Where can I find out more about autogyros in general and model autogyros in particular?
Jim Baxter’s very useful, if somewhat disorganized site, www.autogyro.com concentrates on R/C models. It is now maintained by Mike Smith of aerobalsa.com, suppliers of high-quality blades for larger autogyros. Jeff Lewis of Carter Aviation Technologies has a very informative essay that “describes autogyros and how they work, gives a brief history of their early development, explains their differences with other aircraft, and explains why they were never accepted”. If you are not scared of Greek letters, Dr. J. Gordon Leishman’s Development of the Autogiro: A Technical Perspective is an excellent engineering treatment. George Townson’s AUTOGIRO: the Story of the Windmill Plane covers American autogyro history and includes sections on autogyro theory; you can buy this book from Bill Hannan. The autgyro forum on RCGroups is the place to ask questions about R/C ‘gyros. If you know of a good autogyro resource that you think should be included here, let me know.
