View source for Autogyro

{{short description|Rotorcraft with unpowered rotor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

[[File:AutoGyro Calidus - Shuttleworth Season Premiere 2016 (26422815634).jpg|thumb|upright=1.36|A modern, closed-cabin, pusher-propeller autogyro in flight]]

An '''autogyro''' (from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{wt|grc|αὐτός}} and {{wt|el|γύρος}}, "self-turning"), '''gyroplane''' or gyrocopter, is a class of [[rotorcraft]] that uses an unpowered [[Helicopter rotor|rotor]] in free [[autorotation]] to develop [[lift (force)|lift]]. A [[gyroplane]] "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-driven, except for initial starting, but are made to rotate by action of the air when the rotorcraft is moving; and whose means of propulsion, consisting usually of conventional propellers, is independent of the rotor system."<ref>[https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1]</ref> While similar to a [[helicopter rotor]] in appearance, the autogyro's unpowered rotor disc must have air flowing upward across it to make it rotate.

Forward [[thrust]] is provided independently, by an engine-driven [[propeller]].

It was originally named the '''''autogiro''''' by its Spanish inventor and engineer, [[Juan de la Cierva]], in his attempt to create an aircraft that could fly safely at low speeds. He first flew one on January 1923, at [[Cuatro Vientos Airport]] in [[Madrid]].<ref name="greg">{{citation |url = http://www.vectorsite.net/avheli_1.html#m4 |title = European Helicopter Pioneers |work = Air Vectors |last = Goebel |first = Greg |date = 1 Jun 2011 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120205181430/http://www.vectorsite.net/avheli_1.html#m4 |archive-date = 5 February 2012 }}</ref> The aircraft resembled the [[fixed-wing aircraft]] of the day, with a front-mounted engine and propeller. The term {{em|Autogiro}} became  [[trademark]]ed by the [[Cierva Autogiro Company]]. De la Cierva's Autogiro is considered the predecessor of the modern [[helicopter]].<ref>{{cite book |author = George Galdorisi |title = Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=T3HGfuFILuoC |publisher = Voyageur Press |isbn = 978-0-7603-2392-2 |year = 2008 |access-date = 8 November 2020 |archive-date = 25 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230225162720/https://books.google.com/books?id=T3HGfuFILuoC |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author = Trevor Homer |title = The Book of Origins: The first of everything |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=J-eTGAAACAAJ |publisher = Hachette Digital |isbn = 978-1-405-51610-5 |year = 2007 |access-date = 8 November 2020 |archive-date = 25 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230225162721/https://books.google.com/books?id=J-eTGAAACAAJ |url-status = live }}</ref> The term '''''gyrocopter''''' (derived from helicopter) was used by E.{{nbsp}}Burke Wilford who developed the Reiseler Kreiser feathering rotor equipped {{em|gyroplane}} in the first half of the twentieth century. Gyroplane was later adopted as a trademark by [[Bensen Aircraft]].

The success of the Autogiro garnered the interest of [[Business magnate|industrialists]] and under license from de la Cierva in the 1920s and 1930s, the Pitcairn & Kellett companies made further innovations.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/pitcairn-cierva-pca-1a/nasm_A19560048000 |title = Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-1A |institution = [[National Air and Space Museum]] |access-date = April 25, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425214205/https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/pitcairn-cierva-pca-1a/nasm_A19560048000 |archive-date = April 25, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Late-model autogyros patterned after [[Etienne Dormoy]]'s [[Buhl A-1 Autogyro]] and [[Igor Bensen]]'s designs feature a rear-mounted engine and propeller in a [[pusher configuration]].

== Principle of operation ==

[[File:VPM M-16 engine and rotor.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1|The rotor head, pre-rotator shaft, and [[Subaru]] engine configuration on a VPM M-16 autogyro]]

An autogyro is characterized by a free-spinning rotor that turns because of the passage of air through the rotor from below.<ref name="bensen">{{cite web |url = http://www.gyrocopters.co.uk/html/dr_bensen_explains_all.html |title = How they fly - Bensen explains all |last = Bensen |first = Igor |author-link = Igor Bensen |access-date = 20 April 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150109111705/http://gyrocopters.co.uk/html/dr_bensen_explains_all.html |archive-date = 9 January 2015 |url-status = usurped |quote = air ... (is) deflected downward }}</ref><ref name="charLeg">{{cite web |author = Charnov, Bruce H. |url = http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/ORSP_Charnov_Fall02.pdf |title = Cierva, Pitcairn and the Legacy of Rotary-Wing Flight |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183856/http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/ORSP_Charnov_Fall02.pdf |archive-date = 3 March 2016 |publisher = [[Hofstra University]] |access-date = 22 November 2011 }}</ref> The downward component of the total aerodynamic reaction of the rotor gives lift to the vehicle, sustaining it in the air. A separate propeller provides forward thrust and can be placed in a puller configuration, with the engine and propeller at the front of the fuselage, or in a pusher configuration, with the engine and propeller at the rear of the fuselage.

Whereas a helicopter works by forcing the rotor blades through the air, drawing air from above, the autogyro rotor blade generates lift in the same way as a [[glider aircraft|glider]]'s wing,<ref name="fmweird">{{cite magazine |url = http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/mail-drop-gyroplane-facts |title = Mail Drop: Weird Gyroplane Facts |magazine = Flying Magazine |first = Peter |last = Garrison |author-link = Peter Garrison |date = 2 October 2015 |access-date = 4 October 2015 |quote = The operation of a gyroplane's freewheeling rotor is often compared to that of an autorotating helicopter's ... It's better to think about a glider, because what the gyroplane's rotor blades are doing is gliding around the central mast. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425220702/https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/mail-drop-gyroplane-facts/ |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> by changing the angle of the air<ref name="bensen" /> as the air moves upward and backward relative to the rotor blade.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.phenix.aero/PHE-1210.html |title = Gyrocopter - What is it? |website = Phenix |access-date = 8 December 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101226014001/http://www.phenix.aero/PHE-1210.html |archive-date = 26 December 2010 }}</ref> The free-spinning blades turn by [[autorotation (helicopter)|autorotation]]; the rotor blades are angled so that they not only give lift,<ref name="auto">{{cite encyclopedia |title = Autorotation |website = dictionary.reference.com |edition = unabridged v&nbsp;1.1 |type = definition |publisher = Random House, Inc. |access-date = 17 April 2007 |url = http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Autorotation |archive-date = 17 March 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120317235049/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Autorotation |url-status = live }}</ref> but the angle of the blades causes the lift to accelerate the blades' rotation rate until the rotor turns at a stable speed with the drag force and the thrust force in balance.

{{external media
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| video1 ={{YouTube|XCEYfW8DyxQ |Takeoffs and Landings}} of [[Groen Hawk 4]]
| video2= {{YouTube|nsDQ9avFtng | Jump takeoff}} of [[Pitcairn Aircraft Company#Aircraft|Pitcairn PA-36]] in 1941 <!--[[AHS International]] channel-->
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Because the craft must be moving forward with respect to the surrounding air to force air through the overhead rotor, autogyros are generally not capable of vertical takeoff (except in a strong headwind). A few types such as the [[Air & Space 18A#Design|Air & Space 18A]] have shown short takeoff or landing.

