Do-it-yourself gyroscope drawings. Encyclopedia of Technologies and Methods

Homemade gyroscope

Gyroscope(from other Greek yupo "circular rotation" and okopew "look") - a rapidly rotating solid body, the basis of the device of the same name, capable of measuring changes in the orientation angles of the body associated with it relative to the inertial coordinate system, usually based on the law of conservation of rotational moment (momentum).

The very name "gyroscope" and the working version of this device were invented in 1852 by the French scientist Jean Foucault.

rotary gyroscope- a rapidly rotating solid body, the axis of rotation of which is capable of changing orientation in space. In this case, the speed of rotation of the gyroscope significantly exceeds the speed of rotation of the axis of its rotation. The main property of such a gyroscope is the ability to maintain the same direction of the axis of rotation in space in the absence of external force moments acting on it.

To make a gyroscope, we need:

1. A piece of laminate;
2. Bottom 2 pcs. from a can;
3. Steel stick;
4. Plasticine;
5. Nuts and/or weights;
6. Two screws;
7. Wire (copper thick);
8. Poxipol (or other hardening glue);
9. Insulating tape;
10. Threads (for launching and something else);
11. As well as a tool: a saw, a screwdriver, a core, etc...

The general idea is clear as shown in the figure:

Getting Started:

1) We take a laminate and cut out an 8-coal frame from it (in the photo it is a 6-coal frame). Next, we drill 4 holes in it: 2 (at the ends) along the front, 2 across (the same at the ends), see photo. Now let's bend the wire into a ring (the diameter of the wire is approximately equal to the diameter of the frame). Let's take 2 screws (bolts) and punch them through the recess at the ends with an awl or core (at worst, you can drill it with a drill).

2) It is necessary to assemble the main part - the rotor. To do this, take 2 bottoms from a tin can and make a hole in them in the center. The hole with a diameter should correspond to the axis-rod (which we will insert there). To make an axis-rod, take a nail or a long bolt and cut it to length, the ends must be sharpened. To make the alignment better, insert the rod into the drill and, as on a machine tool, sharpen it with a file or whetstone from 2 sides. It would be nice to make a groove on it for the plant with a thread. Let's smear plasticine on one of the disks, and stuff nuts and weights into it (whoever has a steel ring, this is even better). Now we connect both disks (like a sandwich) and pierce them through the holes with an axis-rod. We lubricate the whole thing with poxypol (or other glue), insert our rotor into the drill and while the poxypol hardens, we will center the disk (this is the most important part of the work). The balance must be perfect.

3) We collect according to the picture, the free movement of the rotor up and down should be minimal (it is felt, but a little).

Once I watched a conversation between two friends, or rather girlfriends:

A: Oh, you know, I have a new smartphone, it even has a built-in gyroscope

B: Ah, yes, I also downloaded it for myself, put a gyroscope for a month

A: Erm, are you sure it's a gyroscope?

B: Yes, a gyroscope for all signs of the zodiac.

To make such dialogues in the world a little less, we suggest you find out what a gyroscope is and how it works.

Gyroscope: history, definition

A gyroscope is a device that has a free axis of rotation and is capable of responding to changes in the orientation angles of the body on which it is installed. The gyroscope keeps its position unchanged during rotation.

The word itself comes from the Greek gyreuo- rotate and skopeo- watch, watch. The term gyroscope was first introduced Jean Foucault in 1852, but the device was invented earlier. This was done by a German astronomer Johann Bonenberger in 1817.

They are solid bodies rotating at high frequency. The axis of rotation of the gyroscope can change its direction in space. Rotating artillery shells, aircraft propellers, turbine rotors have the properties of a gyroscope.

The simplest example of a gyroscope is spinning top or the well-known children's toy top. A body rotating around a certain axis, which maintains its position in space, if some external forces and moments of these forces do not act on the gyroscope. At the same time, the gyroscope is stable and able to withstand the influence of an external force, which is largely determined by its rotation speed.

For example, if we quickly spin the top and then push it, it will not fall, but will continue to rotate. And when the speed of the top drops to a certain value, precession will begin - a phenomenon when the axis of rotation describes a cone, and the angular momentum of the top changes direction in space.

