Pitcairn PCA-2

The Pitcairn PCA-2 was an autogyro (designated as "autogiro" by Pitcairn) developed in the United States in the early 1930s.Taylor 1989, p.735 It was Harold F. Pitcairn's first autogyro design to sell 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.''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', p.2739 The lift by the four-blade main rotor was augmented by stubby, low-set monoplane wings that also carried the control surfaces. The wingtips featured considerable dihedral that acted as winglets for added stability.

Operational history

The PCA-2 was the first rotary-wing aircraft to achieve type certification in the United States"Pitcairn, A G A, Pitcairn-Cierva, Pitcairn-Larsen" and was used in a number of high-profile activities including a landing on the White House lawn"Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro 'Miss Champion' – NC11609"Charnov 2003b, p.3 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''.Charnov 2003a 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. Earhart set an altitude record in a PCA-2 on 8 April 1931 with a height of 18,415 ft (5,615 m). This record was broken in another PCA-2 by Lewis Yancey who flew to 21,500 ft (6,600 m) on 25 September 1932.Charnov 2003b, p.6

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.

The Champion spark plug company operated a PCA-2 as a promotional machine in 1931 and 1932 as ''Miss Champion''. 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. In 2005, he donated it to the EAA AirVenture Museum. Other PCA-2s are preserved at The Henry Ford"The Planes: 1931 Pitcairn Autogiro" and the Canada Aviation Museum."Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2"

Variants

* PCA-2 – major production version
* PCA-3 – version with Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engine and 48-ft (14.63-m) rotor (1 built)
* PA-21 – version with Wright R-975-E2 engine
* 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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* United States Marine Corps
** Marine Observation Squadron 6

Specifications (PCA-2)

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

"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.

{{Pitcairn aircraft

1930s United States civil utility aircraft
PCA-02
Single-engined tractor autogyros
Slowed rotor
Aircraft first flown in 1931