Word: autogiro
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...France where the elder Lahm has lived in retirement since the War, he is less a recollection. Each year he gives 30,000 francs ($1,175) for the most interesting accomplishment in aviation. Last week he gave the money to Juan de la Cierva, who invented the autogiro (flying machine with vanes whirling horizontally to give the effect of fixed wings) and who flew it recently across the English Channel...
...fuselage, tail structure, landing gear and propelling motor the autogiro is a typical airplane. But for wings it has four great vanes fixed on a vertical mast so as to revolve horizontally. They have no motor as have the horizontal propellers of helicopters...
...propeller motor pulls the autogiro across a flying field the forward motion sets the vanes revolving swiftly, like a great pinwheel. As they turn they create a lifting surface equivalent to a standard plane's wings...
...autogiro's most valuable feature is that it can descend almost vertically, and on almost any sort of field...
Soon Mr. Pitcairn and Señor de la Cierva may be reimbursed for their experimental investment. The autogiro is entered in the Guggenheim Fund's "safe aircraft competition" to develop an aerodynamically safe plane. Twelve U. S.. British and Italian manufacturers have already entered the competition. First prize is $100,000. There are also five $10,000 prizes...