Cierva C.11
| Cierva C.11 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Gyroplane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Cierva Autogiro (construction), |
| First flight: |
1928 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Cierva C.11 was a gyroplane designed by Juan de la Cierva and built as a licensee by the Bristol-based company George Parnall & Co. in the late 1920s . This is why the names Parnall-Cierva C.11 and Parnall Gyroplane are also used.
history
development
After the C.10, the civilian C.11 was the second gyroplane Parnall built for the Cierva Autogiro Company. The certification on Cierva took place on February 4, 1927 with the aircraft registration G-EBQG. Overall, the C.11 was larger than the C.10 and was powered by an Airdisco air-cooled eight-cylinder V-engine with 120 hp, which acted on a four-blade propeller. The front of the two cockpits was located exactly below the rotor pylon. The rear part of the fuselage including the tail unit was very similar to that of the C.10. The wire bracing from the rotor mast to the rotor blades to limit the downward impact area has been replaced by telescopic struts compared to the C.10. The blades could also move a little back and forth in the plane of rotation, as far as the cable tensioning provided with dampers allowed this. The rotor could be set in rotation by means of ropes before take-off.
testing
There are only a few records of the flight tests of the C.11. What is certain is that the C.11 overturned on the Yate airfield during an attempt to take off in 1928 with Juan de la Cierva at the wheel . However, it is not known in which of the at least two modification stages this accident occurred. In the first stage of change, the telescopic struts were upgraded to conventional wire bracing. In addition, the stub wings with the attached ailerons received a recognizable V-position and a modified profile. The area of the rotor blades has been significantly reduced. The chassis also underwent some changes.
Since the C.11 was then brought to Hamble for a new reconstruction , there is a possibility that the accident described also happened after the first modification. In Hamble, instead of the previous complex, multi-part pylon for the rotor head, the C.11 was given a conventional, more simply constructed pyramid-shaped pylon. A drive shaft was also retrofitted, which runs from the rear of the motor to the rotor head via bevel gears. This was the first time that the rotor could be set in motion with engine power before the start. After further testing, however, the C.11 became a cell for teaching purposes at Air Service Training Ltd. downgraded in Hamble.
See also
literature
- Philip Jarrett: Parnall's pinwheels . In: Airplane Monthly August 1988, pp. 474-478
- Arthur WJG Ord-Hume: Autogiro - Rotary Wings Before the Helicopter , Mushroom Model Pub., 2009, ISBN 978-83-89450-83-8 , p. 75 f., P. 289
Individual evidence
- ↑ Parnall-Cierva C.11 (accessed October 25, 2017)
- ↑ Parnall Gyroplane (accessed October 25, 2017)