Types of gyroscopes

There are many types of gyroscopes: two and three-degree(separation by degrees of freedom or possible axes of rotation), mechanical, laser and optical gyroscopes (separation according to the principle of operation).

Consider the most common example - mechanical rotary gyroscope. In essence, this is a spinning top rotating around a vertical axis, which rotates around a horizontal axis and, in turn, is fixed in another frame, which already rotates around a third axis. No matter how we turn the top, it will always be in the vertical position.

Application of gyroscopes

Due to their properties, gyroscopes are widely used. They are used in spacecraft stabilization systems, ship and aircraft navigation systems, mobile devices and game consoles, as well as simulators.

Interested in how such a device can fit in a modern mobile phone and why is it needed there? The fact is that the gyroscope helps to determine the position of the device in space and find out the angle of deviation. Of course, the phone does not have a directly rotating top, the gyroscope is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) containing microelectronic and micromechanical components.

How does it work in practice? Imagine that you are playing your favorite game. For example, racing. To turn the steering wheel of a virtual car, you do not need to press any buttons, you just need to change the position of your gadget in your hands.

As you can see, gyroscopes are amazing devices with useful properties. If you need to solve the problem of calculating the movement of a gyroscope in the field of external forces, contact the student service specialists who will help you cope with it quickly and efficiently!

This homemade product will be interesting, first of all, to small children. Especially if you put it together. In general, making a rotary gyroscope from improvised means is a great way to have fun and usefully spend your free time. Despite the visual complexity of the whole structure, it is very simple to make it, because, in fact, a gyroscope is an ordinary spinning top, only with a “secret”.

However, the very principle of operation of the gyroscope is also quite simple: the flywheel rotates clockwise around its axis, which, in turn, is associated with the ring and rotates in a horizontal plane. This ring is rigidly fixed in another ring rotating around a third axis. That's the whole secret.

Manufacturing process of a rotary mechanical gyroscope

From the plastic pipe we cut off two rings of the same width. You will also need a bearing, which needs to be shed with superglue so that it does not spin. We press a wooden “tablet” into the inner ring, in which a hole must be drilled in the center for a metal rod with pointed ends.

We put a piece of plastic tube on one end of the rod (you can borrow it from a ballpoint pen). In the plastic ring, we drill two holes for the rod and join it with the rotating axis of the bearing using metal tubes of a larger diameter (you can use segments of a telescopic antenna).

Among mechanical gyroscopes stands out rotary gyroscope - rapidly rotating rigid body the axis of rotation of which is capable of changing orientation in space. At the same time, the speed
rotation of the gyroscope significantly exceeds the speed of rotation of its axis
rotation. The main property of such a gyroscope is the ability to maintain
space invariable direction of the axis of rotation in the absence of
the influence of external forces on it.

Be sure to watch this video.
This is a shop gyroscope:

Yes, from the garbage)) we will need-1 piece of laminate (I found a scrap from my grandfather on
balcony), 2. The bottom and the lid of the can (I ate the beans, I got
jar) 3. Steel stick (the most difficult part was found on the street)
4. Plasticine (stole from my sister) 5. Nuts or (and) weights 6. two
a screw, a center punch (a sharp thing at the end, it will come off and an awl, everything is with the grandfather)
6. wire (copper thick, found by my grandfather)) 7. Poxipol (or other hardening
glue, took from my grandfather)) 8. Insulating tape (ibid.)) 9. Threads (for launching and something
also, at my grandmother)) as well as a saw, a screwdriver, etc ...
the general idea is clear here

then we will assemble the main part - the rotor (or somehow differently)) we take the bottom and
neck (they are the same) we make a hole in them (in the center !!) the hole should
be as thick as an iron stick. We cut the iron rod in length, the ends
sharpen. To make the alignment better, insert the rod into the drill and how to
sharpen the machine with a file from 2 sides, you also need to make a groove for
plant with a thread (you can find it in the photo)) on one of the disks we will smear plasticine, and
we stuff nuts and sinkers into it (whoever has a steel ring, finally
gorgeous) then connect both disks (sandwich) and pierce them through the holes
axis. Lubricate the whole thing with poxypol, shove it (case)) into a drill and for now
poxypol is getting cold, we will center the disk (so as not to beat) this is the most important
part of the job. The balance has to be perfect.

