Showers Skytwister Choppy

The Showers Skytwister Choppy is an American helicopter that was produced by Showers-Aero of Milton, Pennsylvania, introduced in 1992. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied in the form of CAD plans for amateur construction.[1][2]

Skytwister Choppy
Role Helicopter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Showers-Aero
First flight 1992
Status Plans no longer available (2015)
Number built 12 (1998)
Unit cost
US$95 (2009)

Design and development

The Skytwister is an modernized and updated version of the Adams-Wilson Hobbycopter, also called the "Choppy", as redesigned by Ben Showers.[1][2]

The Skytwister was designed to comply with the US Experimental - Amateur-built aircraft rules. It features a single main rotor, a two-bladed tail rotor, a single-seat open cockpit with a windshield and skid-type landing gear. The standard engine used is a twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 powerplant with a 2.58:1 reduction drive, which replaces the original Choppy's motorcycle engine.[1]

The aircraft fuselage is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing. Its two-bladed Fleck 2706 aluminium alloy main rotor is made as an extrusion and has a 21.50 ft (6.6 m) diameter. The tail rotor has a diameter of 36 in (91.4 cm). The aircraft has an empty weight of 320 lb (145 kg) and a gross weight of 670 lb (304 kg), giving a useful load of 350 lb (159 kg). With full fuel of 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) the payload for pilot and baggage is 320 lb (145 kg).[1]

The designer estimated the construction time from the supplied plans as 300 hours.[1]

Operational history

By 1998 the company reported that 200 sets of plans had been sold and 12 aircraft were completed and flying.[1]

By April 2015 no examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration, although a total of one had been registered at one time.[3]

Specifications (Skytwister)

Data from Purdy and All-Aero[1][2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)
  • Width: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
  • Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
  • Empty weight: 320 lb (145 kg)
  • Gross weight: 670 lb (304 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine with a 2.58:1 reduction drive, 65 hp (48 kW)
  • Main rotor diameter: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
  • Main rotor area: 363 sq ft (33.7 m2)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 85 mph (137 km/h, 74 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
  • Disk loading: 1.8 lb/sq ft (8.8 kg/m2)

See also

References
  1. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 331. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  2. AllAero (2015). "Ben Showers Aero Skytwister". Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  3. Federal Aviation Administration (5 April 2015). "Make / Model Inquiry Results". Retrieved 5 April 2015.
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