What is an autogyro?
An autogyro is a rotorcraft that does not power the rotor directly by the engine. The rotor is made to spin by air passing up through it in much the same way as a wind turbine is powered by the wind. This is in contrast to a helicopter, where the rotor is usually driven by a drive shaft and as a result needs some method to counter this torque, such as a tail rotor. Since the rotor is unpowered in an autogyro, it requires a propeller or some other means of propulsion to push it through the air. To read more about autogyros and autogyro history, visit our Autogyro History page, or the external page, Autogyro History & Theory.