Mechanical gyroscopes are different. Of particular interest is the rotary gyroscope. Its essence lies in the fact that a body rotating around its axis is quite stable in space, although it can change the direction of the axis itself. The speed of rotation of the axis is significantly lower than the speed of rotation of the edges of the gyroscope. The rotation of the gyroscope is similar to the movement of the top on the floor. The difference between the spinning top and the gyroscope is that the spinning top is free in space, and the gyroscope rotates at strictly fixed points located in the outer bar, and has protection to continue rotating when it falls.

You will need

• - two lids from cans
• - piece of laminate
• - electrical tape
• - nuts 6 pcs.
• - steel axle or nail
• - plasticine
• - glue
• - 2 bolts
• - thick wire
• - drill, file

Instruction

1. With these parts, we can start assembling the rotor. We punch holes exactly in the center of the lids from cans, preferably with the same nail as the one from which we will make the rotor axis. Next, using plasticine, we fasten the nuts on the lid, you can put more than six, the weight along the edge of the rotor will increase its rotation time.
2. Next, we make an axis. To do this, we fix the electric drill in a vice, tighten the nail without a hat in it and sharpen it with a file. So the sharpening of the axis will be located as close as possible to the center of the axis. It needs to be sharpened on both sides.
3. Without removing the sharpened axis from the drill, we will make a groove for the thread that will run the rotor. We attach a cover with nuts to the axle with glue, but do not use one that hardens too quickly. Well suited "Poxipol". Lubricate the nuts with the same glue.
4. Now the most important thing is balancing. While the glue dries, you need to place the weights perfectly around the edge of the lid. We turn on the drill (vertically), if the rotating rotor beats in one direction, then some load is not located correctly. Fix it, try again. Lubricate the nuts on top and cover with a second cover. We glue electrical tape on the edges of the rotor. We dry. The rotor itself is ready!
5. We take two longer bolts, fasten them in a vise and punch recesses into them, in which the rotor will be fixed. Now we need to come up with an outer frame. Cut out a circle from the laminate. It is better to draw it in advance with a compass. Immediately draw a vertical and horizontal line at a 90 degree angle. Inside we cut out a smaller circle, but such that the rotor fits there. On the horizontal lines we make holes for the bolts opposite each other. We screw in the bolts. Between them we place the axis of our gyroscope. In this case, you must not tighten it too tightly, otherwise the friction will dampen the rotation speed, and nothing will work. Leave about 1 mm of travel, but so that the gyroscope does not fall out of the bolts. We glue the bolts to the bar so that the vibration does not unscrew them from the frame.
6. It remains only to install protection. We take a thick wire, bend it into a ring. At the place of the marked horizontal we attach to our product. The gyroscope is ready. We wind the thread on the axis and, sharply pulling it, check the performance.

Homemade gyroscope

Gyroscope(from other Greek yupo "circular rotation" and okopew "look") - a rapidly rotating solid body, the basis of the device of the same name, capable of measuring changes in the orientation angles of the body associated with it relative to the inertial coordinate system, usually based on the law of conservation of rotational moment (momentum).

The very name "gyroscope" and the working version of this device were invented in 1852 by the French scientist Jean Foucault.

Among mechanical gyroscopes stands out rotary gyroscope- a rapidly rotating solid body, the axis of rotation of which is capable of changing orientation in space. In this case, the speed of rotation of the gyroscope significantly exceeds the speed of rotation of the axis of its rotation. The main property of such a gyroscope is the ability to maintain the same direction of the axis of rotation in space in the absence of external force moments acting on it.

To make a gyroscope, we need:

1. A piece of laminate;
2. Bottom 2 pcs. from a can;
3. Steel stick;
4. Plasticine;
5. Nuts and/or weights;
6. Two screws;
7. Wire (copper thick);
8. Poxipol (or other hardening glue);
9. Insulating tape;
10. Threads (for launching and something else);
11. As well as a tool: a saw, a screwdriver, a core, etc...

The general idea is clear as shown in the figure:

Getting Started:

1) We take a laminate and cut out an 8-coal frame from it (in the photo it is a 6-coal frame). Next, we drill 4 holes in it: 2 (at the ends) along the front, 2 across (the same at the ends), see photo. Now let's bend the wire into a ring (the diameter of the wire is approximately equal to the diameter of the frame). Let's take 2 screws (bolts) and punch them through the recess at the ends with an awl or core (at worst, you can drill it with a drill).

