B-8M 'Autogyro'" (http://neam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115)
8. Lewis, Rebecca, (2003) Flight of the Imagination (https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20130607161743/http://www.n
cdcr.gov/Portals/7/Collateral/database/f03.flight.imagination.pdf), North Carolina Museum of History, Office of
Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, retrieved 4 September 2013

Bibliography
Simpson, R. W. (1998). Airlife's Helicopters and Rotorcraft. Ramsbury: Airlife Publishing. pp. 209–10.
Taylor, John W. R. (1982). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-7106-
0748-2.
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 152–53.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. File 890 Sheets 25–26.
FAI records set by Igor Bensen in B-8M (https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163131/http://records.fai.org/rotorc
raft/aircraft.asp?id=75)
Plans for B8 (http://www.gyroplanes.pwbiz.net/plans.htm)
This article incorporates public domain material (http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/policies.html#Guidelines) from websites
or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bensen_B-8&oldid=813196299"

This page was last edited on 2 December 2017, at 10:12.

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