The Pescara Model 3 was the first of several coaxial helicopter designs by

Raúl Pateras Pescara Raúl Pateras Pescara de Castelluccio (1890 – 1966), marquis of Pateras-Pescara, was an engineer, lawyer and inventor from Argentina who specialized in automobiles, helicopters and free-piston engines. Pescara is credited for being one of th ...

to demonstrate sustained controlled helicopter flight.

Development

Argentinian engineer Pescara started helicopter development in 1916.

Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont (Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais, Palmira, 20 July 1873 — Guarujá, 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both l ...

helped fund experimentation on designs in France. Multiple examples were built, demonstrated, crashed, improved and rebuilt owing to conflicting and different names for the various versions. Anticipating success with the counter-rotating mechanism, Pescara patented a design with a streamlined fuselage with one set of rotors above, and one below the fuselage. The model three was the first example to use control mechanisms as modern helicopters. The helicopter is based around a central shaft with counter-rotating rotors. Each rotor was doubled into a biplane arrangement with cable supports. It used a cyclic stick for forward and lateral control with rotor warping, and wheel for yaw anti-torque control. The main rotor shaft was able to tilt slightly for forward control. The rotors were also capable of autorotation in case of engine failure.

Operational history

In September 1923, a 1 km flight attempt was nearly completed, before the vehicle crashed. On 24 May 1924

Étienne Oehmichen Étienne Edmond Œhmichen (; 15 October 1884, in Châlons-sur-Marne Châlons-en-Champagne – 10 July 1955, in Paris) was a French engineer and helicopter designer. Biography Œhmichen studied at École Centrale Paris. He patented the first ...

set a world helicopter record flight of 358m. On 18 April 1924 the model 2F bested the record and flew 736m at 8 mph to set a record in sustained vertical flight.

Variants

;Pescara Model 1 :1919 - Hispano automobile engine, later Le Rhône Type 9R rotary ;Pescara Model 2 : Hispano automobile engine, Six pairs of Biplane blades ;Pescara Model 2F : Rear mounted radiator replaced with tail surface. ;Pescara Model 3 : Four pair of conter-rotating biplane blades -

Hispano-Suiza 8 The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza ...

;Pescara Model 4S :1931-Final British commissioned model featuring a radial engine with a small cooling propeller, and football shaped landing outriggers.

Specifications (Model 3)

References

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External links