Bensen B-7

B-7
Role	Recreational rotor kite(Gyroglider)/autogyro
National origin	USA
Manufacturer	Bensen Aircraft for homebuilding
Designer	Igor Bensen
First flight	17 June 1955

The Bensen B-7 was a small rotor kite developed by Igor Bensen in the United States in the 1950s and marketed for home building. It was a refined to be a slightly larger version of the B-6, replacing the skids with a tricycle undercarriage, and adding a single large fin to the rear of the aircraft.

The B-7 was first towed aloft on 17 June 1955, and on 6 December that year, Bensen flew a motorized version designated the B-7M, a fully autonomous autogyro. The prototype B-7M crashed three days later with Bensen at the controls. Although the machine was soon repaired and in the air again, the incident set Bensen to work on further refinements to the design that would eventually lead to the B-8.

Variants

The B-7W "Hydroglider" was a gyrocopter designed to be towed from a motorboat at 10-20 mph. The B-7W was tested at Cypress Gardens Florida in 1955. It was marketed to be a sport vehicle, with practical uses in fish or submarine spotting. The floats were modified from a Republic Seabee.^[1]

Specifications B-7M

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m)
• Main rotor diameter: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
• Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
• Main rotor area: 330 ft² (30.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
• Gross weight: 450 lb (205 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Nelson H-59, 42 hp (31 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 85 mph (136 km/h)
• Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bensen aircraft.

• Charnov, Bruce (2003). From Autogiro to Gyroplane: The Amazing Survival of an Aviation Technology. Praeger. p. 226. 
• Bensen Aircraft Foundation
• Bensen Aircraft at Vortechonline.com