Flying (Almost) Straight Up

At the far end of the field, near the woods, the little village of Choppertown hosts an assortment of ultralight and experimental rotorcraft. Attracting attention this year was the Monarch-Butterfly kit gyrocopter, with new “g-force” landing gear. The hydraulic gear offers a wide stance for more stable landings, and high energy-absorption that is “friendly to low-time pilots,” according to the company brochure. Also popular was the ultralight Mosquito one-place helicopter. The little Mosquito, which sells for about $20,000 per kit, is a true helicopter, not a gyro, with a two-cycle, two-cylinder engine, an aluminum main mast, and a carbon-fiber tail boom and support struts. The company says construction of the Mosquito can be completed in 200 hours or less.