AutoGyro GmbH - MTO-Sport and Calidus 09 impressions

[Gyronaut]

My personal experience of the AutoGyro Gmbh MT range has been limited to the MT03 on which I have given approximately 40 hours of instruction. I recently had the opportunity, at Theuns Eloff’s (AutoGyro Gmbh’s Africa owner) invitation, to undergo Instructors conversions on both the MTO-Sport and the Calidus 09 at Kitty Hawk aero estate, East of Pretoria, Gauteng.

I am, as some of you may know, a Gyronaut first and foremost, and shy away from comparing manufacturer-types with each other. The purpose of this post therefore is to give you my unbiased opinion of these two machines without comparison to other machines in an effort to create a better understanding and knowledge all around.

After a thorough briefing, preflight and systems inspection with Dicky Hagerman at Kitty Hawk I hopped into the familiar feeling back seat of the MTO-Sport. As I understand it, the major difference between the MTO-Sport and the MTO3 is the Centre of Gravity which has been moved slightly aft on the MTO-Sport, making the nose a little lighter and the performance a little better. Something I have always appreciated is the optional Training Kit that is available on MT's which puts Mag-kill switches, Airspeed indicator, Altimeter and trim controls at the back. Makes an instructors life a lot more comfortable. I have always liked the forward lifting back seat which allows easy inspection of the mast/keel joins and the control rods. The rudder pedals are large and very comfortable to place your feet firmly on, both in the front and the back. I was pleasantly reminded yet again at how light and responsive the MT range is and the ease with which it pre-rotates and the surplus power that is available, thanks to the light weight. The pneumatic rotor-brake/trim/pre-rotator combination works very well and locks the stick firmly forward when the dash selector is set to brake. Pre-rotation is simple - all you do is switch the dashboard selector switch from brake to flight, press the pre-rotator button on the cyclic and the pneumatics do the rest. The light rotor spins up effortlessly and quickly. Before you know it you have over 200 RPM, stick back and ready to go. Very little rudder input is required to counteract thrust-yaw on the take-off roll and the nose pops up a little quicker than anticipated. The machine actually seems eager to go fly with you. Positive climb rate is impressive and the smoothness of the machine makes the flight relaxed and really pleasant. Even at altitude the turbo is not required for a normal circuit and it needs some coaching to get the sink rate required on final approach. Being used to heavier machines I found myself landing a little deeper than I had anticipated. The landing is docile, smooth and the machine holds no surprises when you close the throttle after the round-out. My overall impression of the MTO-Sport from both the back seat and the front seat is excellent and I am really impressed with the quality of finish and fine attention to detail that these machines exhibit as standard.

The smooth ‘sexy’ lines of the fully enclosed Calidus make it a really beautiful machine. Everything I have come to appreciate from the MT03 and the MTO-Sport in their engineering is present in the Calidus, and more. Cockpit layout and controls are the same as the MT03 and MTO-Sport and familiar. The enclosed engine cowls make a thorough inspection of the engine and controls a little more difficult but the inspection hatches are easy to open and with some effort you can actually see everything that is required for a thorough pre-flight. Climbing in and out of the machine at the back is a little tricky because of the relatively high sides. The rear rudder pedals conveniently fold down and out of the way when not in use. The passenger’s legs go either side of the front seat that has been cut-out to make more room on either side. On a long trip the passenger may get a little uncomfortable sitting spread-legged like that but the huge space from side-to-side compensates. There is ample space under your legs for luggage bags and MT makes custom bags that fit there and on either side of the back seat which also act as arm rests. Very nice touch I thought. With the enclosed cowls, the machine reaches operating temperature very quickly. The cockpit roof latch is robust and easily reachable from both the front and the back seats and the hinges are strong. There are ample vents on either side for pilot and passenger comfort although it is easy and safe to taxi with the door slightly ajar (especially if the passenger/instructor puts his foot in it, holding it up, from the back). Theuns’ Calidus has Bose headsets with very good ANR so the ride is silent. The absence of wind lashing at you, as in the open machines, will ensure a really comfortable flight. The machine really is an ideal long distance cruiser thanks to its standard 80ltr tanks and they have flown in excess of 1 200km’s non-stop with long range tanks fitted in the back seat. I especially like the fact that the fuel tanks are behind the fire-wall, outside the cabin and are fully enclosed in padded fire-proof foil reducing the risk of after-impact fire.

As is the nature of all the enclosed machines I have flown, it requires a little more rudder control on the take-off roll but once in the air it flies true as an arrow. What makes the Calidus a little easier to fly than some is that the tail empennage is slightly offset to counter thrust-yaw effect reducing pilot work-load. Clever move I thought. The cross-windage effect on the enclosed cockpit is non-existent and I even managed to maintain a 200ft climb flying at full cross-controls in a side-slip! The speed of this machine is impressive. Even at low power settings she is quick and eager to climb! In straight and level flight (at 5000 RPM at 6000’) she easily flies 100 mph. The trim is quick and responsive and the machine even has roll-trim which allows for comfortable hands-off straight flight. The unrestricted view from the cockpit makes landing a piece of cake since it is easy to judge your height above the runway on the round-out and greaser-landings in a Calidus should be standard. Just like the MT03 and MTO-Sport the rotor slows down quickly after flight, the rotor brake is effective and the stick remains light until it is fully stopped. There is a quick release rotor brake button on these machines which allows you to centre the rotor fore and aft easily but a little bit of pedal-swing makes it just as easy to centre the rotor without using this button.

I would be most proud to have either the MTO-Sport or the Calidus 09 (or both) in my toy box! Superbly engineered quality machines with exceptional handling and performance all round.

I can’t wait for the Cavalon side-by-side. Judging by the quality and handling of its forerunners from MT, this is going to be a winner! I understand it is expected here towards the end of this year and I for one will be watching closely for its launch.

For the record, I was not asked to write this and I paid for the conversions. Thanks to Dicky for his professional approach and thorough work. Nice to see professional instructors in the Gyro world.

Len

[weedy]

Nice report Len, I to think the Cavelon is going to be popular, now to win the lottery!

[mak]

My personal experience ... at Kitty Hawk aero estate, East of Pretoria, Gauteng.

Jou Bliksem . You come and visit in our back yard without letting us know. Hope to repay the favour in the near future . Now that is gyro camaraderie
Anyway, nice report Len, thanks

[LenM]

Thanks for your views...

I'll trust anyone with the name 'Len'!

[Gyronaut]

Jou Bliksem .

Sorrie Mak, dit was so vinnig, spur-of-the-moment besoek aan Kitty Hawk met conversions op die agenda.
Ek het eintlik my M16 vir die skool kom haal maar hy kort nog bietjie TLC voor hy kan terugkom Kaap toe. Ek sal volgende keer langer in Gauteng kom kuier wanneer ek hom kom haal, ek belowe.