2) It is necessary to assemble the main part - the rotor. To do this, take 2 bottoms from a tin can and make a hole in them in the center. The hole with a diameter should correspond to the axis-rod (which we will insert there). To make an axis-rod, take a nail or a long bolt and cut it to length, the ends must be sharpened. To make the alignment better, insert the rod into the drill and, as on a machine tool, sharpen it with a file or whetstone from 2 sides. It would be nice to make a groove on it for the plant with a thread. Let's smear plasticine on one of the disks, and stuff nuts and weights into it (whoever has a steel ring, this is even better). Now we connect both disks (like a sandwich) and pierce them through the holes with an axis-rod. We lubricate the whole thing with poxypol (or other glue), insert our rotor into the drill and while the poxypol hardens, we will center the disk (this is the most important part of the work). The balance must be perfect.

3) We collect according to the picture, the free movement of the rotor up and down should be minimal (it is felt, but a little).

4) We put a wire protection, attach it with a thread or glue, and our gyroscope is ready.

Gyroscopes are designed to dampen the angular displacements of models around one of the axes, or to stabilize their angular displacement. They are mainly used on flying models in cases where it is necessary to increase the stability of the behavior of the device or create it artificially. Gyroscopes have found the greatest use (about 90%) in conventional helicopters for stabilization relative to the vertical axis by controlling the pitch of the tail rotor. This is due to the fact that the helicopter has zero intrinsic stability along the vertical axis. In aircraft, the gyroscope can stabilize roll, heading, and pitch. The course is stabilized mainly on turbojet models to ensure safe takeoff and landing - there are high speeds and takeoff distances, and the runway is usually narrow. The pitch is stabilized on models with low, zero, or negative longitudinal stability (with rear centering), which increases their maneuverability. Roll is useful to stabilize even on training models.

On airplanes and gliders of sports classes, gyroscopes are prohibited by FAI requirements.

The gyroscope consists of an angular velocity sensor and a controller. As a rule, they are structurally united, although on outdated, as well as "cool" modern gyroscopes, they are placed in different cases.

According to the design of rotation sensors, gyroscopes can be divided into two main classes: mechanical and piezo. More precisely, now there is nothing special to divide into, because mechanical gyroscopes are completely discontinued as obsolete. Nevertheless, we will write down their principle of operation too, if only for the sake of historical justice.

The basis of a mechanical gyroscope is made up of heavy disks mounted on an electric motor shaft. The engine, in turn, has one degree of freedom, i.e. can freely rotate around an axis perpendicular to the motor shaft.

Heavy discs spun by the engine have a gyroscopic effect. When the whole system begins to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the other two, the engine with disks deviates to a certain angle. The magnitude of this angle is proportional to the rate of turn (those who are interested in the forces that arise in gyroscopes can familiarize themselves more deeply with Coriolis acceleration in the special literature). The deviation of the motor is fixed by a sensor, the signal of which is fed to the electronic data processing unit.

The development of modern technologies has made it possible to develop more advanced angular velocity sensors. As a result, piezogyroscopes appeared, which by now have completely replaced mechanical ones. Of course, they still use the effect of Coriolis acceleration, but the sensors are solid state, meaning there are no rotating parts. The most common sensors use vibrating plates. Turning around the axis, such a plate begins to deviate in a plane transverse to the plane of vibration. This deviation is measured and fed to the output of the sensor, from where it is taken by an external circuit for further processing. The most famous manufacturers of such sensors are Murata and Tokin.

An example of a typical design of a piezoelectric angular velocity sensor is given in the following figure.

Sensors of this design have a drawback in the form of a large temperature drift of the signal (i.e., when the temperature changes at the output of the piezoelectric sensor, which is in a stationary state, a signal may appear). However, the benefits received in return far outweigh this inconvenience. Piezogyroscopes consume much less current compared to mechanical ones, withstand large overloads (less sensitive to accidents), and allow more accurate response to model turns. As for the fight against drift, in cheap models of piezogyroscopes there is simply a "zero" adjustment, and in more expensive ones - automatic "zero" setting by the microprocessor when power is applied and drift compensation with temperature sensors.

