“GRASSHOPPER” PLANE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21219, 16 September 1940, Page 9

“GRASSHOPPER” PLANE

TAKES OFF FROM BACKYARD —*•- A “grasshopper” type airplane able to take off and land in a space no larger than a tennis court is the aviation industry’s latest contribution to flying, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Developed by the Pitcairn Autogiro Company the new type autogiro literally hops into the air. Its predecessors could land at a dead stop, but required a runway for the take-off. In its first public demonstrations recently, the new ship leaped skyward more than 20 feet, easily clearing an 18-foot-high rope barrier. This “jump take-off” ability, said Harold F. Pitcairn, president of the company, makes the plane “completely independent of ground obstacles” and makes possible the use of landing fields one-eighth the size of regular airports. The take-off is made by speeding the overhead rotor blades to 300 rotations per minute—loo more than under flying conditions—while the blades are in a horizontal position. The pilot then tilts the blades and the ’giro shoots vertically into the air. Designed primarily for private use, the autogiro uses automobile type starting, lighting and ignition systems, and seats. The engine is located behind the seat to lighten the plane's nose and provide better vision for the pilot.