Pitch control is achieved by tilting the rotor [[wikt:fore and aft|fore and aft]], and roll control is by tilting the rotor laterally. The tilt of the rotor can be effected by utilizing a tilting hub ([[Cierva Autogiro Company|Cierva]]), a [[Swashplate (helicopter)|swashplate]] ([[Air & Space 18A]]), or servo-flaps. A [[rudder]] provides [[Yaw (rotation)|yaw]] control. On pusher configuration autogyros, the rudder is typically placed in the propeller [[slipstream]] to maximize yaw control at low airspeed (but not always, as seen in the [[McCulloch J-2]], with twin rudders placed outboard of the propeller arc).{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

== Flight controls ==

[[File:Giros-2 Eger.jpg|thumb|[[Russian Gyroplanes Gyros-2 Smartflier]]]]

There are three primary flight controls: control stick, [[rudder|rudder pedals]], and [[throttle]]. Typically, the control stick is termed the ''cyclic'' and tilts the rotor in the desired direction to provide pitch and roll control (some autogyros do not tilt the rotor relative to the airframe, or only do so in one dimension, and have conventional control surfaces to vary the remaining degrees of freedom). The rudder pedals provide yaw control, and the throttle controls engine power.

Secondary flight controls include the rotor transmission clutch, also known as a pre-rotator, which when engaged drives the rotor to start it spinning before takeoff, and [[collective pitch]] to reduce blade pitch before driving the rotor. Collective pitch controls are not usually fitted to autogyros but can be found on the [[Air & Space 18A]], [[McCulloch J-2]] and the Westermayer Tragschrauber, and can provide near [[VTOL]] performance.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}}<ref>{{Cite web |last = Gremminger |first = Greg |title = HIGH VELOCITY CURVE for GYROPLANES |url = http://www.magnigyro.com/features/HV%20Curve%20for%20Gyroplanes.pdf%7Ctitle=HEIGHT%5B%5D |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224602/http://www.magnigyro.com/features/HV%20Curve%20for%20Gyroplanes.pdf |archive-date = 17 December 2013 |access-date = 17 December 2013 |website = Magni Gyro }}</ref>

== Pusher vs tractor configuration ==

[[File:montgomerie.merlin.b8mr.autogyro.arp.jpg|thumb|right|Montgomerie Merlin single-seat autogyro]]

Modern autogyros typically follow one of two basic configurations. The most common design is the pusher configuration, where the engine and propeller are located behind the pilot and rotor mast, such as in the Bensen "[[#Bensen Gyrocopter|Gyrocopter]]". Its main advantages are the simplicity and lightness of its construction and the unobstructed visibility. It was developed by Igor Bensen in the decades following World War II, who also founded the Popular Rotorcraft Association (PRA) to help it become more widespread.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Garrison |first1 = Peter |title = Mail Drop: Gyroplane Facts |url = https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/mail-drop-gyroplane-facts/ |website = Flying Mag |date = 2 October 2015 |publisher = Flying Magazine |access-date = 15 August 2021 |archive-date = 15 August 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210815234037/https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/mail-drop-gyroplane-facts/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

Less common today is the tractor configuration. In this version, the engine and propeller are located at the front of the aircraft, ahead of the pilot and rotor mast. This was the primary configuration in early autogyros but became less common. Nonetheless, the tractor configuration has some advantages compared to a pusher, namely greater yaw stability (as the center of mass is farther away from the rudder), and greater ease in aligning the center of thrust with the center of mass to prevent "bunting" (engine thrust overwhelming the pitch control).<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Fietz |first1 = Ken |title = The little wing autogyro |url = http://www.gyroplanepassion.com/LittleWing.html |website = gyroplane passion |access-date = 16 August 2021 |archive-date = 15 August 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210815234029/http://www.gyroplanepassion.com/LittleWing.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

== History ==

[[Juan de la Cierva]] was a Spanish [[engineer]], inventor, pilot, and aeronautical enthusiast. In 1921, he participated in a design competition to develop a bomber for the Spanish military. De la Cierva designed a three-engined aircraft, but during an early test flight, the bomber stalled and crashed. De la Cierva was troubled by the stall phenomenon and vowed to develop an aircraft that could fly safely at low airspeeds. The result was the first successful rotorcraft, which he named ''autogiro'' in 1923.<ref name="govCierva">{{cite web |url = http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/cierva/DI17.htm |title = Juan De La Cierva |publisher = [[Centennial of Flight Commission]] |year = 2003 |access-date = 28 January 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606112250/http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/cierva/DI17.htm |archive-date = 6 June 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> De la Cierva's autogiro used an airplane fuselage with a forward-mounted propeller and engine, an un-powered rotor mounted on a mast, and a horizontal and vertical stabilizer. His aircraft became the predecessor of the modern [[helicopter]].<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://scihi.org/juan-de-la-cierva-and-the-autogiro/ |title = Juan de la Cierva and the Autogiro |first = Harald |last = Sack |date = 21 September 2014 |website = SciHi Blog |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425222935/http://scihi.org/juan-de-la-cierva-and-the-autogiro/ |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = dead |access-date = 9 June 2019 }}</ref>

=== Early development ===
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2011}}

[[File:Ciervas 1st autogiro.jpg|right|thumb|The first successful autogyro, the C.4, first flew in 1923]]

[[File:Pitcairn autogyro NC-12681at St. Hubert, Quebec. Aug. 19, 1932.jpg|right|thumb|A Pitcairn autogyro NC-12681 at St. Hubert, Quebec. 19 August 1932]]

After four years of experimentation, de la Cierva invented the first practical rotorcraft the autogyro (''autogiro'' in Spanish), in 1923. His first three designs ([[Cierva C.1|C.1]], [[Cierva C.2|C.2]], and [[Cierva C.3|C.3]]) were unstable because of aerodynamic and structural deficiencies in their rotors. His fourth design, the [[Cierva C.4|C.4]], made the first documented flight of an autogyro on 17{{nbsp}}January 1923, piloted by Alejandro Gomez Spencer at Cuatro Vientos airfield in Madrid, Spain (9{{nbsp}}January according to de la Cierva).<ref name="charLeg" />

De la Cierva had fitted the rotor of the C.4 with flapping hinges to attach each rotor blade to the hub. The flapping hinges allowed each rotor blade to flap, or move up and down, to compensate for [[dissymmetry of lift]], the difference in lift produced between the right and left sides of the rotor as the autogyro moves forward.<ref name="govCierva"/><ref name="govGyro">{{cite web |url = http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Rotary/autogiro/HE3.htm |title = The Contributions of the Autogyro |year = 2003 |publisher = [[Centennial of Flight Commission]] |access-date = 14 December 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101214081414/http://centennialofflight.gov/essay/Rotary/autogiro/HE3.htm |archive-date = 14 December 2010 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Three days later, the engine failed shortly after takeoff and the aircraft descended slowly and steeply to a safe landing, validating de la Cierva's efforts to produce an aircraft that could be flown safely at low airspeeds.

[[File:Cierva C.6, Madrid 2.jpg|thumb|A [[Cierva C.6]] replica in Cuatro Vientos Air Museum, Madrid, Spain]]

De la Cierva developed his [[Cierva C.6|C.6]] model with the assistance of Spain's Military Aviation establishment, having expended all his funds on the development and construction of the first five prototypes. The C.6 first flew in February 1925, piloted by Captain [[Joaquín Loriga]],<ref>[https://historiadeza.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/loriga-el-primer-viaje-del-autogiro/ "EL PRIMER VIAJE DEL AUTOGIRO"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710225343/https://historiadeza.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/loriga-el-primer-viaje-del-autogiro/ |date=10 July 2018 }} ''MADRID CIENTIFICO'', 1924. Nº 1128, página 9</ref> including a flight of {{convert|10.5|km|mi|abbr=off}} from Cuatro Vientos airfield to [[Getafe]] airfield in about eight minutes, a significant accomplishment for any rotorcraft of the time. Shortly after de la Cierva's success with the C.6, he accepted an offer from Scottish industrialist James{{nbsp}}G. Weir to establish the [[Cierva Autogiro Company]] in England, following a demonstration of the C.6 before the British [[Air Ministry]] at [[RAE Farnborough]], on 20{{nbsp}}October 1925. Britain had become the world centre of autogyro development.

