Layzell Merlin

The Layzell Merlin is a British autogyro that was designed by Scottish designer Jim Montgomery and produced by Layzell Gyroplanes of Quedgeley, Gloucester. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.[1]

Merlin
Role Autogyro
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Layzell Gyroplanes
Designer Jim Montgomery
Status Production completed (2011)

The type remained in production by Layzell through 2011, although by July 2012 the company website had been removed from the internet.[1][2]

Design and development

The Merlin features a single main rotor, a single-seat open cockpit with a fairing and a windshield, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, single-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine in pusher configuration.[1]

The aircraft fuselage is made from bolted-together square aluminum tubing. Its 7.01 m (23.0 ft) diameter Rotor Flight Dynamics rotor has a chord of 18 cm (7.1 in). The aircraft has an empty weight of 145 kg (320 lb) and a gross weight of 295 kg (650 lb), giving a useful load of 150 kg (331 lb).[1]

After taking over Montgomery's design, company owner Gary Layzell expressed an interest in further developing the Merlin, but initially produced it unchanged.[1]

Operational history

By January 2013, 28 examples had been registered in the United Kingdom with the CAA as Montgomerie-Bensen B8MR.[3]

Specifications (Merlin GTS)

Data from Bayerl[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Empty weight: 145 kg (320 lb)
  • Gross weight: 295 kg (650 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 50 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 48 kW (64 hp)
  • Main rotor diameter: 7.01 m (23 ft 0 in)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed composite

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 4.5 m/s (890 ft/min)


References
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 182. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. Layzell Gyroplanes (n.d.). "Gyro Kits". Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  3. Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom) (5 January 2013). "GINFO Search Results Summary". Retrieved 5 January 2013.
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