From Autogiro to Gyroplane
Subtitle: The Amazing Survival of an Aviation Technology
Publisher: Praeger Publishers
Published: July 30, 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 416
ISBN-13: 9781567205039
Subjects: Aerospace & aviation technology; History of engineering & technology; Transportation; Astronomy - General; Aviation - General; Corporate & Business History - General; Science / Astronomy; Autogiros
First sentence: April 1931 saw what is undeniably the most dramatic moment in the history in America of the Autogiro, the 1923 invention of Spaniard Juan de la Cierva.
Description: "Predating the invention of the helicopter by two decades, the Autogiro was the world's first rotary-wing aircraft."

"This is the first book to tell the fascinating 80-year history of today's gyroplane and its antecedent, the Autogiro. Charnov explains that the near-eclipse of the Autogiro was caused by a potent combination of bad luck, the impact of the Great Depression and World War II and egregious business decisions. Only by understanding the amazing manner in which this aviation technologies has persisted and evolved can one fully understand the basis for its future. In contrast to the fate of the Autogiro, the gyroplane's unfolding story is characterized by successful business models, effective decision making, and the emergence of cutting-edge technology.

The survival of the gyroplane may be a paradigm for the persistence of earlier, less complex technologies, and its future relies on grasping its colorful history."--Jacket.