Life, however, does not stand still, and now in the new line of gyroscopes from Futaba (Family Gyxxx with the "AVCS" system) there are already sensors from Silicon Sensing Systems, which compare very favorably in characteristics with Murata and Tokin products. The new sensors feature lower temperature drift, lower noise levels, very high vibration immunity and an extended operating temperature range. This was achieved by changing the design of the sensing element. It is made in the form of a ring operating in the mode of bending vibrations. The ring is made by photolithography, like a microcircuit, so the sensor is called SMM (Silicon Micro Machine). We will not go into technical details, the curious can find everything here: http://www.spp.co.jp/sssj/comp-e.html . Here are just a few photos of the sensor itself, the sensor without the top cover and a fragment of the annular piezoelectric element.

Typical gyroscopes and algorithms for their operation

The most famous manufacturers of gyroscopes today are Futaba, JR-Graupner, Ikarus, CSM, Robbe, Hobbico, etc.

Now let's consider the operating modes that are used in most manufactured gyroscopes (we will consider any unusual cases separately later).

Gyroscopes with standard operating mode

In this mode, the gyroscope dampens the angular displacements of the model. We inherited this mode from mechanical gyroscopes. The first piezogyroscopes differed from mechanical ones mainly in the sensor. The algorithm of work remained unchanged. Its essence boils down to the following: the gyroscope measures the rate of turn and issues a correction to the signal from the transmitter in order to slow down the rotation as much as possible. Below is an explanatory block diagram.

As can be seen from the figure, the gyroscope tries to suppress any rotation, including that caused by a signal from the transmitter. To avoid such a side effect, it is desirable to use additional mixers on the transmitter, so that when the control stick deviates from the center, the gyroscope sensitivity decreases smoothly. Such mixing may already be implemented inside the controllers of modern gyroscopes (to clarify whether it is or not - see the characteristics of the device and the instruction manual).

Sensitivity adjustment is implemented in several ways:

1. There is no remote control. The sensitivity is set on the ground (by the regulator on the body of the gyroscope) and does not change during the flight.
2. Discrete adjustment (dual rates gyro). On the ground, two values ​​of the gyroscope sensitivity are set (by two regulators). In the air, you can select the desired sensitivity value via the control channel.
3. Smooth adjustment. The gyroscope sets the sensitivity in proportion to the signal in the control channel.

At present, almost all modern piezogyroscopes have a smooth sensitivity adjustment (and you can safely forget about mechanical gyroscopes). The only exceptions are the basic models of some manufacturers, where the sensitivity is set by the regulator on the gyroscope body. Discrete adjustment is necessary only with primitive transmitters (where there is no additional proportional channel or it is impossible to set the pulse duration in the discrete channel). In this case, a small additional module can be included in the gyroscope control channel, which will give the given sensitivity values ​​depending on the position of the toggle switch of the discrete channel of the transmitter.

If we talk about the advantages of gyroscopes that implement only the "standard" mode of operation, then it can be noted that:

• Such gyroscopes have a fairly low price (due to ease of implementation)
• When installed on the tail boom of a helicopter, it is easier for beginners to fly in a circle, since the beam can not be particularly monitored (the beam itself turns in the direction of the helicopter).

Flaws:

• In inexpensive gyroscopes, thermal compensation is not done well enough. It is necessary to manually set "zero", which can shift when the air temperature changes.
• It is necessary to apply additional measures to eliminate the effect of the suppression of the control signal by the gyroscope (additional mixing in the sensitivity control channel or an increase in the flow rate of the servo).

Here are fairly well-known examples of the described type of gyroscopes:

When choosing a steering machine that will connect to the gyroscope, you should give preference to faster options. This will allow you to achieve greater sensitivity, without the risk that mechanical self-oscillations will occur in the system (when, due to overshoot, the rudders begin to move from side to side themselves).

Gyroscopes with heading hold mode

In this mode, the angular position of the model is stabilized. First, a little historical background. The first company to make gyroscopes with this mode was CSM. She called the mode Heading Hold. As the name was patented, other firms began to come up with (and patent) their own names. This is how the brands "3D", "AVSC" (Angular Vector Control System) and others appeared. Such a variety can plunge a beginner into slight confusion, but in fact, there are no fundamental differences in the operation of such gyroscopes.

