Pitcairn PCA-2
The Pitcairn PCA-2 was an autogyro (designated as "autogiro" by Pitcairn) developed in the United States in the early 1930s.[1] It was Harold F. Pitcairn's first autogyro design to be sold in quantity. It had a conventional design for its day – an airplane-like fuselage with two open cockpits in tandem, and an engine mounted tractor-fashion in the nose.[2] The lift by the four-blade main rotor was augmented by stubby, low-set monoplane wings that also carried the control surfaces.[2] The wingtips featured considerable dihedral that acted as winglets for added stability.[2]
Operational history
The PCA-2 was the first rotary-wing aircraft to achieve type certification in the United States[3] and was used in a number of high-profile activities including a landing on the White House lawn[4][5] and the first flight across the United States in a rotorcraft. This latter feat was attempted by Amelia Earhart, flying for the Beech-Nut food company, but was actually accomplished by John M Miller who completed his flight nine days before Earhart on 28 May 1931, in his PCA-2 named Missing Link.[6] Learning of Miller's achievement upon her arrival in California, Earhart set out to turn her flight into a round-trip record by flying east again, but abandoned the attempt after three crashes.[6] Earhart set an altitude record in a PCA-2 on 8 April 1931 with a height of 18,415 ft (5,615 m). [7][2][3][4] This record was broken in another PCA-2 by Lewis Yancey who flew to 21,500 ft (6,600 m) on 25 September 1932.[3][8]
In 1931, The Detroit News made history when it bought a PCA-2 for use as a news aircraft due to its ability to fly well at low altitude, land and take off from restricted spaces, and semi-hover for better camera shots. In May 1933, Scripps donated the autogyro to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.[9]
The Champion spark plug company operated a PCA-2 as a promotional machine in 1931 and 1932 as Miss Champion.[4] It was flown over 6,500 miles in the 1931 Ford National Reliability Air Tour. This machine was restored to flying condition in 1982 by Steve Pitcairn, Harold's son.[4] In 2005, he donated it to the EAA AirVenture Museum.[4] Other PCA-2s are preserved at The Henry Ford[4][10] and the Canada Aviation Museum.[11]
Variants
- PCA-2 – major production version[2][3]
- PCA-3 – version with Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engine and 48-ft (14.63-m) rotor[2] (1 built)[3]
- PA-21 – version with Wright R-975-E2 engine[2][3]
- OP-1 – Reconnaissance autogyro (1931); two aircraft acquired by the United States Navy (USN) in 1931 for trials, with limited success.
Operators (OP-1)
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Specifications (PCA-2)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
Notes
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- ↑ Taylor 1989, p.735
- ↑ a b c d e f g The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, p.2739
- ↑ a b c d e f "Pitcairn, A G A, Pitcairn-Cierva, Pitcairn-Larsen"
- ↑ a b c d e f "Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro 'Miss Champion' – NC11609"
- ↑ Charnov 2003b, p.3
- ↑ a b Charnov 2003a
- ↑ "Miss Earhart Sets Autogiro Record", The New York Times, April 9, 1931, p. 1
- ↑ Charnov 2003b, p.6
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ "The Planes: 1931 Pitcairn Autogiro"
- ↑ "Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2"
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Bibliography
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External links
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- "Will Autogiro Banish Present Plane?", Popular Science. March 1931, pg 28
- A Pitcairn PCA-2 piloted by Claude Owens lands on the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco in January 1932. Universal Newsreel.
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