The Pitcairn PCA-2 was an autogyro developed in the United States in the early 1930s.
It was Harold F. Pitcairn’s first autogyro designed 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.