From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cierva C.30A Autogiro was a type of autogyro designed by Juan de la Cierva and built under licence from the Cierva Autogiro Company by A V Roe & Co Ltd, Lioré-et-Olivier and Focke-Wulf.
[edit] Production
- Avro
Avro obtained the licence in 1934 and subsequently built 78 examples. The first production C.30A was delivered in July 1934. The C.30A was powered by a 140 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major engine, weight was 1900 lb, max speed 100 mph, range 250 miles and ceiling 8000 ft.
- Lioré-et-Olivier
Twenty-five aircraft were built in France by Lioré-et-Olivier as the Le.O C.301 with a 175 hp Salmson 9NE engine.
- Focke-Wulf
Forty aircraft were built in Germany by Focke-Wulf as the C 30 Heuschrecke (Grasshopper) with a 140 hp Siemens Sh 14a radial engine. [1][2]
[edit] Operational history
Twelve C.30A built by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF) entered service as the Avro 671 Rota Mk 1 (Serials K4230 to K4239 and K4296 & K4775). The twelve were delivered between 1934 to 1935. They equipped the Army School of Co-operation at Old Sarum near Salisbury. Many of the surviving civil aircraft were also taken into RAF service between 1939 and 1940. In 1940 they equipped No. 1448 Flight at RAF Duxford. Later they equipped No. 529 Squadron RAF at Halton on radar calibration work. They disbanded in October 1945. At the end of the war the twelve survivors were sold.
[edit] Survivors
- Avro Rota I (K4232)
- On display at the Royal Air Force Museum, London, England.
- Cierva C.30A (AP506)
- On display at the Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare, England.
- Cierva C.30A (AP507)
- On display at the Science Museum in London, England.
- Cierva C.30A (HM580)
- On display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, England.
- Cierva C.30A (LN-BAD)
- On display at the Aviodome, Netherlands.
- Cierva C.30A (LV-FBL)
- On display in Argentina.
- Cierva C.30A (VH-USR)
- On display at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia.
- Leo C.302 (F-BDAD)
- On display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris, France.
- Cierva C.30A (H-KX)
- On display at the Fantasy of Flight Museum, Florida, USA.
[edit] Military Operators
Argentina
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Belgium
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Italy
Soviet Union
Spanish Republic
United Kingdom
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Kingdom of Yugoslavia
[edit] Specifications (C.30A)
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 19 ft 8 in (6 m)
- Rotor diameter: 37 ft (11.28 m)
- Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
- Empty weight: 1,220 lb (554.5 kg)
- Loaded weight: 1,800 lb (818 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Genet Major 1A 5-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 140 hp (104 kW)
Performance
[edit] In popular culture
A similar aircraft briefly appears in Alfred Hitchcock's movie The 39 Steps, the first known depiction of an autogyro on film.
[edit] References
- ^ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- ^ Smith 1973, p. 94.
[edit] Bibliography
- Munson, Kenneth. Helicopters and other Rotorcraft since 1907 (Blandford Colour Series). London: Associate R.Ae.S., 1973. ISBN 0-7137-06104.
- Pacco, John. "Cierva C-30A" Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique militaire 1930-1940. Artselaar, Belgium, 2003, p. 92. ISBN 90-801136-6-2.
- Smith, J. Richard. "C 30 Heuschrecke" Focke-Wulf, an Aircraft Album. London, Ian Allan, 1973, p. 94. ISBN 0-7110-0425-0.
[edit] External links
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