Heaven and Helicycle

Buford John Schramm was a remarkable man. His contributions to aviation—rotarywing aviation in particular—are myriad and of a significance commensurate with Schramm’s having been inducted into the EAA Homebuilder’s Hall of Fame—despite the fact he wasn’t an EAA member at the time of tragic, 2006 death.

In addition to founding kithelicopter manufacturer RotorWay, and operating a nonferrous metal foundry that supplies materials to Bell, Hughes, Sikorsky, and Motorola, Mr. Schramm is remembered for developing the Helicycle—a rotorcraft widely esteemed among helicopter enthusiasts and counted among the preeminent homebuilt helicopter designs.

The Helicycle’s essence and the culture of the company that produces it—Helicycle Ventures—are concisely framed in the following mission statement: "Design and produce a newgeneration rotarywing aircraft which will provide more utility at less cost than any previous helicopter. Our goal, in essence, is to create a singleplace quality equivalent of the Robinson R22 for 1/5 the price. Good hardware is not enough. We are totally committed to do everything in our power to guarantee the success and safety of our builders and pilots, we will provide complete customer service from video and personal instruction right through to onsite checkout and flighttesting." –B.J. Schramm

The Helicycle itself is a sleek, 850pound [Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW)] conventional helicopter powered by a single, eminently reliable Solar T62 turbineengine. The aircraft cruises at a respectable 95milesperhour and manages an impressive 900footperminute climb rate to its 11,000foot service ceiling. In its normal configuration, the Helicycle is designed to duplicate the performance and flightcharacteristics of the industrystandard R22. The machine’s 7.5/1 power to weight ratio—identical to that of the Hughes 500—facilitates a 9,500foot IGE (In Ground Effect) hover, and takeoffs and landings at pressure altitudes greater than 9,000feet.

Helicycle Ventures owner Keith Southard reports that even working at fullcapacity, his company is hardpressed to keep up with demand for its product. Currently Helicycle kit production is booked out sixmonths in advance.

The basic Helicycle kit retails for $67,000. The price includes the engine, but Helicycle buyers ought budget another tenthousanddollars for flightinstruments, avionics, paint, upholstery, and ancillary bits and bobs—so states Mr. Southard. To the subject of total outlay, Southard advises Helicycle builders: “You’d have to work really hard to get to eighty [thousand dollars].

The Helicycle’s economy and excellent engineering are further evinced in the relatively expedient 450hours in which firsttime builders can expect to complete their aircraft—and that once assembled and certified airworthy by a Helicycle Ventures checkpilot, the aircraft’s permile operating costs are demonstrably lower than those of a fullsized pickup truck.


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