Takes The Gold At SWRFI In Rotorcraft Competition

By ANN Senior Editor Pete Combs

David Keck remembers BJ Schramm. After spending about 600 hours building his HeliCycle in Georgetown (TX), Keck got a week-long visit and a complete familiarization course from the designer himself.

After his very first flight in the HeliCycle T62T-32, Keck says he landed and shouted to Schramm, "Thanks for a great helicopter BJ!"

Schramm was killed last month in a HeliCycle accident April 27th near Horseshoe Bend (ID). But Keck says the aircraft he built from plans and parts supplied by Schramm's company helped him win the title of 2004 Grand Champion-Rotorcraft at the EAA's Southwest Regional Fly-In in New Braunfels (TX) last weekend.

His single-place turbine HeliCycle was judged the most well built rotorcraft at the competition. On top of that, Keck says he set an all-time record for long-distance flight in a HeliCycle by flying it from his home to the Fly-In at New Braunfels: 75 miles each way.

"It's a blast!" Keck said when asked how the flight was. "My indicated airspeed the entire trip was 100 mph. I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be after flying that distance in a small helicopter."

Keck says he was invited to the Fly-In because his HeliCycle was built from an EAA Centennial Kit -- built during the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight.

"I was constantly surrounded by people at the fly in," he said in an interview with Aero-News Net. "When I landed and stopped the rotor I was immediately surrounded by people smiling and asking questions, I barely had a chance to stretch from the flight. Several people mentioned how cool it sounded as I was making my approach and landing."

So, how does it fly?

Fast.

"It's real similar to an R-22," Keck said, "but more nimble. It's not as touchy either. It has a rather narrow CG -- it's sensitive when you shift your body in flight. But it wants to go fast."

Keck's HeliCycle has a 160 hp engine de-rated to 105 hp. "I'm still amazed at the amount of power it has," he said.

Keck exercises his aircraft, N571DK, about three times a week. "The only maintenance I've done so far is the scheduled five-hour squirt of grease in the rotor head and the tail rotor hubs." Since completing the HeliCycle in March, Keck says he's put 47 hours on the engine and airframe.

Like the rest of us involved in sport aviation, Keck was saddened at the loss of BJ Schramm. "A lot of us builders from all over the US went to BJ's funeral," he said, his voice taking on a somber tone. "There were about 26 of us. We met with the head of the HeliCycle factory."

Keck says, during that meeting, the builders were told that HeliCycle will continue taking orders and delivering aircraft kits. In the end, it might be the most honorific legacy a man like Schramm could ask for.

FMI: www.helicycle.net