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The Museum will be closed March 21 to 24, 2023
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Ingenium Canada Aviation and Space Museum

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Bensen B8MG Gyrocopter

Hours and Location

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to Monday
Address
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON
Admission
Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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Bensen B8MG Gyrocopter

Bensen B8MG Gyrocopter

Highlights:

  • An American recreational, single-seater autogyro designed by Bensen Aircraft Corporation and produced by Bensen and amateur builders from 1955 to 1987
  • An autogyro, cousin of the helicopter kept aloft by a rotor which rotated freely
  • Autogyros were associated with the 1930s but regained popularity during the 1970s as part of the home-built aircraft movement
  • Thousands of sets of autogyro plans were sold to amateur builders
  • Autogyros required specialized pilot training
  • Dr. Igor Bensen also designed an unpowered autogyro, called a "gyroglider"
  • First flight was in 1974

Image Gallery:

Engine

History:

The gyroplane is a rotary-wing aircraft usually associated with the 1930s. Its free-wheeling rotor is spun by the action of the air on its airfoils when the aircraft is in motion; propulsion is provided by a conventional propeller. The rotation of the rotor needs to be initiated on the ground when the aircraft has no forward motion.

Gyroplanes were originally designed and built for the commercial market as aircraft capable of very short takeoffs and landings. The machines pioneered by Juan de la Cierva in Spain and the Pitcairn and Kellett companies in the United States resulted from their research into rotary wings and their efforts to develop a true helicopter. However, unlike helicopters, gyroplanes cannot hover, take off vertically or fly backwards or sideways.

Current Location:

Reserve Hangar, Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Provenance:

Donation

Alexander Dutkewych built this Gyrocopter in Toronto, Ontario in 1974, using a kit produced by Bensen Aircraft Corporation in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Gyrocopter exceeded the Transport Canada's engineering and inspection standards.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dutkewych flew the aircraft in the greater Toronto area, accumulating over 150 hours of flight time. He modified the aircraft in a number of ways, including adding a muffler. Over the years, the Gyrocopter was flown and displayed at numerous air shows, garnering a great deal of attention.

Dutkewych donated the B8MG to the Museum in 2002. It shares a set of interchangeable aluminum rotors with the Museum's Bensen B8 Gyroglider, which was also built by Dutkewych.

Technical Information:

Rotor diameter 14.9 m (49 ft)
Length 3.4 m (11 ft 3 in)
Height 2 m (6 ft 9 in)
Width 1.7 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight, Empty 112 kg (247 lb)
Weight, Gross 227 kg (500 lb)
Cruising Speed 96 km/h (60 mph)
Max Speed 137 km/h (85 mph)
Rate of Climb 305 m (1,000 ft) /min
Service Ceiling 3,800 m (12,500 ft)
Range 160 km (100 mi)
Power Plant one McCulloch 4318E, two-cycle, 4-cylinder, 72 hp piston engine

Gyrocopter plan

AVIATION
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Artifact No.
2002.0370
Manufacturer
Kit from Bensen Aircraft Corporation
Manufacturer Location
United States
Manufacture Date
1974
Acquisition Date
2002
Registration Number
C-GPJE
  • View all the collection highlights at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
  • View other collection highlights related to Aviation

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About Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Located on a former military air base just five kilometers from the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum focuses on aviation in Canada within an international context – from its beginnings in 1909 to today.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway
Ottawa ON K1K 2X5
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
    • Admission
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Flights and Simulations
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
    • Birthday Parties
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • The Legacy Series
    • Let's Talk Energy