A crash in February 1926, caused by blade root failure, led to an improvement in rotor hub design. A drag hinge was added in conjunction with the flapping hinge to allow each blade to move fore and aft and relieve in-plane stresses, generated as a byproduct of the flapping motion. This development led to the Cierva C.8, which, on 18{{nbsp}}September 1928, made the first rotorcraft crossing of the [[English Channel]] followed by a tour of Europe.

United States industrialist [[Harold Frederick Pitcairn]], on learning of the successful flights of the autogyro, visited de la Cierva in Spain. In 1928, he visited him again, in England, after taking a [[Cierva C.8|C.8]] L.IV test flight piloted by Arthur H.{{nbsp}}C.{{nbsp}}A. Rawson. Being particularly impressed with the autogyro's safe vertical descent capability, Pitcairn purchased a C.8 L.IV with a Wright Whirlwind engine. Arriving in the United States on 11{{nbsp}}December 1928 accompanied by Rawson, this autogyro was redesignated C.8W.<ref name="charLeg" /> Subsequently, production of autogyros was licensed to several manufacturers, including the [[Pitcairn Autogiro Company]] in the United States and [[Focke-Wulf]] of Germany.

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00996A, Hubschrauber Focke-Wulf C 19 "Heuschrecke".jpg|thumb|A [[Focke-Wulf]]-built [[Cierva C.19]] Mk.IV Autogiro]]

In 1927, German engineer [[Engelbert Zaschka]] invented a combined helicopter and autogyro. The principal advantage of the Zaschka machine is its ability to remain motionless in the air for any length of time and to descend in a vertical line so that a landing could be accomplished on the flat roof of a large house. In appearance, the machine does not differ much from the ordinary monoplane, but the carrying wings revolve around the body.

Development of the autogyro continued in the search for a means to accelerate the rotor before takeoff (called prerotating). Rotor drives initially took the form of a rope wrapped around the rotor axle and then pulled by a team of men to accelerate the rotor{{snds}}this was followed by a long taxi to bring the rotor up to speed sufficient for takeoff. The next innovation was flaps on the tail to redirect the propeller slipstream into the rotor while on the ground. This design was first tested on a [[Cierva C.19|C.19]] in 1929. Efforts in 1930 had shown that the development of a light and efficient mechanical transmission was not a trivial undertaking. In 1932 the Pitcairn-Cierva Autogiro Company of [[Willow Grove, Pennsylvania]], [[United States]] solved this problem with a transmission driven by the engine.

[[Buhl Aircraft Company]] produced its [[Buhl A-1 Autogyro|Buhl A-1]], the first autogyro with a propulsive rear motor, designed by [[Etienne Dormoy]] and meant for aerial observation (motor behind pilot and camera). It had its maiden flight on 15{{nbsp}}December 1931.<ref>[[Buhl Aircraft Company]] [http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2150978 site=www.rcgroups.com Buhl A-1 autogyro – 1931] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132226/http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2150978 |date=28 January 2015 }} and [http://www.gyroplanepassion.com/BuhlA-1.html The Buhl A-1 Autogiro] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208065538/http://www.gyroplanepassion.com/BuhlA-1.html |date=8 December 2015 }}</ref>

[[File:Buhl A-1 Autogiro - autogyro with rear push propeller engine - designer Etienne Dormoy and pilot James Johnson - 1931.jpg|thumb|right|[[Buhl A-1 Autogyro]] with rear push propeller (1931)]]

De la Cierva's early autogyros were fitted with fixed rotor hubs, small fixed wings, and control surfaces like those of a fixed-wing aircraft. At low airspeeds, the control surfaces became ineffective and could readily lead to loss of control, particularly during landing. In response, de la Cierva developed a direct control rotor hub, which could be tilted in any direction by the pilot. De la Cierva's direct control was first developed on the Cierva C.19 Mk.{{nbsp}}V and saw the production on the [[Cierva C.30]] series of 1934. In March 1934, this type of autogyro became the first [[rotorcraft]] to take off and land on the deck of a ship, when a C.30 performed trials on board the [[Spanish navy]] [[seaplane tender]] [[Spanish seaplane carrier Dédalo|''Dédalo'']] off Valencia.<ref>"The first ''Dedalo'' was an aircraft transportation ship and the first in the world from which an autogyro took off and landed." Naval Ship Systems Command, US: ''Naval Ship Systems Command technical news.''1966, v. 15–16, page 40</ref>

Later that year, during the leftist [[Asturian miners' strike of 1934|Asturias revolt]] in October, an autogyro made a reconnaissance flight for the loyal troops, marking the first military employment of a rotorcraft.<ref>Payne, Stanley G. (1993). ''Spain's first democracy: the Second Republic, 1931–1936''. Univ of Wisconsin Press, p. 219. {{ISBN|0-299-13674-4}}</ref>

When improvements in helicopters made them practical, autogyros became largely neglected. Also, they were susceptible to [[ground resonance]].<ref name="govGyro" /> They were, however, used in the 1930s by major [[newspaper]]s, and by the [[United States Postal Service]] for the mail service between cities in the northeast.<ref name="BladeRunner">
{{Cite news |last = Pulle |first = Matt |title = Blade Runner |newspaper = Dallas Observer |location = Dallas, Tx |volume = 27 |issue = 27 |date = 5 July 2007 |pages = 19–27 |url = http://www.dallasobserver.com/2007-07-05/news/blade-runner/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121002054326/http://www.dallasobserver.com/2007-07-05/news/blade-runner/3/ |archive-date = 2012-10-02 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== Winter War ===

During the [[Winter War]] of 1939–1940, the [[Soviet Air Forces|Red Army Air Force]] used armed [[Kamov]] [[Kamov A-7|A-7]] autogyros to provide fire correction for [[Artillery battery|artillery batteries]], carrying out{{nbsp}}20 combat flights.<ref name="Maslov-2015">{{Cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pSEEogEACAAJ |title = Soviet Autogyros 1929-1942 |last = Maslov |first = Mikhail |date = 2015 |publisher = Helion |isbn = 978-1-910294-65-9 |language = en |access-date = 8 November 2020 |archive-date = 25 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230225162718/https://books.google.com/books?id=pSEEogEACAAJ |url-status = live }}</ref> The A-7 was the first [[Rotorcraft|rotary-wing aircraft]] designed for combat,<ref>{{Cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=T3hCO8j9YfAC&pg=PA319 |title = How the Helicopter Changed Modern Warfare |last = Boyne |first = Walter |date = 2011-03-04 |publisher = Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. |isbn = 978-1-4556-1568-1 |language = en |access-date = 25 December 2021 |archive-date = 25 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230225162719/https://books.google.com/books?id=T3hCO8j9YfAC&pg=PA319 |url-status = live }}</ref> armed with one [[7.62×54mmR]] [[PV-1 machine gun]], a pair of [[Degtyaryov machine gun|Degtyaryov]] machine guns, and six [[RS-82 (rocket family)|RS-82 rockets]] or four FAB-100 [[Aerial bomb|bombs]].

