In the fourth accident since its first flight in 1998, the prototype CarterCopter gyroplane was damaged during an aborted take-off on 25 March.
The short-field take-off was aborted when the aircraft was 5ft (1.5m) off the ground at 52kt (96km/h). According to Carter-Copters, the abort technique used caused the rotor to exceed its flapping limits and strike the ground, slicing the tips off both vertical tails in the process. Rotor and propeller also touched, causing minor damage to both. The company hopes to resume flight tests in late April.
The all-composite prototype has been repaired on three previous occasions.
Source: Flight International
