Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
SHOW TO FEATURE
VARIED AUTOGYROS
Two "Windmills" Make $50.
Mile Flight to National
Air Meet.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, August as
(N.A.N.A,) One of the worlds most
interesting aircraft Developments
reached q new status when two new
autogyros windmill airplanes-left here
for Chicago, where they are to be
demonstrated in connection with the
national air races, which began yesters
day. Their route totaled $50 miles, the
longest cross-country flight ever under
taken by the Windmill type, Of craft.
The planes left this city late Friday
afternoon piloted by G. ]. Faulkner
and J. Paul Lukens, and few IN easy
stages by way of Harrisburg, Pa, and
Cleveland, Ohio. A third one, plotted
by James G. Ray, was scheduled to
leave yesterday and another Is to fol-
low later.
Three of the planes are the newest
product Of the Pitcairn Cierva Auto.
gyro Co. of America. The fourth waS
built in England by the Cierva Auto-
syro. Ltd, another development CONF
pany associated with the American con-
Germ.
Appearance Little Changed.
The four planes embody all Of tho
autogyro development in America and
new step toward increased safety and
economy In flying. The outward ap..
pearance Is little changed since tho
last public appearance of the type In
this country year ago. Beneath their
gray, green, yellow and black colorS,
however, there are numerous new fea-
lures to be subjected to severe tests on
the flight to Chicago and return.
On the outcome of these tests hinges
the YlAYt atarI f1na AaytaIc74Irao,af Of
planes is to take. Meanwhile, Harold
F. Pitcairn, who Is devoting vast re-
sources and untiring energy to the de-
velopment, makes no claims or promises
for the place the gyroplane Is to attain,
but the plane has already begun to
speak for itself.
Airmen. who have observed Anal
tests of the new models here within the
last few days have been greatly i'm.
pressed by the increased performance
Of the type since last year. It's progress
since Juan de Ia Cierva, spanish In
ventor, built the FIRST one 10 years aRo
leads airrr1en to believe it Ia now emerge
ing from the experimental stage and
will soon take It's place in daily air
travel.
one Of the new features Of the most
advanced model Is q mechanical starter,
which rotates the windmill lifting SURF
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long ground run required by previous
types to take of. It formerly took 10
to 90 minutes taxing to make the
windmill rotate fast enough to ny, and
then it took considerable run to get 1t
on the ground.
Climbs at Steep Angle.
BY briefly engaging q simple clutch
on the new type, the engine turns the
windmill fast enough to start the run
within 20 to 80 seconds, less time
than it takes the, pilot to get settled
comfortably in his seat. Once the four
bladed windmill Is started, It rotates
automatically as long as the plane Is
in motion. It goes up ct an angle steep
enough to take Of from . miniature
golf course. At
There is no standard performance In
the experimental planes, because each
has features which give it individual
performance. Two of the planes are
powered by the same type engine, but
their performances differ because of
the differences in weight and structure.
These two are powered by Wright J-6
engines of 225 horsepower Another IS
powered by Warner scarab OF 1l0
0r Geet Maio n i Tstsd a ioC Orsss
power. All Of them are cpen.cockpit
planes seating two or three persons.
Despite these differences any one Of
them viii take of In run OF 400 feet
or less on the average flight. On every
model the landing run can be measured
In inches.
On an ordinary take-on the syro'1
appearance Is not unlike the conven.
tional plane, except that its angle OF
swift forward movement of the conven-
tional type Is not apparent. There Ia
no rush to get of while the getting ID
good" to make sure Of clearing the
fence. The gyro rises more like gun
soaring lasily after q hearty meal.
Can Climb Straight Up.
Under favorable conditions, with q
wind of 20 to 25 miles an hour, which
is the normal velocity in many localities,
it is possible to go straight up and come
straight down in any space large
enough to clear the windmill. The
windmill on the largest model Is 90 feet
6 inches in diameter.
OF course, this does not mean that
even Jim Ray, who has extensive ex.
perience with gyros, has or Is going TO
land the plane In q restricted area ~
feet in diameter. But the fact that
the gyro has repeatedly landed In
space less than rs feet In diameter on
Pitcairn Airport emphasizes its poten-
tialities for the back yard and foof-top
landing field. -
Another striking characteristic is its
ability to hover over a given spot. In
this 111aneuver it Is comparable to o
boat ct anchor, headed into the wind.
Air is the buoyant medium instead Of
water The rudder keeps the ship
headed into the wind. The winemin q
now the sustaining hull, even though
it is above instead Of below the ship.
The engine, turning the propeller slow
~, is the anchor holding it into the
Viewed from the ground 'in this
maneuver, the rotor represents 0 true
picture Of a Dutch windmill ct work.
The engine is nearly SILENT aubdued
by the sound Of the windmill as 1t rip.
Piles through the air like power wheel
idling in mountain stream.
Windmill Becomes Parachute.
Now the pilot throttles the engine.
It Is virtually shut OF. The windmill
slows UP and descent begins. Now the
windmill becomes q parachute in effect
and the plane descends about the same
rate as q parachute, Is TO Is feet per
second. When it still IL IS to 40 feet (
from the ground it strikes an up-cslr.
rent caused by, the downwash Of the !
windmill. Then 1t slows its descent
Sgul more, ike q pru neSlJatlng mo-
nent before landing. Watching the I,
wheels, it looks like a slow-motion pics !
ture Of the conventional plane settling
on its shock absorber struts. Watch !,
ing the rotor gives the impression Of q
big bird just &C the moment he begins
to fold his wings after landing.
After landing brake Is applied to
the rotor to stop it. Then its flexible
blades droop alongside the machine.
This dropping feature gives the ship an
awkward appearance at first sight, but