=== World War II ===

[[File:Cierva-Duxford.JPG|thumb|right|Royal Air Force Avro Rota Mk 1 Cierva Autogiro C30 A, at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], UK]]

[[File:Kayaba ka-1.jpg|thumb|Kayaba Ka-1]]

The [[Avro Rota]] autogyro, a military version of the Cierva C.30, was used by the [[Royal Air Force]] to calibrate [[Chain Home|coastal radar stations]] during and after the [[Battle of Britain]].<ref>{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cBbnDiTUx6YC&q=autogyro+radar+callibration&pg=PA139 |page = 139 |title = Radar Development to 1945 |publisher = [[Institution of Electrical Engineers|IEE]] |last = Burns |first = R.W. |year = 1988 |isbn = 0-86341-139-8 |access-date = 8 November 2020 |archive-date = 25 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230225162720/https://books.google.com/books?id=cBbnDiTUx6YC&q=autogyro+radar+callibration&pg=PA139 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In World War II, Germany pioneered a very small gyroglider [[rotor kite]], the [[Focke-Achgelis Fa 330]] "Bachstelze" (wagtail), towed by [[U-boat]]s to provide aerial surveillance.

The [[Imperial Japanese Army]] developed the [[Kayaba Ka-1]] autogyro for reconnaissance, artillery-spotting, and anti-submarine uses. The Ka-1 was based on the [[Kellett KD-1]] first imported to Japan in 1938. The craft was initially developed for use as an observation platform and for artillery spotting duties. The army liked the craft's short take-off span, and especially its low maintenance requirements. Production began in 1941, with the machines assigned to artillery units for spotting the fall of shells. These carried two crewmen: a pilot and a spotter.

Later, the Japanese Army commissioned two small aircraft carriers intended for coastal [[anti-submarine weapon|antisubmarine]] (ASW) duties. The spotter's position on the Ka-1 was modified to carry one small depth charge. Ka-1 ASW autogyros operated from shore bases as well as the two small carriers. They appear to have been responsible for at least one submarine sinking.

With the beginning of [[Operation Barbarossa|German invasion in USSR]] June 1941, the [[Soviet Air Forces|Soviet Air Force]] organized new courses for training [[Kamov]] A-7 aircrew and ground support staff. In August 1941, per the decision of the chief artillery directorate of the [[Red Army]], based on the trained flight group and five combat-ready A-7 autogyros, the 1st autogyro artillery spotting aircraft squadron was formed, which was included in the strength of the 24th Army of the [[Soviet Air Forces|Soviet Air Force]], combat active in the area around [[Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast|Elnya]] near [[Battle of Smolensk (1941)|Smolensk]]. From 30{{nbsp}}August to 5{{nbsp}}October 1941 the autogyros made{{nbsp}}19 combat sorties for artillery spotting. Not one autogyro was lost in action, while the unit was disbanded in 1942 due to the shortage of serviceable aircraft.<ref name="Maslov-2015" />

=== Postwar developments ===

The autogyro was resurrected after World War{{nbsp}}II when Dr. [[Igor Bensen]], a Russian immigrant in the United States, saw a captured German U-boat's [[Focke-Achgelis Fa 330|Fa{{nbsp}}330 gyroglider]] and was fascinated by its characteristics. At work, he was tasked with the analysis of the British military [[Rotachute]] gyro glider designed by an expatriate Austrian, [[Raoul Hafner]]. This led him to adapt the design for his purposes and eventually market the [[Bensen B-7]] in 1955. Bensen submitted an improved version, the [[Bensen B-8M]], for testing to the [[United States Air Force]], which designated it the X-25.<ref name=x25>{{cite web |url = https://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf#page=34 |first1 = Dennis R. |last1 = Jenkins |first2 = Tony |last2 = Landis |first3 = Jay |last3 = Miller |title = Bensen Aircraft Corporation X-25 |page = 33 |work = American X-vehicles: an inventory, X-1 to X-50 |publisher = [[NASA]] |date = June 2003 |access-date = 18 February 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425225303/https://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf#page=34 |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The B-8M was designed to use surplus [[McCulloch Motors Corporation|McCulloch]] engines used on flying unmanned [[target drone]]s.

[[Ken Wallis]] developed a miniature autogyro craft, the [[Wallis WA-116 Agile|''Wallis'' autogyro]], in England in the 1960s, and autogyros built similar to Wallis' design appeared for many years. Ken Wallis' designs have been used in various scenarios, including military training, police reconnaissance, and in a search for the [[Loch Ness Monster]], as well as an appearance in the 1967 James Bond movie ''[[You Only Live Twice (film)|You Only Live Twice]]''.

Three different autogyro designs have been certified by the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] for commercial production: the Umbaugh U-18/[[Air & Space 18A]] of 1965, the [[Avian 2/180 Gyroplane]] of 1967, and the [[McCulloch J-2]] of 1972. All have been commercial failures, for various reasons.

The [[Kaman KSA-100 SAVER]] (Stowable Aircrew Vehicle Escape Rotorseat) is an aircraft-stowable gyroplane escape device designed and built for the [[United States Navy]]. Designed to be installed in [[Naval aviation|naval combat aircraft]] as part of the ejection sequence, only one example was built and it did not enter service. It was powered by a [[Williams F107|Williams WRC-19]] [[turbofan]] making it the first jet-powered autogyro.

=== Bensen Gyrocopter ===

The basic [[Bensen B-8|Bensen ''Gyrocopter'']] design is a simple frame of square aluminium or galvanized steel tubing, reinforced with triangles of lighter tubing. It is arranged so that the stress falls on the tubes, or special fittings, not the bolts. A{{nbsp}}front-to-back keel mounts a steerable nosewheel, seat, engine, and vertical stabilizer. Outlying mainwheels are mounted on an axle. Some versions may mount seaplane-style floats for water operations.

[[File:bensengyrocopter001.jpg|thumb|right|Bensen Aircraft B8MG Gyrocopter]]

Bensen-type autogyros use a [[pusher configuration]] for simplicity and to increase visibility for the pilot. Power can be supplied by a variety of engines. McCulloch drone engines, Rotax marine engines, Subaru automobile engines, and other designs have been used in Bensen-type designs.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}}

The rotor is mounted atop the vertical mast. The rotor system of all Bensen-type autogyros is of a two-blade teetering design. There are some disadvantages associated with this rotor design, but the simplicity of the rotor design lends itself to ease of assembly and maintenance and is one of the reasons for its popularity. Aircraft-quality birch was specified in early Bensen designs, and a wood/steel composite is used in the world-speed-record-holding Wallis design. Gyroplane rotor blades are made from other materials such as [[aluminium]] and [[Glass-reinforced plastic|GRP]]-based composite.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}}

Bensen's success triggered several other designs, some of them fatally flawed with an offset between the [[centre of gravity]] and thrust line, risking a [[power push-over]] (PPO or buntover) causing the death of the pilot and giving gyroplanes, in general, a poor reputation{{snds}}in contrast to de la Cierva's original intention and early statistics. Most new autogyros are now safe from PPO.<ref name="eeaGyro">{{cite web |url = http://www.eaa.org/lightplaneworld/articles/1102_gyroplanes.asp |title = This is Not Your Father's Gyroplane |last = O'Connor |first = Timothy |publisher = [[Experimental Aircraft Association]] (EEA) |access-date = 12 February 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120315121402/http://www.eaa.org/lightplaneworld/articles/1102_gyroplanes.asp |archive-date = 15 March 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref><!--RFH page 21-3-->

=== 21st-century development and use ===

[[File:Utah Olympics Hawk 4.jpg|thumb|right|[[Groen Brothers Aviation|GBA's]] Hawk&nbsp;4 provided perimeter patrol during the [[2002 Winter Olympics]].]]

