Since it wasn't side by side that did it, was it the way the canopy seemed to hinge forward and nearly off? Was it the dual-boom empennage?
No, it was something much simpler.
Jindrich and Ondrej could see what the other side-by-side gyro producers were doing and they clearly set out to further those design efforts. The earlier designs simply don't have all the innovative ideas that Nisus does.
I realize that a substantial majority of my readers prefer fixed wing aircraft so I keep a rather close focus on conventional three-axis flying machines. However, I like trikes and gyroplanes, too, and they deserve regular coverage for those enthusiasts.
Nisus uses a primary structure welded from chrome molybdenum steel tubes (25crmo4 NBK), reducing weight while ensuring a rigid form and enhanced safety. The inside of the cabin is fully layered with a carbon Kevlar hybrid for occupant safety.
The empennage is a rare (though not unique) gyroplane design with double rudders to improve low-speed maneuvering at low speed, such as during landings.
✔️ Simple but necessary. How do you tie down a gyroplane. Not by its "wings." Instead, Nisus provides tie downs on all three wheels.
✔️ Nisus' engine cowl unlatches in three places on each side. Pilots must remove the cowling to check the oil. Why the added step? This careful pair of designers wanted to be sure pilots examine the whole engine before flight, not merely check the oil quantity. The engine cowl is secured by latches, not screws; they have guide pins to help seat each latch properly. It only takes a few minutes. Nonetheless, Rich said they have asked about hinging the cowl panels to make this inspection easier. Their goal was good but removing the cowl seems burdensome.
✔️ Nisus uses an integrated throttle, wheel-brake lever, and prerotator handle grouped for one-hand operation. Rich said that Nisus prerotator spins up the rotor quickly (15-20 seconds) and you can go full power as this happens. With a simple hand gesture, you can relax the wheel brake and release the prerotator without removing your hand from the throttle. This makes great sense in an important phase of flight.
✔️ A glove box aft of the throttle quadrant has inside it a zippered lining that when unzipped gives access the control cables and more for inspection… another minor but clever way to check your bird before flight.
All week at Sun and Fun 2023 my eye kept drifting to a rather distinctive gyroplane. We’ve seen side-by-side before (AutoGyro, Magni, and Rotorvox, the latter being closet to Nisus). I liked those for the same reason as most pilots. Generally, we enjoy sitting next to our cabin mate although some prefer the “dual solo” configuration of fore-and-aft tandem seating. Since it wasn’t side by side that did it, was it the way the canopy seemed to hinge forward and nearly off? Was it the dual-boom empennage? No, it was something much simpler. Several years ago, Cadillac redesigned their line of luxury cars with what I’d call a “faceted” look, that is, body panels composed of straight or flat surfaces with angular lines (something like the “facets” that help a cut diamond catch the light). I had car-geek friends that simply hated Cadillac’s look.