1st Flight 1918
The Pitcairn PCA-2 was an autogyro developed in the United States in the early 1930s.
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 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.
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.
Specifications
Crew: One pilot
Capacity: 2 passengers
Length: 23 ft 1 in (7.04 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
Airfoil: NACA M-3 mod
Empty weight: 2,233 lb (1,013 kg)
Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-975 (J6-9) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 330 hp (250 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
Main rotor area: 1,580 sq ft (147 m2) 4-bladed wire braced rotor
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch wooden propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn)
Range: 290 mi (470 km, 250 nmi)
Service ceiling: 15,010 ft (4,575 m)
Maximum glide ratio: 4.8.
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