In 2002, a [[Groen Brothers Aviation]]'s [[Groen Hawk 4|Hawk&nbsp;4]] provided perimeter patrol for the [[2002 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] and [[2002 Winter Paralympics|Paralympics]] in Salt Lake City, Utah. The aircraft completed 67{{nbsp}}missions and accumulated 75{{nbsp}}hours of maintenance-free flight time during its 90-day operational contract.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=32b64ddd-24e0-487a-bbf7-dd62f386af7a |title = Olympic Security Aided by Groen Brothers' Hawk |website = Aero-News Network |date = Jan 2, 2002 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425230947/http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=32b64ddd-24e0-487a-bbf7-dd62f386af7a |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = dead |access-date = 8 January 2012 }}</ref>

Worldwide, over 1,000 autogyros are used by authorities for military and law enforcement. The first U.S. police authorities to evaluate an autogyro were the [[Tomball, Texas]], police, on a $40,000<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/scitech/110322-tomball-police-gyroplane |last = Supgul |first = Alexander |title = Tomball Police Equipped with Gyroplane |date = 22 March 2011 |access-date = 13 September 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110819145859/http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/scitech/110322-tomball-police-gyroplane |archive-date = 19 August 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> grant from the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] together with city funds,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last = Hauck |first = Robert S |date = July–August 2011 |title = Broadening Horizons |url = https://www.justnet.org/pdf/Airbeat%20July%20August%202011%20-%20Tomball.pdf |magazine = Air Beat Magazine |pages = 52–54 |access-date = 2019-08-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425231426/https://www.justnet.org/pdf/Airbeat%20July%20August%202011%20-%20Tomball.pdf |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|lC87Nns4VIY|title=Tomball PD Gyroplane (Congressman McCaul Visit)}}</ref> costing much less than a helicopter to buy ($75,000) and operate ($50/hour).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/rotorhub/alea-2011-autogyro-debuts-in-the-sky-over-texas/9585/ |title = ALEA 2011: Autogyro debuts in the sky over Texas |date = 22 July 2011 |access-date = 13 September 2011 |first = Tony |last = Osborne |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120419000157/http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotorhub/alea-2011-autogyro-debuts-in-the-sky-over-texas/9585/ |archive-date = April 19, 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Hardigree |first = Matt |url = https://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/09/tomball-police-autogyro/ |title = Flying the Police Aircraft of the Future |magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date = 13 September 2011 |access-date = 13 September 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425231855/https://www.wired.com/2011/09/tomball-police-autogyro/ |archive-date = April 25, 2020 |url-status = live }}<br>{{cite web |url = https://jalopnik.com/flying-the-police-aircraft-of-the-future-5795803 |title = Flying the police aircraft of the future |date = September 12, 2011 |last = Hardigree |first = Matt |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425232002/https://jalopnik.com/flying-the-police-aircraft-of-the-future-5795803 |archive-date = 25 April 2020 |url-status = dead |access-date = 26 April 2020 }}</ref> Although it is able to land in 40-knot crosswinds,<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.chron.com/business/article/Spinning-His-Wheels-Local-Dealer-Offers-2134357.php |title = Gyroplanes in reach of non-millionaires |work = [[Houston Chronicle]] |date = August 20, 2011 |last = Bretting |first = Sandra |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425234224/https://www.chron.com/business/article/Spinning-His-Wheels-Local-Dealer-Offers-2134357.php |archive-date = April 25, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> a minor accident happened when the rotor was not kept under control in a wind gust.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20140122X85936&ntsbno=CEN14TA116&akey=1 |title = CEN14TA116 - Full narrative |date = 23 April 2014 |access-date = 16 May 2014 |publisher = [[NTSB]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140529231803/https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20140122X85936&ntsbno=CEN14TA116&akey=1 |archive-date = May 29, 2014 |url-status = dead }}<br>{{cite web |url = https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20140122X85936 |title = CEN14TA116 - Probable Cause |date = 23 April 2014 |access-date = 16 May 2014 |publisher = [[NTSB]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140712012817/https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20140122X85936 |archive-date = Jul 12, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

[[File:Gyros and helis 7g Erbil.jpg|thumb|right|Autogyros and helicopters of the Kurdish Police]]

Since 2009, several projects in [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] have been realized. In 2010, the first autogyro was handed over to the Kurdish Minister of Interiors, Mr. Karim Sinjari. The project for the interior ministry was to train pilots to control and monitor the approach and takeoff paths of the airports in [[Erbil]], [[Sulaymaniyah]], and [[Dohuk]] to prevent terrorist encroachments. The gyroplane pilots also form the backbone of the pilot crew of the Kurdish police, who are trained to pilot on [[Eurocopter]] [[Eurocopter EC 120|EC&nbsp;120&nbsp;B]] helicopters.<ref name="IraqSecSummit">{{cite web |url = http://www.theaussieaviator.net/threads/iraq-defence-security-summit-2012.34229/ |title = Iraq Defence & Security Summit 2012 |work = The Aussie Aviator |date = 4 April 2012 |access-date = 4 June 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120718132404/http://www.theaussieaviator.net/threads/iraq-defence-security-summit-2012.34229/ |archive-date = 18 July 2012 |url-status = usurped }}</ref><ref name="akn_tphh">{{cite news |url = http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/278818/ |title = Kurdistan's traffic police to have helicopters |first = Fryad |last = Mohammed |work = AKNews |date = 17 December 2011 |access-date = 4 June 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120718145308/http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/278818/ |archive-date = 18 July 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="ibn">{{cite news |url = http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2012/02/28/5-traffic-helicopters-arrive-in-kurdistan/ |title = 5 Traffic Helicopters Arrive in Kurdistan |work = Iraq Business News |date = 28 February 2012 |access-date = 4 June 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120628075607/http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2012/02/28/5-traffic-helicopters-arrive-in-kurdistan/ |archive-date = 28 June 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In{{nbsp}}18 months from 2009 to 2010, the German pilot couple Melanie and Andreas Stützfor undertook the first world tour by autogyro, in which they flew several different gyroplane types in Europe, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and South America. The adventure was documented in the book "WELTFLUG{{snds}}The Gyroplane Dream" and in the film "Weltflug.tv&nbsp;–The Gyrocopter World Tour".<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.weltflug.com/ |title = Weltflug – The Gyroplane Dream |access-date = 25 August 2019 |archive-date = 25 August 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190825021658/http://www.weltflug.com/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Unmanned autogyros===

While most autogyros have historically been manned, recent decades have seen the development of unmanned autogyros for specialized applications. These [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)]] leverage the simplicity and stability of the autogyro configuration while eliminating the need for onboard pilots, making them suitable for missions in hazardous flight conditions.

The [[MMIST CQ-10 SnowGoose]] was among the earliest examples, designed for cargo delivery in military operations. Later developments, such as the [[BAE Systems Ampersand]], explored reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities using an optionally piloted autogyro.

In the scientific domain, the [[ThunderFly TF-G2]] represents a modern autogyro [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]] designed for atmospheric research. It is used for [[Atmospheric sounding|atmospheric profiling]] and meteorological data collection, particularly in conditions unsuitable for conventional fixed-wing UAVs.

