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Cierva C-30 flight video

Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:39 am

Well, Baldeagle and any other unpoweredvintagerotorheads like us. :)

Thanks to K5054NZ on Key forum, who found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrZ6IzCWXzA

The C-30 family: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cierva_C.30

This example is a replica or recreation built by the Spanish Air Force Museum using an RAF Museum loaned Avro Rota (an example of a static museum helping get a replica to fly) and in exchange for a Spanish Jungmann. It was flown for a while - not sure how long - and then grounded, and is on show at the Spanish AF Museum just outside Madrid. It's the only C-30 that's flown for the last 30 or so years, AFAIK.
Last edited by JDK on Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:03 am

Very cool!

Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:06 am

Superb! Thanks JDK!

Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:17 am

Thanks James, I especially like how an ambulance (?) and fire truck follow it around on the ground.....





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Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:26 am

Wow...love the landing sequence...Tks for sharing James

Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:45 am

Cool isn't it? Yeah, the heavy emergency presence is hardly reassuring...

Note it's got the rotor spin up, but not the jump take off (which was a different rotor head type and two blade rotor) and the real short landings.

Thanks for the 'thanks', but credit must go to my Kiwi friend for finding it. I'd know it had flown, but haven't ever seen footage before. It's neat.

The footage is quite old; I think they had a minor ground incident and grounded it. Certainly it can be a challenging aircraft, although they did have the best safety record of aircraft types in the late 30s!

Here's a shot I took a few years ago after the flights.

Image

Andrew, any observations of similarities or differences?

Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:01 am

Well, the rotor spins the opposite direction of the Pitcairn, and I would've thought it would get off the ground quicker, but like ours it has a fairly long take-off roll. It does have the controllable rotor head (no wings needed) so is much more controllable at landing speed, a big advantage.

Try this one, same place I think, earlier time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP_7Ngj2 ... L&index=33




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Wed Oct 07, 2009 1:17 pm

My pleasure James! I had no idea a modern newbuild had been built, let alone flown! All I did was search "Cierva C30" on YouTube! I'm glad so many folks enjoy the video! I'm still yet to actually see it due to internet problems :oops:

I love the Cierva machines, the C.30 in particular, the general look just tickles my fancy. I'd love to see another new-build produced, or even an original restored. There was also a 7/10ths scale replica built in Spain, which I want to do myself, and you may see some shots at the Key Forum here: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showth ... 770&page=2 8)

Thu Oct 08, 2009 6:20 am

Baldeagle wrote:Thanks James, I especially like how an ambulance (?) and fire truck follow it around on the ground.....

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That's because it isn't a Pitcairn!
:)

Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:01 am

Airplanejunkie wrote:That's because it isn't a Pitcairn!

And now Airplane junkie will tell the class who Mr Pitcairn licenced his autogiro patents from... ;)

Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:40 pm

JDK wrote:And now Airplane junkie will tell the class who Mr Pitcairn licenced his autogiro patents from... ;)

Please sir, me sir, I know sir! :lol:

Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:14 pm

I think they've got you Steve....

Mike, do you have any Pitcairn photos you could post??




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Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:45 pm

JDK wrote:
Airplanejunkie wrote:That's because it isn't a Pitcairn!

And now Airplane junkie will tell the class who Mr Pitcairn licenced his autogiro patents from... ;)


LOL

I certainly mean no disrespect to Juan De La Cierva. However, I might argue that the numerous technical improvements introduced by Mr. Pitcairn contributed much to the safety of the autogiro. After all, (back to my original point) how many videos of Pitcairns do you see where they are being chased by a firetruck and an ambulance.

:D :D

That video was very cool! thanks for posting it!

Steve

Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:48 pm

Baldeagle wrote:I think they've got you Steve....


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I think you're probably right, but I'm not going down without a fight, especially with the home turf at stake. :) :)

Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:43 pm

Incidentally the new prop has arrived for the Pitcairn so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll go out to Dayton to try it out. Should improve the climb and enable us to take passengers with more comfort....




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