Ebay Auction

The Ebay auction is at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150614805391

This Bensen Gyrocopter autogyro experimental aircraft is located in Bradenton, Florida 34207. I am selling it for my father as his legal guardian. This was the second one he owned, the first he built from scratch and this one he later bought from somebody else and tweaked to his specifications. He was a test pilot and mechanical engineer and knew what he was doing, but this aircraft has fallen into disrepair and been exposed to the elements for a number of years and shows it. It should only be taken on as a project by someone very knowledgeable and experienced in aircraft mechanics or willing to pay someone who is.

From what I understand the engine is very powerful for its weight and worth some significant money just by itself. I seem to recall being told it is a Mitsubishi aircraft engine but I could be wrong about that; please see the pictures posted and if I discover the make and model I will modify that information here and on eBay. I have not seen the engine run and it does not turn freely by hand from the prop hub (there is no propellor) so you should assume it will need a complete rebuild by a qualified aircraft engine mechanic. It is dirty with a lot of surface corrosion and I would not be surprised to find water in the crankcase, but it has been covered by a tarp for the last year and a half.

The rotor blades are aluminum construction with some non-stainless steel for hub connectors that also have significant surface rust. I cannot vouch for their structural integrity or safety and because you will fall out of the sky like a rock if one fails, you need to have even more professional aircraft mechanic attention devoted to them than you do the engine before you even think about taking to the sky with them.

The condition of the instruments is unknown, the tires are flat, the tail was damaged in a minor collision when a car rear-ended the trailer while it was being towed. I have no papers official or otherwise for this homebuilt aircraft and the best I will be able to provide you with is a written receipt when you purchase it. It is very likely to have flaws I have not discovered and are not visible in the photographs.

THE TRAILER DOES NOT GO WITH IT, you will need to arrange to carry it away by some method of your own devising, just don't plan to fly it home. The trailer has its own problems and is falling apart anyway. If you need help with local transportation I can give you the number of the guy who hauled it across Bradenton for me at the end of 2009 for $50.

Winning bidder must pick up the aircraft by June 15th 2011 or it will be transported to a storage lot and you will need to pay extra transport and storage costs after that date to get it out. These costs will be kept at the minimum however (some flexibility is possible and I'll work with you on this).