Gyrocopters

Although drones are a good substitute for piloted aircraft in hazardous weather conditions, it's obviously still best for their users if the things don't crash. The Czech-designed ThunderFly TF-G1 autogyro drone was created with that fact in mind.

Although gyroplanes were once bare-bones open-cockpit contraptions, we're seeing an increasing number of more deluxe, fully enclosed models. The Argon GTL 915 iS is one of the latest – and certainly one of the sharpest-looking – to hit the market.

Gyrodynes have been around for a long time, but the electric aviation revolution might finally give them their day in the sun. Fast, efficient, well-understood and vastly safer than multirotor eVTOLs, they may have a head start in the air taxi race.

Flying car developer PAL-V is aiming to make good on its promise to be first to market. Following successful test flights and efforts to meet European and US road and aviation standards, the company has announced that its taking reservations for its dual-engined Liberty three-wheel gyrocopter.

With a history that stretches back more than 60 years, EAA AirVenture now attracts over half a million aircraft enthusiasts, along with some 10,000 planes, helicopters and experimental aircraft of all eras. Gizmag joined the multitudes on the shores of Lake Winnebago for EAA AirVenture 2014.

The gyrocopter is to the helicopter what the microlight is to small aircraft and the newest addition to the genre arrived at Aero Friedrichshafen this week, in the form of a side-by-side, fully-enclosed, composite EUR65,000 Cavalon.

What happens if you cross a gyrocopter with a car and a motorbike?