== Helicopter autogyration ==

While autogyros are not helicopters, helicopters are capable of [[autorotation]]. If a helicopter suffers a power failure, the pilot can adjust the [[collective pitch]] to keep the rotor spinning generating enough lift to touch down and skid in a relatively soft landing via [[autorotation]] of its rotor disc.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = How Helicopters Glide to the Ground When the Engine Cuts Out |magazine = Popular Mechanics |date = 14 November 2017 |url = https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a20559/how-helicopters-land-safely-engine-cuts-out/ |access-date = 20 September 2022 |archive-date = 20 September 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220920214223/https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a20559/how-helicopters-land-safely-engine-cuts-out/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

== Certification by national aviation authorities ==

=== United Kingdom certification ===

[[File:VPM M-16.JPG|thumb|right|A VPM M-16 commences its take-off roll]]

Some autogyros, such as the Rotorsport MT03,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1419/srg_acp_TADSGyroplane_BG01_Issue1.pdf |publisher = [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority]] |work = Gyroplane type approval data sheet (TADS) |title = Type: RotorSport UK MT-03 |access-date = 13 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071202131341/http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1419/srg_acp_TADSGyroplane_BG01_Issue1.pdf |archive-date = 2 December 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref> MTO Sport (open tandem), and Calidus (enclosed tandem), and the Magni Gyro M16C (open tandem)<ref>{{cite web |title = Magni M16C Type Approval Data Sheet (TADS) |url = http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1419/20110801GyroTADSBG03Iss7MagniM16C.pdf |publisher = [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority]] |access-date = 1 August 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151016104716/http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1419/20110801GyroTADSBG03Iss7MagniM16C.pdf |archive-date = October 16, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref> & M24 (enclosed side by side) have type approval by the [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority]] (CAA) under British Civil Airworthiness Requirements CAP643 Section{{nbsp}}T.<ref name="CAP643">{{cite web |url = http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP643.PDF |publisher = [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority]] |title = CAP 643 British Civil Airworthiness Requirements Section T Light Gyroplanes |access-date = 13 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071202131345/http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP643.PDF |archive-date = 2 December 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
Others operate under a permit to fly issued by the [[Popular Flying Association]] similar to the{{nbsp}}U.S. experimental aircraft certification. However, the CAA's assertion that autogyros have a poor safety record means that a permit to fly will be granted only to existing types of an autogyro. All new types of autogyro must be submitted for full type approval under CAP643 Section{{nbsp}}T.<ref name="CAP733">{{cite web |url = http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP733.PDF |publisher = [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority]] |title = CAP 733 Permit to Fly Aircraft |page = 20, Chapter 3, Section 5 |access-date = 13 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071202131338/http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP733.PDF |archive-date = 2 December 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The CAA allows gyro flight over congested areas.<ref name=wag2>{{cite web |last = Van Wagenen |first = Juliet |url = http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/topstories/CAA-Removes-OverFlight-Restrictions-on-Gyropalanes_83426.html |title = CAA Removes Overflight Restrictions on Gyroplanes |work = Aviation Today |date = 31 October 2014 |access-date = 17 November 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200425235955/https://www.aviationtoday.com/2014/10/31/caa-removes-overflight-restrictions-on-gyroplanes/ |archive-date = April 25, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2005, the CAA issued a mandatory permit directive (MPD) which restricted operations for single-seat autogyros and were subsequently integrated into CAP643 Issue 3 published on 12{{nbsp}}August 2005.<ref name="CAP643" /> The restrictions are concerned with the offset between the [[centre of gravity]] and thrust line and apply to all aircraft unless evidence is presented to the CAA that the CG/Thrust Line offset is less than 2&nbsp;inches (5&nbsp;cm) in either direction. The restrictions are summarised as follows:
* Aircraft with a cockpit/[[nacelle]] may be operated only by pilots with more than 50&nbsp;hours of solo flight experience following the issue of their licence.
* Open-frame aircraft are restricted to a minimum speed of {{cvt|30|mph|km/h kn}}, except in the flare.
* All aircraft are restricted to a [[Vne]] (maximum airspeed) of {{cvt|70|mph|km/h kn}}
* Flight is not permitted when surface winds exceed {{cvt|17|mph|km/h kn}} or if the gust spread exceeds {{cvt|12|mph|km/h kn}}
* Flight is not permitted in moderate, severe, or extreme turbulence and airspeed must be reduced to {{cvt|63|mph|km/h kn}} if turbulence is encountered mid-flight.
These restrictions do ''not'' apply to autogyros with type approval under CAA CAP643 Section T, which are subject to the operating limits specified in the type approval.

=== United States certification ===

[[File:Super Genie.jpg|thumb|right|A Super Genie autogyro readying for takeoff]]

A certificated autogyro must meet mandated stability and control criteria; in the [[United States]] these are outlined in ''[[Federal Aviation Regulations]] Part 27: Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category Rotorcraft''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet |work = [[Federal Aviation Administration]] |title = Current FAR by Part |access-date = 13 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010623041447/http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet |archive-date = 23 June 2001 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
The U.S. [[Federal Aviation Administration]] issues a [[Standard Airworthiness Certificate]] to qualified autogyros. Amateur-built or kit-built aircraft are operated under a [[Special Airworthiness Certificate]] in the Experimental category.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification/sp_awcert/experiment/expt_operating/ |work = [[Federal Aviation Administration]] |title = Experimental Category Operating Amateur-built, Kit-built, or Light-sport Aircraft |access-date = 13 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200426000622/https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification/sp_awcert/experiment/expt_operating/ |archive-date = 26 April 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Per FAR 1.1, the FAA uses the term "gyroplane" for all autogyros, regardless of the type of airworthiness certificate.

== World records ==

In 1931, [[Amelia Earhart]] (U.S.) flew a [[Pitcairn PCA-2]] to a women's world altitude record of 18,415&nbsp;ft (5,613&nbsp;m).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ameliaearhart.com/about/achievements.html |title = Achievements |work = Official Amelia Earhart website |access-date = 9 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071222054902/http://www.ameliaearhart.com/about/achievements.html |archive-date = 22 December 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

[[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Ken Wallis]] (U.K.) held most of the autogyro world records during his autogyro flying career. These include a time-to-climb,<ref name=FAI_c3>{{cite web |url = http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=5346 |title = FAI Record ID #5346 – Autogyro, Time to climb to a height of 3000 m |publisher = [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI) |access-date = 28 November 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203042549/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=5346 |archive-date = 3 December 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref> a speed record of 189&nbsp;km/h (111.7&nbsp;mph),<ref name=FAI_s15>{{cite web |url = http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=303 |title = FAI Record ID #303 – Autogyro, Speed over a straight 15/25 km course |publisher = [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI) |access-date = 28 November 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035624/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=303 |archive-date = 3 December 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref> and the straight-line distance record of {{convert|869.23|km|mi|abbr=on}}. On 16{{nbsp}}November 2002, at 89 years of age, Wallis increased the speed record to 207.7&nbsp;km/h (129.1&nbsp;mph)<ref name=FAI_s3>{{cite web |url = http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7601 |title = FAI Record ID #7601 – Autogyro, Speed over a 3 km course |publisher = [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI) |access-date = 28 November 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203034031/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7601 |archive-date = 3 December 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref> – and simultaneously set another world record as the oldest pilot to set a world record.

