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DOJ funds gyrocopter for Tomball, TX police
The Tomball Police Department recently added a gyroplane to its fleet, thanks to a Department of Justice program aimed at helping more cops get support from the air.I believe the proper term for such a craft is "autogyro". It has little relation to helicopters, it is simply an ultralight craft with a rotating wing. It cannot hover. It gets its propulsion from a traditional propeller, usually mounted behind the pilot. The rotor up top is not powered and simply provides passive lift when it rotates while being pushed through the air, like the stationary wings of more familiar aircraft. The DOJ's Law Enforcement Aviation Technology Program purchased the craft for $40,000. The program also provided training for the officers who'll be flying it as part of Tomball PD's new Aviation Unit. Aviation Technology Program? Cops as air cadets? Adelman says police can use craft like the gyroplane for purposes ranging from drug enforcement to search-and-rescue operations. He says that in return for the funding, Tomball police will help the DOJ program's research on the use of these craft. Well, it's not the aircraft, it's the sensors attached to that aircraft. The photo just looks like a two-seater lawnmowermobile. According to a City of Tomball press release, the Auto-Gyro MTOsport gyroplane uses only three to four gallons of fuel per hour. Adelman says it costs less than $40 per hour to operate. Though gyroplanes are not yet common in American law enforcement, the city's release says they have a good record among European police departments. Really? Huh. Posted by: gromky 2011-03-23 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=318759 |
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