Pitcairn PCA-2

The PCA-2 was the first rotary-wing aircraft to achieve type certification in the United States"Pitcairn, A G A, Pitcairn-Cierva, Pitcairn-Larsen" and was used in a number of high-profile activities including a landing on the White House lawn"Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro 'Miss Champion' – NC11609"Charnov 2003b, p.3 and the first flight across the United States in a rotorcraft. This latter feat was attempted by Amelia Earhart, flying for the Beech-Nut food company, but was actually accomplished by John M Miller who completed his flight nine days before Earhart on 28 May 1931, in his PCA-2 named Missing Link.Charnov 2003a Learning of Miller's achievement upon her arrival in California, Earhart set out to turn her flight into a round-trip record by flying east again, but abandoned the attempt after three crashes. Earhart set an altitude record in a PCA-2 on 8 April 1931 with a height of 18,415 ft (5,615 m). "Miss Earhart Sets Autogiro Record", The New York Times, April 9, 1931, p. 1 This record was broken in another PCA-2 by Lewis Yancey who flew to 21,500 ft (6,600 m) on 25 September 1932.Charnov 2003b, p.6

File:Pitcairn PCA-2 NC799W Dearborn 07.07R edited-3.jpg

In 1931, The Detroit News made history when it bought a PCA-2 for use as a news aircraft due to its ability to fly well at low altitude, land and take off from restricted spaces, and semi-hover for better camera shots. In May 1933, Scripps donated the autogyro to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.{{cite book|title=Henry's attic: some fascinating gifts to Henry Ford and his museum|author=Ford Richardson Bryan, Sarah Evans}}

File:PCA-2 Miss Champion.jpg

File:Pitcairn autogyro NC-12681at St. Hubert, Quebec. Aug. 19, 1932.jpg

The Champion spark plug company operated a PCA-2 as a promotional machine in 1931 and 1932 as Miss Champion. It was flown over 6,500 miles in the 1931 Ford National Reliability Air Tour. This machine was restored to flying condition in 1982 by Steve Pitcairn, Harold's son. In 2005, he donated it to the EAA AirVenture Museum. Other PCA-2s are preserved at The Henry Ford"The Planes: 1931 Pitcairn Autogiro" and the Canada Aviation Museum."Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2"

• 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.

;{{USA}}

• United States Marine Corps
• Marine Observation Squadron 6

{{Aircraft specs

|ref={{cite web|last1=Eckland|first1=K.O.|title=Pitcairn, A G A, Pitcairn-Cierva, Pitcairn-Larsen|url=http://aerofiles.com/_pitc.html|website=Aerofiles|access-date=2 September 2017}}{{cite web|last=Duda|first=Holger|title=FLIGHT PERFORMANCE OF LIGHTWEIGHT GYROPLANES|url=http://www.icas-proceedings.net/ICAS2012/PAPERS/434.PDF|publisher=German Aerospace Center|access-date=3 December 2012|author2=Insa Pruter|page=5|year=2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|last1=Lednicer|first1=David|title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|url=http://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html|access-date=2 September 2017}}

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|see also=

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• Pitcairn OP

|similar aircraft=

• Buhl A-1 Autogyro
• Cierva C.19
• Pitcairn PA-18

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{{reflist}}

• {{cite web |last=Charnov |first=Bruce H. |title=Amelia Earhart, John M. Miller and the First Transcontinental Autogiro Flight in 1931 |work=The Aviation History On-Line Museum |year=2003a |url=http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/earhart-Autogiro.htm |access-date=2009-01-17}}
• {{cite book |last=Charnov |first=Bruce H. |title=From Autogiro to Gyroplane: The Amazing Survival of an Aviation Technology |publisher=Praeger Publishers |location=Westport, Connecticut |year=2003b}}
• {{cite web |title=Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2 |work=Canada Aviation Museum website |url=http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/Pitcairn-CiervaPCA-2/ |access-date=2009-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217023326/http://aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/Pitcairn-CiervaPCA-2/ |archive-date=2009-02-17 |url-status=dead }}
• {{cite web |title=Pitcairn, A G A, Pitcairn-Cierva, Pitcairn-Larsen |work=Aerofiles |url=http://www.aerofiles.com/_pitc.html |access-date=2009-01-15}}
• {{cite web |title=Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro 'Miss Champion' – NC11609 |work=AirVenture Museum website |url=http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Pitcairn%20PCA-2%20Autogiro.asp |access-date=2009-01-17}}
• {{cite web |title=Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro Specifications |work=AirVenture Museum website |url=http://museum.eaa.org/collection/aircraft/Pitcairn%20PCA-2%20Autogiro%20Specifications.asp |access-date=2009-01-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719094846/http://museum.eaa.org/collection/aircraft/Pitcairn%20PCA-2%20Autogiro%20Specifications.asp |archive-date=2011-07-19 }}
• {{cite book |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft |publisher=Aerospace Publishing|location=London }}
• {{cite web |title=The Planes: 1931 Pitcairn Autogiro |work=The Henry Ford website |url=http://www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/heroes/inventors/autogiro.asp |access-date=2009-01-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604061345/http://www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/heroes/inventors/autogiro.asp |archive-date=2011-06-04 }}
• {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London }}

{{commons category|Pitcairn PCA-2}}

• [https://books.google.com/books?id=9ycDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28&dq=Autogiro "Will Autogiro Banish Present Plane?", Popular Science. March 1931, pg 28]
• [https://archive.org/details/6263_Universal_Newspaper_Newsreel_Autogiro_Lands_in_San_Francisco_01_06_25_06 A Pitcairn PCA-2 piloted by Claude Owens lands on the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco in January 1932. Universal Newsreel.]

{{Pitcairn aircraft}}

Category:1930s United States civil utility aircraft

PCA-02

Category:Single-engined tractor autogyros

Category:Slowed rotor

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1931