And one more note. All gyroscopes that have a Heading Hold mode also support the usual operation algorithm. Depending on the maneuver being performed, you can select the gyroscope mode that is more suitable.

So, about the new mode. In it, the gyroscope does not suppress rotation, but makes it proportional to the signal from the transmitter handle. The difference is obvious. The model begins to rotate exactly at the desired speed, regardless of the wind and other factors.

Look at the block diagram. It shows that from the control channel and the signal from the sensor, a difference error signal is obtained (after the adder), which is fed to the integrator. The integrator changes the output signal until the error signal is equal to zero. Through the sensitivity channel, the integration constant is regulated, that is, the speed of working out the steering machine. Of course, the above explanations are very approximate and have a number of inaccuracies, but we are not going to make gyroscopes, but to use them. Therefore, we should be much more interested in the practical features of the use of such devices.

The advantages of the Heading Hold mode are obvious, but I would like to emphasize the advantages that appear when such a gyroscope is installed on a helicopter (to stabilize the tail boom):

• in a helicopter, a novice pilot in hover mode can practically not control the tail rotor
• there is no need to mix the tail rotor pitch with gas, which somewhat simplifies pre-flight preparation
• tail rotor trim can be done without taking the model off the ground
• it becomes possible to perform such maneuvers that were previously difficult (for example, flying with the tail forward).

For airplanes, this mode can also be justified, especially on some complex 3D shapes like "Torque Roll".

At the same time, it should be noted that each mode of operation has its own characteristics, so using Heading Hold everywhere in a row is not a panacea. During normal helicopter flying, especially by beginners, using the Heading Hold function may result in loss of control. For example, if you do not control the tail boom when performing turns, the helicopter will tip over.

Examples of gyroscopes that support Heading Hold include the following models:

Switching between standard mode and Heading Hold is done through the sensitivity control channel. If you change the duration of the control pulse in one direction (from the midpoint), then the gyroscope will operate in the Heading Hold mode, and if in the other direction, the gyroscope will switch to the standard mode. The middle point is when the duration of the channel pulse is approximately 1500 μs; that is, if we connected a steering machine to this channel, then it would be set to the middle position.

Separately, it is worth touching on the topic of steering gears used. In order to get the maximum effect from the Heading Hold, you need to install servos with increased speed and very high reliability. With an increase in sensitivity (if the speed of the machine allows), the gyroscope begins to shift the servomechanism very sharply, even with a knock. Therefore, the machine must have a serious margin of safety in order to last a long time and not fail. Preference should be given to the so-called "digital" machines. For the most modern gyroscopes, even specialized digital servos are being developed (for example, Futaba S9251 for the GY601 gyroscope). Remember that on the ground, due to the lack of feedback from the entrainment sensor, if you do not take additional measures, the gyroscope will certainly bring the servo to its extreme position, where it will experience the maximum load. Therefore, if the gyroscope and steering machine do not have built-in travel limiting functions, then the steering machine must be able to withstand heavy loads so as not to fail while still on the ground.

Specialized aircraft gyroscopes

For use in aircraft in order to stabilize the roll, specialized gyroscopes began to be produced. They differ from the usual ones in that they have one more channel of the external command.

By controlling each aileron with a separate servo, computer-aided aircraft use the flaperon function. Mixing takes place at the transmitter. However, the aircraft gyroscope controller on the model automatically detects the in-phase deviation of both aileron channels and does not interfere with it. And the antiphase deviation is used in the roll stabilization loop - it contains two adders and one angular velocity sensor. There are no other differences. If the ailerons are controlled by a single servo, then a specialized aircraft gyroscope is not needed, a regular one will do. Aircraft gyroscopes are made by Hobbico, Futaba and others.

Regarding the use of gyroscopes on an aircraft, it should be noted that you cannot use the Heading Hold mode during takeoff and landing. More precisely, at the moment when the plane touches the ground. This is because when the plane is on the ground, it cannot roll or turn, so the gyroscope will bring the rudders to some extreme position. And when the aircraft takes off from the ground (or immediately after landing), when the model has a high speed, a strong deflection of the rudders can play a cruel joke. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use the gyroscope on aircraft in standard mode.

