Characteristics:

A-4 format, hard cover, 256 pages, 325 pictures in b/w, 3 color restored pictures, 5 drawings, 27 color profiles, 3D cutaway.French text.

As everybody knows, wing and speed are the two factors, which added, allow the flight. Juan de la Cierva  who tried to find the way to reduce the take off length and stall speed after the death of its test chief imagined the “autogire” concept in 1923, when he replaced the wing with a rotor. An amazing concept for the date, a funny mixture of standard aircraft with front conventional engine and “something” hooked above. From the C1 to the C55, more than 55 evolution types have been design with the main well known C30. The autogires around the world are based on the same design in USSR and in USA( Pitcain and Kellet). French authorities saw the advantages of such capabilities for they armies as observer and artillery pointer. In 1930 the French navy turned to the C30 via Lioré et Olivier home manufacturer. La Cierva himself displayed its hybrid aircraft in front of military and civil staffs. Here start the adventure! This very complete heavy book is divided in 22 chapters:

1-     history and rules of flight of the autogire

2-     first French autogire

3-     C30A in foreign Air Forces

4-     LeO  C.30 (technical)

5-     Units (autogire sections, GAR, Groupe d’Aviation Regional (Region Aviation Group)

6-     Training Schools (Etampes, Salon, Sommesous)

7-     French Air Force (on 3 september 1939, on battefield, the survivors after the battle)

8-     German occupied period

9-     The French Navy autogires

10- The derivatives SNCASE C.301/302

11-  The prototypes (C.301/302, Avro C30A, postal type..)

12- camouflage and markings

13- conclusion

14- individual career of “aircrafts”

15- accident listing

16- Appendix: notices on reception, trials, accidents..

17- Individual experiences

18- Bibliography

19- Drawings

20- Cutaways (2)

21- Profiles

 As you can see, its very detailed and the numerous quality pictures cover well the rare subject.
I appreciate the large format printings from the original technical notice which uncover all the parts (airframe, engine, rotor, cockpit…). The large 3D drawings resume the intricate machine, and the very good color profiles show the blue/gray French Navy machines, 3 tone, and kaki Armée de l’Air, and amazingly silver Swedish, Danish, English, and Spanish machines. Finally the blitzkrieg on West swept and reduced allied Air Force in two months, and the Autogire were added to the long list, “escape as you can, in order” was rather the order. Good b/w “in action” pictures illustrate the volume. (in flight and on ground , spectacular “up side down”, which in fact was due to delicate flying rules for this special machine).
Being Pioneer in aviation was not without risk, and this book brings the proof.

Is this rotorcraft style disappear? NO! Just see for example at : http://www.pra.org/

And you’ll discover that modern free civil pilots keep in 2006 this spirit alive.

I recommend this book also for modellers who would like to model the JMGT or  Andrea Miniature 1/48 scale La Cierva autogire, or their US cousin PITCAIRN AUTOGIRO by Williams Brothers.     

January 2006

Available at: http://www.avionsbateaux.com/ 

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