Second time around.

So, in my last post I put the comment, "And once again, I'm embarking on a journey to build a flying aircraft."  Yep, this isn't my first attempt, although the first one was basically youthful dreaming.

Back in the 1980's I worked at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.  Someone had donated a collection of sad looking parts that were supposed to be a helicopter.  The MoF had little interest in the project and it was stacked behind the Red Barn under a tree and pretty much ignored.

After a year or so I approached the MoF about taking on the project myself, transporting the collection of pieces home and restoring the helicopter to its former glory.  They seemed eager to get rid of the "wreck" so I got the go ahead fairly easily.

The aircraft was the Monte Copter Model 12, not really a household name.  

A local Seattlite by the name of Maurice Ramme believed the simplicity of "cold-jet" rotor tip drive technology would make the dream of "An aircraft in every garage" a reality.  The exhaust of the engine is routed up through the rotorshaft and out the tips of the rotors.  This eliminates the need for a tailrotor as there is no torque being applied to the main rotor.

He built the Model 10 as a proof of concept vehicle.  The Model 12 was more refined and designed to test various engines.  Originally with a single O-290, 135hp piston engine, and later (as seen above) with two 160shp turbine engines.  The end result was supposed to be the Model 15 Triphibian, an helicopter with wheels and a hull for water operations.  It's Seattle after all, everyone has a boat!

Of course I thought I could restore the aircraft to flight... How hard could it be?

So I spent a summer cleaning parts and researching the design to find out as much as possible.  Never was able to find any plans or drawings though.  But that was a moot point, by mid-summer my father informed the family we were moving back overseas and there was no way he was paying for storage of the Monte Copter.

Back to the MoF it went.  They found a Boy Scout Troop that was interested in taking on the project, but when I returned from overseas, they couldn't find any contact info for them.

So now it's 2013 and I have the Acro Sport project kicking off.  Made me wonder what ever happened to the Monte Copter Model 12.  The Internet is a wonderful tool, a quick search today found this picture from 2010.

Both the Model 12 and the Model 15 are at the Classic Rotors helicopter museum in Ramona, California.  From the picture, not much has been done since I last saw her.  But I hope they do finish the restoration of such a unique aircraft.