Until 2019, the autogyro was one of the last remaining types of aircraft which had not yet [[circumnavigate]]d the globe. The 2004 [[Expedition Global Eagle]] was the first attempt to do so using an autogyro.<ref name=BBC1>{{cite web |title = Nottingham Features – Magnigyro record attempt |website = BBC |date = 5 September 2002 |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/features/2004/04/magnigyro_record_attempt.shtml |access-date = 2019-08-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200426001338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/features/2004/04/magnigyro_record_attempt.shtml |archive-date = 26 April 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> The expedition set the record for the longest flight over water by an autogyro during the segment from [[Muscat, Oman]], to [[Karachi]].<ref name=YorkshirePost>{{cite web |title = The Eagle has landed – but pilot vows to try again |website = Yorkshire Post |date = 21 October 2004 |url = https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/latest-news/the-eagle-has-landed-but-pilot-vows-to-try-again-1-2550374 |access-date = 2019-08-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190823032135/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/latest-news/the-eagle-has-landed-but-pilot-vows-to-try-again-1-2550374 |archive-date = August 23, 2019 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The attempt was finally abandoned because of bad weather after having covered {{convert|7500|mi|km}}.

<!--Barry Jones was superseded http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7639 -->
[[File:Littlewing.JPG|thumb|right|Little Wing Autogyro]]
{{as of|2014}}, Andrew Keech (U.S.) holds several records. He made a transcontinental flight in his self-built [[Little Wing Autogyro]] "Woodstock" from [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina]], to [[San Diego]], [[California]], in October 2003, breaking the record set 72{{nbsp}}years earlier by [[Johnny Miller (aviator)|Johnny Miller]] in a Pitcairn PCA-2. He also set three world records for speed over a recognized course.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.fai.org/cig-news/32190-Class-E-%28Rotorcraft%29-record-claims-ratified |publisher = [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] |title = Class E (Rotorcraft) record claims ratified |date = 26 February 2004 |access-date = 12 September 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225258/http://www.fai.org/cig-news/32190-Class-E-%28Rotorcraft%29-record-claims-ratified |archive-date = 12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7928 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225230/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7928 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7945 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225301/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7945 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7946 1+2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230836/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7946 |date=12 September 2014 }}</ref> On 9{{nbsp}}February 2006 he broke two of his world records and set a record for distance, ratified by the [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI): Speed over a closed circuit of {{convert|500|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} without payload: {{convert|168.29|km/h|mph|2|abbr=on}},<ref name=distance500>"[http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13113 FAI Record ID #13113 – Speed over a closed circuit of 500 km without payload] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913010836/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13113 |date=13 September 2014 }}" ''[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI).'' Retrieved: 12 September 2014.</ref> speed over a closed circuit of {{convert|1000|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} without payload: {{convert|165.07|km/h|mph|2|abbr=on}},<ref name=distance1000>"[http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13115 FAI Record ID #13115 – Speed over a closed circuit of 1000 km without payload] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225304/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13115 |date=12 September 2014 }}" ''[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI).'' Retrieved: 12 September 2014.</ref> and distance over a closed circuit without landing: {{convert|1019.09|km|mi|2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=distance1019>"[http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13111 FAI Record ID #13111 – Speed over a closed circuit without landing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230825/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=13111 |date=12 September 2014 }}" ''[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI).'' Retrieved: 12 September 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://records.fai.org/data?p=4246 |publisher = [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] |title = History of Records: Andrew C. KEECH (USA) |access-date = 11 January 2011 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><!--over 20 current records as of 2014-->

[[File:Magni Gyro M16.JPG|thumbnail|left|MagniGyro M16&nbsp;– Altitude world record holder]]

On 7 November 2015, the Italian astrophysicist and pilot [[Donatella Ricci]] took off with a [[Magni M-16 Tandem Trainer|MagniGyro M16]] from the Caposile aerodrome in Venice, aiming to set a new altitude world record. She reached an altitude of 8,138.46&nbsp;m (26,701&nbsp;ft), breaking the women's world altitude record held for 84{{nbsp}}years by Amelia Earhart. The following day, she increased the altitude by a further 261&nbsp;m, reaching 8,399&nbsp;m (27,556&nbsp;ft), setting the new altitude world record with an autogyro. She improved by 350&nbsp;m (+4.3%) the preceding record established by Andrew Keech in 2004.<ref name="nuovavenezia.gelocal.it">{{cite news |url = https://nuovavenezia.gelocal.it/venezia/cronaca/2015/11/08/news/donatella-ricci-record-di-volo-con-l-autogiro-1.12408313 |title = Donatella Ricci, record di volo con l'"autogiro" |date = 8 November 2015 |last = Bianchi |first = Simone |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160604081201/http://nuovavenezia.gelocal.it/venezia/cronaca/2015/11/08/news/donatella-ricci-record-di-volo-con-l-autogiro-1.12408313 |archive-date = 4 June 2016 |url-status = dead |access-date = 26 April 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:Little Nellie.jpg|thumb|Autogyro ''Little Nellie'' with its creator and pilot, [[Ken Wallis]]]]
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of autogyro records
|-
! rowspan="1" | Year
! rowspan="1" | Pilot
! rowspan="1" | Record type
! rowspan="1" | Record
! rowspan="1" | Aircraft
! rowspan="1" | Notes
|-
| 1998 || [[Ken Wallis]] (U.K.) || Time to climb 3000m || 7:20 min<ref name="FAI_c3" /> || Wallis Type WA-121/Mc (G-BAHH) ||
|-
| 2002 || [[Ken Wallis]] (U.K.) || Speed over a 3&nbsp;km course || 207.7&nbsp;km/h<ref name="FAI_s3" /> || Wallis Type WA-121/Mc (G-BAHH) || Oldest pilot to set the record
|-
| 2015 || [[Donatella Ricci]] (ITA) || Altitude || 8399 m<ref name="nuovavenezia.gelocal.it" /> || Magni M16 – Rotax 914 engine ||
|-
| 2015 || Paul A Salmon (USA) || Distance without landing || 1653.0&nbsp;km<ref name="FAI_distance">"[http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=17745 FAI Record ID #17745 – Autogyro, distance without landing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124093851/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=17745 |date=24 November 2015 }}" ''[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] (FAI).'' Retrieved: 22 November 2015.</ref> || Magni M22-Missing Link II (N322MG) || 10 November 2015
|-
|2015
|Norman Surplus (U.K.)
|First crossing of the Atlantic Ocean<ref name="Norman Frank Surplus GBR 17629">{{Cite web |date = 2017-10-10 |title = Norman Frank Surplus (GBR) (17629) |url = https://www.fai.org/record/17629 |access-date = 2021-03-31 |website = www.fai.org |language = en |archive-date = 29 November 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201129195631/https://www.fai.org/record/17629 |url-status = live }}</ref>
|5.3&nbsp;km/h<ref name="Norman Frank Surplus GBR 17629"/>
|Autogyro MT-03
(G-YROX)
|11 August
2015
|-
|2019
|Norman Surplus (U.K.)
|First physical circumnavigation of the world <ref>{{Cite news |date = 2019-06-29 |title = First autogyro round-the-world trip completed by Larne pilot |language = en-GB |work = BBC News |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48811534 |access-date = 2021-03-31 |archive-date = 11 January 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220111093207/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48811534 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last = Tye |first = Dan |date = 2019-07-02 |title = Norman Surplus completes round-the-world autogyro adventure |url = https://www.adventure52.com/adventure-sports/flying/norman-surplus-completes-round-the-world-autogyro-adventure/ |access-date = 2021-03-31 |website = Adventure 52 |language = en-GB |archive-date = 27 February 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210227120705/https://www.adventure52.com/adventure-sports/flying/norman-surplus-completes-round-the-world-autogyro-adventure/ |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last = Basken |first = Christina |date = 2019-07-25 |title = Whirling Around the World — Taking a Gyroplane on a Worldwide Journey |url = https://inspire.eaa.org/2019/07/25/whirling-around-the-world-taking-a-gyroplane-on-a-worldwide-journey/ |access-date = 2021-03-31 |website = Hangar Flying |language = en-US |archive-date = 26 November 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201126154735/http://inspire.eaa.org/2019/07/25/whirling-around-the-world-taking-a-gyroplane-on-a-worldwide-journey/ |url-status = live }}</ref>
(4 years 28 days)
|not submitted for speed record
|Autogyro MT-03
(G-YROX)
|28 June
2019
|-
|2019
|[[James Ketchell]] (U.K.)
|First circumnavigation of the world<ref name="World Records">{{Cite web |title = First circumnavigation by autogyro |url = https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601558-first-circumnavigation-by-autogyro |access-date = 2021-03-21 |website = Guinness World Records |language = en-GB |archive-date = 30 July 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210730083033/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601558-first-circumnavigation-by-autogyro |url-status = live }}</ref> and speed around the world, eastbound<ref name="wwwfaiorg-2019">{{Cite web |date = 2019-09-30 |title = James Ketchell (GBR) (19101) |url = https://www.fai.org/record/19101 |access-date = 2021-03-21 |website = www.fai.org |language = en |archive-date = 29 January 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200129192202/https://www.fai.org/record/19101 |url-status = live }}</ref>
|44,450&nbsp;km
|Magni M16C
(G-KTCH)
|22 September 2019
|}