In aircraft, the effectiveness of the rudders and ailerons is proportional to the square of the aircraft's airspeed. With a wide range of speeds, which is typical for complex aerobatics, it is necessary to compensate for this change by adjusting the sensitivity of the gyroscope. Otherwise, when the aircraft accelerates, the system will switch to self-oscillating mode. If you immediately set a low level of gyroscope efficiency, then at low speeds, when it is especially needed, it will not have the desired effect. On real aircraft, such regulation is done by automation. Perhaps soon it will be so on the models. In some cases, switching to the self-oscillating mode of the control is useful - at very low aircraft flight speeds. Many probably saw how at MAKS-2001 the Berkut C-37 showed the figure of a "harrier". At the same time, the front horizontal tail worked in a self-oscillating mode. The gyroscope in the roll channel makes it possible to make the aircraft "non-dumping on the wing". More details about the operation of the gyroscope in the mode of stabilization of the pitch of aircraft can be found in the well-known monograph by I.V. Ostoslavsky "Aircraft Aerodynamics".

Conclusion

In recent years, many cheap models of miniature gyroscopes have appeared, making it possible to expand the scope of their application. Ease of installation and low prices justify the use of gyroscopes even on training and combat models. The strength of piezoelectric gyroscopes is such that in an accident, the receiver or servo is more likely to deteriorate than the gyroscope.

The question of the expediency of saturating flying models with modern avionics is up to everyone to decide for themselves. In our opinion, in the sports classes of aircraft, at least in copies, gyroscopes will eventually be allowed. Otherwise, it is impossible to ensure a realistic, similar to the original flight of a reduced copy due to different Reynolds numbers. On hobby aircraft, the use of artificial stabilization allows you to expand the range of flight weather conditions, and fly in such a wind when only manual control is not able to hold the model.

A mechanical gyroscope is not such a complicated device, while its operation is quite a beautiful sight. Its properties have been studied by scientists for more than two hundred years. One would think that everything has been studied, because practical application has long been found and the topic should be closed.

But there are enthusiastic people who do not tire of asserting that during the operation of a gyroscope, its weight changes when it rotates in one direction or another or in a certain plane. Moreover, such conclusions sound as if the gyroscope overcomes gravity. Or it forms the so-called gravitational shadow zone. And finally, there are people who say that if the rotation speed of the gyroscope is exceeded to a certain critical value, then this device acquires a negative weight and begins to fly away from the Earth.

What are we dealing with? The possibility of a breakthrough of civilization or a pseudoscientific delusion?

Theoretically, weight change is possible, but at such high speeds that it cannot be experimentally verified under normal conditions. But there are people who claim that they have seen the overcoming of the earth's gravity at a rotation speed of only a few thousand minutes. This experiment is devoted to testing this hypothesis.

Characteristics of the simplest homemade gyroscope.

Not everyone is able to assemble a gyroscope. Auto roller assembled a gyroscope weighing more than 1 kg. The maximum rotation speed is 5000 rpm. If the effect of the change in weight is really present, it will be noticeable on the balance scale. Their accuracy, taking into account friction in the hinges, lies within 1 gr.

Let's start the experiment.

First, spin the balanced gyroscope in the horizontal plane clockwise. A rotating flywheel will never be completely balanced, as it is impossible to balance it perfectly. And there are no perfect bearings.

Where does the axial and radial vibration come from, which goes to the balance beam? As a result, an imaginary increase or decrease in weight can occur? Let's try to spin the flywheel in the other direction to test the theory that it is the direction of rotation that plays the main role in the gravitational eclipse. But it seems that the miracle will not happen.

What happens if you hang and spin the gyroscope in a vertical plane? But in this case, there is no change on the scales.

Forced precession.

Perhaps at school or at the institute you were shown such a setup to demonstrate forced precession. If you unwind the gyroscope, for example, clockwise in a vertical plane, and then turn it again clockwise, if you look from above, but already in a horizontal plane, then it sort of takes off. Thus, it reacts to external influences and seeks to combine the axis and direction of its rotation with the axis and direction of rotation in a new plane.

Some people who suddenly come across this topic have an erroneous understanding of this process. Mm, it seems that a mechanical gyroscope is able to take off if it is forcibly spun in the second plane and thus supposedly it is possible to create an innovative engine. At the same time, the gyroscope rises here only because it is repelled by the rotating stand, which in turn is repelled by the table. In weightlessness, the total momentum of such a design will be zero.