Cierva C.19
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
C.19 | |
---|---|
Type | Utility autogyro |
Manufacturer | Cierva |
Designed by | Juan de la Cierva |
Maiden flight | 1929 |
Number built | >30 |
The Cierva C.19 was an autogyro built by Cierva in England in 1929, in association with Avro (which designated it their Type 620). A two-seat machine, it proved to be the most successful and widely-produced of the early Cierva designs.
A major engineering refinement in the C.19 was the means to mechanically set the main rotor (which is unpowered in an autogyro) spinning; in earlier Cierva designs, the rotor had to be turned by hand or by pulling a rope.
Some thirty examples were built in England, with licences acquired by Focke-Wulf to produce it in Germany (as the C.20) and by Lioré et Olivier in France (as the C.21) although no actual French production took place.
The Royal Air Force operated two C.19 Mark IIIs during the early 1930s for evaluation of the autogyro concept.[1]
[edit] Variants
- C.19 Mk.I - prototypes with Armstrong Siddeley Genet engines (3 built)
- C.19 Mk.II - variant with Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major engine used on all further variants (3 built)
- C.19 Mk.IIA - Mk.II with improved rotor head (1 built)
- C.19 Mk.III - (6 built)
- C.19 Mk.IV - definitive production version, basis for foreign licences (15 built)
- C.19 Mk.V - (1 built)
- C.20 - Focke-Wulf licence-built version with Siemens Sh 14 engine
- C.21 - Lioré et Olivier licence-built version (not built)
[edit] Specifications (Mk.II)
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Capacity: 1 passenger
- Length: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
- Main rotor diameter: 30 ft 0 in (9.15 m)
- Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
- Wing area: 708 ft² (65.8 m²)
- Empty weight: 850 lb (386 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,400 lb (635 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major I, 105 hp (78 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 95 mph (153 km/h)
- Range: 300 miles (483 km)
- Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)
[edit] References
- ^ A.J. Jackson. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2, 1974, Putnam, London, ISBN 0 370 10010 7
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 254.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 891 Sheet 29.
- britishaircraft.co.uk
[edit] See also
Related lists
|
|
|