[[Norman Surplus]], from Larne in Northern Ireland, became the second person to attempt a world circumnavigation by gyroplane/autogyro type aircraft on 22{{nbsp}}March 2010, flying a Rotorsport UK MT-03 Autogyro, registered G-YROX. Surplus was unable to get permission to enter Russian airspace from Japan, but he established nine world autogyro records on his flight between Northern Ireland and Japan between 2010 and 2011. FAI world records for autogyro flight.<!-- use Surplus as Person search word – no direct link to list --><ref>Norman Surplus (GYROX) list on FAI: [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16278 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225127/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16278 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16281 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230822/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16281 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=15905 3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230839/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=15905 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16016 4] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230830/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16016 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16017 5] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230819/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16017 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16018 6] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225312/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16018 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16022 7] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230833/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16022 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16277 8] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225156/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16277 |date=12 September 2014 }} [http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16280 9] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225308/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=16280 |date=12 September 2014 }}</ref>

G-YROX was delayed (by the Russian impasse) in Japan for over three years before being shipped across the Pacific to the state of [[Oregon]], United States. From 1{{nbsp}}June 2015, Surplus flew from [[McMinnville, Oregon]], across the continental United States, through northern Canada/Greenland, and in late July/August made the first crossing of the North Atlantic by autogyro aircraft to land back in [[Larne, Northern Ireland]] on 11{{nbsp}}August 2015. He established a further ten FAI World Records during this phase of the circumnavigation flight.

After a nine-year wait (since 2010), permission to fly U.K. registered gyroplanes through the Russian Federation was finally approved, and on 22{{nbsp}}April 2019, Surplus and G-YROX continued eastwards from Larne, Northern Ireland, to cross Northern Europe and rendezvous with fellow gyroplane pilot James Ketchell piloting Magni M16 Gyroplane G-KTCH. Flying in loose formation the two aircraft made the first Trans-Russia flight by gyroplane together to reach the [[Bering Sea]]. To cross the [[Bering Strait]], the two aircraft took off from Provideniya Bay, Russia on 7{{nbsp}}June 2019 and landed at [[Nome, Alaska]] on 6{{nbsp}}June having also made the first gyroplane crossing of the [[International Date Line]]. After crossing Alaska and western Canada, on 28{{nbsp}}June 2019, Surplus piloting G-YROX, became the first person to circumnavigate the world in a gyroplane upon returning to the [[Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum]], McMinnville, Oregon, U.S.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Over the nine years it had taken Surplus to complete the task, G-YROX flew {{convert|27,000|nmi|km}} through 32{{nbsp}}countries.

The first physical circumnavigation of the globe by an Autogyro, Oregon to Oregon, had taken Surplus and G-YROX, four years and 28 days to complete, after being dogged by long diplomatic delays in gaining the necessary permission to fly across Russian Federation Airspace. However, as the flight had been severely stalled and interrupted en-route by lengthy delays it was no longer deemed eligible for setting a first, continuously flown, speed record around the world and so this task was then left to James Ketchell to complete, by setting a first official speed record flight around the world for an Autogyro type aircraft, some three months later.

Subsequently, on 22{{nbsp}}September 2019, Ketchell was awarded the world record from the [[Guinness World Records]] as the first circumnavigation of the world in an autogyro<ref name="World Records" /> and from the [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] for the first certified "Speed around the World, Eastbound" circumnavigation in an E-3a Autogyro. He completed his journey in 175 days.<ref name="wwwfaiorg-2019" />

== See also ==

{{Portal|Aviation|England|Spain|United States}}

* [[CarterCopter]] / [[Carter PAV]]
* [[ELA Aviación]]
* [[Fairey Rotodyne]]
* [[Gyrodyne]]
* [[PAL-V]]
* [[Piasecki Aircraft]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book |url = http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media/faa-h-8083-21.pdf |title = Rotorcraft Flying Handbook, FAA Manual H-8083-21 |chapter = 15–22 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Flight Standards Service, [[Federal Aviation Administration]], U.S. Dept. of Transportation |year = 2001 |isbn = 1-56027-404-2 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121027152413/https://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media/faa-h-8083-21.pdf |archive-date = October 27, 2012 |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite book |author = Andreas G. Stuetz |title = Weltflug: The Gyroplane Dream |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=alKBngEACAAJ |year = 2013 |publisher = Createspace Independent Pub |isbn = 978-1-4937-6094-7 }}
* {{cite conference |last1 = Charnov |first1 = Bruce H. |title = A Critical Re-Examination of the Franklin Institute Rotating Wing Aircraft Meeting of October 28 – 29, 1938: Facts and Myths Surrounding the Foundations of Autogiro/Convertiplane/Helicopter Development in America and Europe |url = http://vtol.org/files/dmfile/62-2006-125Charnov2.pdf |date = 2006 |publisher = American Helicopter Society International, Inc. |location = Phoenix, Arizona |conference = American Helicopter Society 62nd Annual Forum }}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Autogyros}}
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20161221155328/http://www.sagpa.co.za/docs/Development%20of%20the%20Autogiro%20a%20Technical%20Perspective.pdf Development of the Autogiro : A Technical Perspective]" : J. Gordon Leishman: [[Hofstra University]], New York, 2003.
* [http://www.jefflewis.net/autogyros.html Jeff Lewis' in-depth history of the Autogyro]
* [http://www.pra.org/ Popular Rotorcraft Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207173218/http://pra.org/ |date=7 February 2011 }} (United States)
* {{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9ycDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 |title = Will Autogiro Banish Present Plane? |magazine = [[Popular Science]] |date = March 1931 |page = 28 }}
* {{cite magazine |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g_EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA538 |title = Feathering of Blades Increase Gyro's Speed |date = April 1932 |magazine = [[Popular Mechanics]] |page = 538 |publisher = Hearst Magazines }}

{{Helicopters}}
{{Gyrodyne}}
{{Aircraft types (by method of thrust and lift)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Autogyros|*]]
[[Category:Aircraft configurations]]
[[Category:Spanish inventions]]
[[Category:Vehicles introduced in 1923]]