Rotorcraft in the Thirties

Juan Cierva's gyroplane designs are where it's at in the Thirties -- actual helicopters are pretty pathetic creatures at this time.

Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane: experimental two (coaxial) rotor helicopter; Hispano-Wright engine of 420 HP; pilot + 1 passenger. 67 MPH top speed, ceiling 600', range 60 miles, rotor diameter 54', 4500 lbs takeoff weight. This French helicopter sets many world records in 1935.

Cierva C-19 or C-30 Autogiro: single rotor autogyro, various engines 140 HP to 300 HP, pilot + 1 or 2 passengers, rotor diameter 42', top speed 105-120 mph (depending on manufacturer and engine), climb rate 1,000 feet per minute, ceiling up to 18,000 feet, range 275 to 300 miles, takeoff weight 1800 lbs. Experimental models have rotor-starting clutch for vertical takeoff capability. Cost (est.) $8,000. Cierva's first autogyro flew in 1923; he exhibited his craft in America in August, 1929 at the Cleveland Air Races; currently produced in America by Pitcairn (PCA-2 is current in 1933, with a 300 HP Wright R-975 engine), Kellett; in Germany by Focke-Wulf and Focke-Achgelis; in France by the Loire Company; and in Russia by TsAGI. One of the Pitcairn types served in Nicaragua with the US Marines. Also available with floats.

Curtiss-Bleeker: experimental single-rotor helicopter; Pratt & Whitney 420 HP "Wasp" engine, pilot + 1 passenger, top speed 20 mph, gross weight 3300 lbs. Built 1930 in the U.S., this craft had a centrally-mounted engine rotating with the four rotors, and powering four propellors, one mounted mid-span on each rotor; properly described as "magnificently complex", see picture.

Flettner Fl-265 Kolibri: experimental two-rotor (intermeshing) helicopter; powered by 140 HP Siemens-Halske engine; pilot + 2 passengers; 40' rotor diameter, takeoff weight 2200 lbs, top speed 100 mph. Seven were built for the German Navy in 1939; most of his pre-1937 designs resembled Cierva autogyros.

Focke-Achgelis Fa-61: experimental two-rotor helicopter, powered by Bramo 160 HP engine. Pilot only, top speed 77 mph, ceiling 7800', 2100 lbs takeoff weight. This German helicopter first flew in 1937.

Gyelikogyr I-4: experimental single-rotor compound helicopter; powered by four de Havilland Gipsy III engines of 120 HP each (tip-mounted) pulling the 77' diameter four-bladed rotor, and a Wright Whirlwind J-6 engine of 300 HP driving the propellor. Pilot + 5 passengers, takeoff wieght 6600 lbs. Built in 1932 in the Soviet Union, designed by the Italian Vittorio Isacco, but had many mechanical difficulties (not the least of which were the very-Britishly-complicated de Havilland engines).

Yuriev 3-EA: experimental single-rotor helicopter; "noteworthy" performance of 13 mph top speed, 15 minutes flying time, 2000' ceiling. Constructed by Soviet Russia's TsAGI in 1933, typical of actual flying helicopters of the early Thirties.