Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The Bensen B-8M is an open gyroplane design in which the main rotor turns through airflow rather than engine drive. A separate engine and propeller provide forward thrust, while rotor tilt and rudder control the aircraft. VSKYLABS’ VSL B-8M is a modified interpretation of the design, with a longer tail boom and a 45 hp half-Volkswagen engine.
Aircraft background
VSKYLABS · Read more ↗Released product and variants
This Bensen-inspired simulator variant uses a longer tail boom and a 45 hp half-Volkswagen engine. Those alterations are documented features of the VSL B-8M.
VSL B-8M · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Rex's Hangar · 14 min ·
The Aircraft You Could Build In Your Shed | Bensen B-8M 'Gyrocopter'
A historical introduction to Igor Bensen's B-8M gyroplane.
Real aircraft · Bensen B-8M
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Bensen B-8M
The Bensen B-8M is an open gyroplane design in which the main rotor turns through airflow rather than engine drive. A separate engine and propeller provide forward thrust, while rotor tilt and rudder control the aircraft.
VSKYLABS’ VSL B-8M is a modified interpretation of the design, with a longer tail boom and a 45 hp half-Volkswagen engine. The longer boom and engine installation belong to VSKYLABS' simulated variant.
Bensen B-8M
Aircraft type designators
A model-specific ICAO or FAA designator has not been confirmed in the references reviewed for this aircraft.
History & design
Private flying with a rotor
Igor Bensen established his company in 1953 to develop light rotorcraft for private owners. The B-8M was the powered development of the B-8 gyroglider, first flown in 1957. Its small open structure and homebuilt format made it a distinctive route into rotary-wing flying.
National Air and Space Museum · Bensen B-8M Gyrocopter ↗Smithsonian B-8M and Spirit of Kittyhawk history
Spirit of Kittyhawk
The prototype recreated the speed, distance and duration of the Wrights’ first powered flight for its sixtieth anniversary. Bensen later used it to establish twelve gyroplane records in 1967 and 1968. The aircraft joined the Smithsonian collection in 1969.
National Air and Space Museum · Bensen B-8M Gyrocopter ↗Smithsonian B-8M and Spirit of Kittyhawk history
Systems & details
The rotor is not the engine-driven propeller
Forward motion supplies airflow through the freely turning rotor. The pusher propeller provides propulsion, while the rotor generates lift by autorotation. Unlike a helicopter, this arrangement does not allow a hover or a vertical takeoff.
In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12VSL B-8M
VSKYLABS · Released
VSL B-8M
VSKYLABS · Released
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Released product and variantsVSL B-8M · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
This Bensen-inspired simulator variant uses a longer tail boom and a 45 hp half-Volkswagen engine. Those alterations are documented features of the VSL B-8M.
Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14
VSKYLABS · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Developer documentation
VSKYLABS Aerospace Simulations Aircraft Center: VSKYLABS VSL B-8M GyrocopterVSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 VSKYLABS B-8M Gyrocopter. Highly Engineered lightweight Gyroplane for X-Plane.VSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14Aircraft reference
Bensen B-8M GyrocopterNational Air and Space Museum · Smithsonian B-8M and Spirit of Kittyhawk history B-8M GyrocopterMarch Field Air Museum · March Field B-8M reference specification; engine options varyBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 2 profile choices
VSKYLABS B-8M Gyrocopter
VSKYLABS · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS B-8M Gyrocopter: Nominal centering and damping approximate rotor-head control; this revision also retains a selected speed-dependent directed load.
Bensen B-8M
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 12 · X-Plane 11
Bensen B-8M: Nominal centering and damping approximate rotor-head control; this revision also retains a selected speed-dependent directed load.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Content expanded · What’s new
Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗
