About
About Magni Gyrocopters
We are proud to be the New Zealand agent for Magni Gyrocopters, a family-owned business located near Milan, Italy. Our owner, Pete Avery, has been a commercial helicopter pilot for over 35 years, accumulating an impressive 33,000 hours of flight time around the world. In 2017, he discovered his love for gyro flying and eventually modified his M16 gyro for New Zealand backcountry operations. This led to the creation of the Magni Xtreme range, which is perfectly suited for New Zealand’s unique flying conditions.
When the opportunity to become the NZ Magni agency presented itself in 2021, Pete Avery seized it without hesitation. The Magni Gyros have proven to be incredibly stable in flight, boasting exceptional build quality and comprehensive factory support.
If you are interested in learning more about the Magni Gyro range or are considering purchasing one in New Zealand, please feel free to email Pete at [email protected].
What Are Gyrocopters
Gyrocopters, Gyroplanes, or Auto Gyros are all the same aircraft. They have a main rotor similar to a helicopter and a pusher prop similar to some fixed-wing aircraft. In-flight the main rotor is driven not by the engine but by the flow of air entering the rotor disc from below. The engine-driven prop provides the thrust.
They are a fairly simple concept and have a fraction of the moving parts compared to a helicopter. They are very manoeuvrable and surprisingly stable in rougher air conditions. They are a very cost an effective form of rotary flight.
Originally invented by Juan de la Cierva in Spain. His first flight was in January 1923. They were however soon after largely forgotten about with the invention of helicopters. In 1955 they began to gain popularity when Igor Bensen (USA) began producing a kitset gyrocopter. With these often being backyard assembled and flight instruction limited or self-taught, the accident rate was high. This has however improved greatly with factory-built gyrocopters being predominate, a higher level of flight instruction and understanding of gyro flight.
Gyrocopters are neither a helicopter nor aeroplanes, they are somewhere in between. They are well explained in Phil Harwoods video on this site “ Top Gear For Gyroplanes” Well worth watching.
You can also contact a gyrocopter specialist dealer in New Zealand if you have any questions. If you are in New Zealand and interested in purchasing a Magni Gyrocopter please email [email protected]