Pitcairn Autogiro

[JDK]

Great news.

The only other fixed rotor, winged autogiro to fly in the last 40 years was Steve Pitcairn's, now in the EAA Museum, still flyable I think, but not likely to fly any more. I've heard that in the '60s there was a vintage Cierva autogiro that flew in Spain, but don't know anything about that one.

Strictly speaking you are right, BE, in the lack of 'winged' autogiros. The later Cierva wingless autogyros aren't as streightforward though!

The last of the Cierva line stopped flying I think in the '60s. The Shuttleworth Collection examined the possibility of their Avro C-30 Rota being restored to fly, at my request, but decided against it, reasonably I think, as the safety record and performance restrictions of the type were trickier than desirable for an airshow and recreational type. Soon after it was restored to taxi condition and trundled around at Old Warden, but was then sold to Kermit Weeks where it hangs from the roof.

However the RAF Museum lent their Avro Rota (since returned and on display) to the Spanish Air Force Museum in return for a CASA Jungmann, and the Spaniards made a new-build with original parts of a C-30, which the flew, IIRC, in the mid 1990s for a couple of years. It's now grounded in the museum, as, again, I think it was just a bit too challenging and it was dinged (and repaired).

I'd be interested in any info on the 1960s Spanish 'flyer', BE, while there's a bit more from my friend Gary Brown in this post in a thread you also contributed to!

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showpo ... stcount=33

Cheers

[tom d. friedman]

not a dumb question at all!!

[Baldeagle]

The PA-18 with Kinner engine is a smaller version of the earlier PCA-2 as flown by Earhart. Steve Pitcairn's "Miss Champion" is also a PCA-2. Steve flying his 'giro at Pioneer Field at Oshkosh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf7p1kdGVwk

And "Miss Champion" back in the day:

http://www.youngeagles.org/airplanemonth/0705/ (click on "video")

AE in hers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8mpARVU ... %20of%20C6

From History Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MwxHCz ... %20of%20C6

The credit for the restoration of the PA-18 goes to Jack Tiffany and his crew, they worked the magic.

[tulsaboy]

Thanks so much for the information! I just really didn't know much about the Pitcairn gyros. Thanks for helping update me!

kevin

[tulsaboy]

Found these pics, thought they might be of interest to this group... the first is one of A.E.'s autogyro on the field at Tulsa Municipal Airport, the second one is of some additional autogyros at Tulsa Municipal. Enjoy!

kevin

[img][img]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g204/tulsaboy/EarhartAutogyro.jpg[/img]

[/img]

[Baldeagle]

The later Cierva wingless autogyros aren't as straightforward though!

Actually James the wingless 'giros were supposed to be much better than the winged ones, more controllable. The early ones have a pronounced lack of aileron authority at low speeds, so any crosswind on landing is a big problem. The controllable rotor types apparently cured this problem. Fortunately the Pitcairn and the others land so slowly that landings across the runway or at an angle shouldn't be a problem at most places.

Thanks for that link, also. The Spanish replica must be the one I was thinking of, just off on the date.

Incidentally, it's possible that the Pitcairn may appear down under at some point in the future, assuming that it flies as well as is expected....

[tom d. friedman]

cripes look at the thickness of that rotor blade on the beechnut!!