The Avian 2/180 Gyroplane was a two-seat, single-engine
autogyro
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...
built in Canada in the 1960s. Several prototypes were built but production was not achieved.
Development
Avian Aircraft was started by Peter Payne and colleagues from the
Avro Canada
Avro Canada was a Canadian aircraft manufacturing company. It was founded in 1945 as an aircraft plant and within 13 years became the third-largest company in Canada, one of the largest 100 companies in the world, and directly employing over 5 ...
company specifically to build a modern autogyro.
The Gyroplane prototype first flew in Spring 1960.
It was later lost in a crash. The compressed air jump start system was not a success, so the second prototype used the engine, connected via a belt, clutch and gear box. This aircraft was also made lighter than the first with more use of aluminium and fibreglass, increasing cruising speed by 25%.
It was followed by three pre-production aircraft. By the end of 1963 more than 300 flying hours were completed. In December 1964 Avian received a $540,000 Canadian government contract to build a modified Gyroplane that would take the type to Certification. This was achieved late in 1968.
In 1970 Avian Ltd went into receivership. Although there were later hopes of a revival, nothing came of them.
In 1972 some assets of Avian, including three Gyroplanes, were put up for sale, but no purchase is recorded. However, in 2002 one surviving Gyroplane and its certification rights were sold to Pegasus Rotorcraft Ltd, who renamed it the Pegasus III.
Design
The Gyroplane was a two-seat autogyro without wings, with a ducted fan pusher propeller driven by a 200 hp (150 kW)
Lycoming IO-360
The Lycoming O-360 is a family of four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston aircraft engines. Engines in the O-360 series produce between 145 and 225 horsepower (109 to 168 kW), with the basic O-360 producing ...
piston engine. It had a three-bladed
rotor
Rotor may refer to:
Science and technology
Engineering
*Rotor (electric), the non-stationary part of an alternator or electric motor, operating with a stationary element so called the stator
* Helicopter rotor, the rotary wing(s) of a rotorcraft ...
, formed from bonded aluminium. There were
flapping hinges but no
drag hinges
A helicopter main rotor or rotor system is the combination of several rotary wings (rotor blades) with a control system, that generates the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and the thrust that counteracts aerody ...
.
In normal flight the rotor was undriven, but the design team were keen to enable vertical
jump starts, an autogyro technique which spins up the rotor before take off without forward movement over the ground. The first prototype used conspicuous tip jets fed directly with compressed air from a fuselage-mounted cylinder.
The fuselage was built on a light alloy box beam which carried the cabin, engine mounting, rotor pylon and propeller duct. The well-glazed cabin seated two in tandem in front of the engine. Entry was via a starboard-side door; dual controls were fitted.
Yaw was controlled with a rudder mounted within the propeller duct, enhancing its low-speed effectiveness. The Gyroplane had a fixed
tricycle undercarriage
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle ge ...
. The main wheels were mounted on steel cantilever legs and the nosewheel castered.
Specifications (certification aircraft)
See also
References
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Single-engined pusher autogyros
1960s Canadian civil aircraft