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Friday, September 16, 2011

Video: Police Fast Response... Gyroplane?

Police in Texas have given traffic enforcement and surveillance helicopters a new rival: The gyroplane.

Using a rear-mounted propeller for speed and an angled rotor to create lift, the roofless, doorless vehicle can hit speeds of up to 115 mph. It needs a little more than a hundred yards to take off, and it ascends into the air at a rate of 13 feet per second.

For their Auto-Gyro MTOsport model, the Tomball Police Department paid US$75,000 — a fraction of the cost of a helicopter. Operating costs are approximately US$50 per hour since it runs on regular pump gas, and it should help out police forces in under-served areas like Tomball.

According to the chief of police, the gyroplane is equal to the deployment of 20 officers.

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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