Airventure 2009: Pitcairn PA-18 Autogyro Flight
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video you see the world's only flying example of the 1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogyro. This video comprises of both evening demonstration flights of this aircraft during Airventure 2009. There is one other example of this aircraft that is currently being restored to flying condition. The rest of the Pitcairn PA-18's that were built now rest on the bottom of the Atlantic after the boat transporting them to England was sunk by a German vessel during World War Two.
This particular PA-18 finally made it to Oshkosh after being damaged prior to it's planned visit in 2007. The rotor blades were destroyed on takeoff about a month prior to Airventure 2007. They were rebuilt, and the aircraft made the two day flight from Dayton, Ohio this year. Enjoy!
Was fortunate to see a Pitcairn Autogyro at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Horsham, Pennsylvania, during an airshow over forty years ago. Being rather young then I didn't completely grasp my seeing history on-display before my eyes. I do remember the aircraft completing a 180° turn then gracefully settle on the grass like a windblown leaf. Wish I'd have thought to get a closer look at her.
Going further back, a Pitcairn Autogyro landed at the Old Star Airport in Langhorne/Levittown in the very early-1970s. The aircraft was reported to need maintenance and the pilot had availed himself of the grass-strip airport while flying between Trenton, New Jersey and a point somewhere west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I saw the autogyro parked along Route 1 on the front row of aircraft. My parents and maternal grandparents filled me in on the details over the years. The grounds that compromised the Old Star Airport became the Oxford Valley Mall in 1973. There was a restaurant on the premises which commemorated the airport having a room called The Old Star Room. The old, fieldstone airport headquarters is now the office of a used car dealership situated on the fringe of the old airport grounds.
I too saw the Autogiro at the Willow Grove Air Base Show sometime during the 90s. Quite a spectacular moment. I didn't know about the Langhorne piece, however, I'm quite familiar with he entire area there. Good info!
Willow Grove was apparently Pitcairn’s own manufacturing facility and airfield, during the war he patriotically sold it to the govt for a fraction of its value.
@lawnmowerman25 That airport housed a lot of different aircraft until construction began on the mall and the immediate area. I can't delineate all of the planes that were there. Certainly by '74 or so these were gone. A couple of the ramshackle hangars remained through through later 1970s. I remember seeing those in the treeline. That treeline no longer exists as that space was developed for professional offices.
muchas gracias por el video, gracias a las personas que mantienen ese autogiro vivo!!!
Wonderful to see a piece of aviation history doing what it was designed to do 😊😊😊🏴.
Beautiful autogyro, nice video !!!
It's a Kinner R-55, same as on a Ryan PT-22. The original engine was a slightly different model, a Kinner R-5, which are practically non-existant, but very very similar. Thanks for posting the video, and glad we got to fly it so people could see it go. It is supposed to fly again at Oshkosh Pioneer Field August 29 and 30. Next year we'd like to do a European tour with it, if we can find sponsors.
A wonderful peice of rotorcraft history!
Thanks for posting, I missed this and the Comet when they flew.
great and very rare plane & video...thanks for posting!
Awesome, thanks a lot for the correction! Don't want any misinformation for this bird! Thanks also for flying her at Oshkosh! It was magnificent.
Wow! I was not able to go to Oshkosh but thru this very excellent video I feel like I was transformed there! I have always wanted to see and know how an Autogyro would fly. I watched a model once but it was not very "under contol- probably the r/c pilot" but this aircraft can fly nice!
Thank you for sharing this with us! And the sound is so neat!
Outstanding! Harold Pitcairn put his life,soul and fortune into the development of the autogyro and finally it was too much for him to bear. He was a fantastic innovator. Without Harold Pitcairn’s rotor-head design Sikorsky would have not been as quick to develop and control the first helicopter in 1941. Basically Sikorsky infringed on Pitcairn’s patents. Sikorsky was sued and after decades of litigation and stalling efforts from the US Government, Pitcairn’s estate was awarded 60 million in 1976.
The PA-18 is so cute 🤗
BEAUTIFUL!
Nice landing!
Beautiful aircraft.
You're very welcome! It was a Kinner K/R-5...not sure which version "K" or "R".
Awesome job on the video!!! Loved it!! 👍🏼😃👍🏼
Aero New Network did an interview about flying it that is also on youtube
Wow el PA-18 EL BAYON💪😍
What a great landing!
Did they really start it with that guy on the inside of the propeller ?
Badass!!!
The rotor upsweep looks sooooo wrong !
Absolutely brilliant ! Kermit Weeks now has a Pitcairn Autogyro is it this particular one ?
cool flying machine .:)
Fucking awesome. Where do I sign up.
Autogiro, the spanish windmill. Juan De La Cierva.
butter landing every time
The guy standing some inches away of revolving propeller looks totally suicidal 0:44
If you're away from the plane of rotation and not in the "sucking zone" in front of the propeller I think it's not that dangerous. If he's doing it it likely isn't as dangerous as it looks. That said, it does look impressive, yeah
Nice!!
That kind of plane could even land on "i still love you", no rockets needed. Wonder if spaceX has considered a deployable gyro. (Still need the rocket tech for mars landings though.)
look at dat, yahhhh..... look at dat.... oh yah
Physics don't don't look right with this airplane, looks dangerous.
Then go do your physics....
Vladimir Remmirez: maybe physics isn't your strong suit...autogyros have been flying since the 30ties-and quite successfully.
I r
На 5:45 минуте обсолютно нет ничего смешного,а какой-то придурок ржёт!!!!