The Layzell Cricket is a single-seat autogyro produced in the United Kingdom for homebuilding, although it was first produced in the early 1970s fully factory-built. It was a typically minimalist design, featuring a pilot's seat semi-enclosed within a fairing, and a pusher engine and large tailfin located aft of the rotor mast. Forty-three of the original Crickets were built by Campbell Aircraft, with the type enjoying a brief revival in 2001 when it was marketed in kit form by Mike Concannon of Cricket Gyroplanes, before reaching production again in 2005 by Layzell Gyroplanes as the Mk.6.

Cricket
Role	Recreational autogyro Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Campbell Aircraft Cricket Gyroplanes Layzell Gyroplanes
Designer	Peter Lovegrove
First flight	November 1969
Number built	43

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

Specifications (Mk.6)

Data from Taylor and Bayerl[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
• Empty weight: 310 lb (141 kg)
• Gross weight: 650 lb (295 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 36 litres (7.9 imp gal; 9.5 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder two stroke, liquid-cooled, aircraft engine, 64 hp (48 kW)
• Main rotor diameter: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
• Main rotor area: 380 sq ft (35 m²)
• Propellers: 3-bladed composite

Performance

• Maximum speed: 63 mph (102 km/h, 55 kn)
• Cruise speed: 52 mph (83 km/h, 45 kn)
• Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)
• Disk loading: 1.71 lb/sq ft (8.3 kg/m²)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 225.
• Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Layzell Cricket.

• Layzell Gyroplanes website archives on Archive.org