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• Aeroplane (Feb 2010) • 2012-07-19
• Aviation News Feb 2010 • 2012-07-19
• "Rotorcraft", the magazine of The Popular Rotorcra • 2012-07-19
• Amazon.com customer review (2) • 2012-07-19
• Military Aircraft Monthly 01/2010 • 2012-07-19
• Cybermodeler.com • 2012-07-19
• VAC Magazine • 2012-07-19
• Air Britain • 2012-07-19
• MiniReplika Nr 64 • 2010-03-31

• Aeroplane (Feb 2010) • 2012-07-19
  
• Aviation News Feb 2010 • 2012-07-19
  
• "Rotorcraft", the magazine of The Popular Rotorcra • 2012-07-19
  
• Amazon.com customer review (2) • 2012-07-19

  An excellent "typenbuchen" and history, July 3, 2012

  By A customer "bubblecar"

  While there may or may not be the issues that the reviewer above notes, this book is absolutely unparalleled as a guide to Autogiro manufacturers and the variety of machines they made, and attempted to market. This book is also a superb history of invention in the toughest of economic times, and will answer questions no other book does about why this technology did not take hold. Buy this book along with the (collectible, out-of-print) Smithsonian-published volume on this subject by Peter Brooks, and you will have all you need to read to understand this fascinating topic.

• Military Aircraft Monthly 01/2010 • 2012-07-19
  
• Cybermodeler.com • 2012-07-19

  By Ray Mehlberger

  Date of Review April 2010

  Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. They have their books printed in Poland by Stratus in the English language. MMP now has a U.S. distributor for their books, located in Pennsylvania by the name of Casemate.

  An autogyro, also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotocraft which utilizes an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust. While similar to a helicopter rotor in appearance, the autogyro's rotor must have air flowing up and through the rotor disc in order to generate rotation.

  Invented by Juan de la Cierva to create an aircraft that could safely fly at slow speeds, the autogyro was first flown on 9 January 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid. De la Cierva's aircraft resembled the fixed-wing aircraft of the day, with a front-mounted engine and propeller in a tractor configuration to pull the aircraft through the air.

  Late-model autogyros patterned after Dr. Igor Bensen's designs featured a rear-mounted engine and propeller in a pusher style. The term Autogyro was a trademark of the Cierva Autogyro Company and the term Gyrocopter was originally a trademark of Bensen Aircraft.

  An autogyro is characterized by a free-spinning rotor that turns due to passage of air upwards through the rotor. The vertical component of the total aerodynamic reaction of the rotor gives lift to the vehicle, and sustains the autogyro in the air. A seperate propeller provides forward thrust as already said.

  Whereas a helicopter works by forcing the rotor blades through the air, pushing air downwards, the aurtogyro rotor blade generates lift the in the way as a glider's wing, by changing the angle of the air as it moves upwards and backwards relative to the rotor blade. The free-spinning blades turn by auto-rotation, the rotor blades are angled so that they no only give lift, but the angle of the blades causes lift to accelerate the blade's rotation rate, until the rotor turns at a stable speed with the drag and thrust forces in balance.

  This book tells of the development and types of aurtogyros that have been built over the years. It is a very therough coverage of this type of aircraft. The book is hard cover bound and is the first hard covered book that I have ever received from MMP. The largest amount of the books they publish are usually soft-cover bound. This book is done in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format. It is 328 pages in length.

  The first thing I noticed, when I opened the book was a single loose sheet that inserted into it. This sheet shows a totally different cover art for the book. The book is profusely filled with black and white

  photos of many autogyros by various manufacturers. Over 300 in fact. The neatest one is on the back cover. It shows an autogyro about to land on the White House lawn. There are 84 black and white illustrations of autogyros. 65 of those are 3-views. The book includes 9 data charts.

  There are at least 2 autogyro model kits around. One was by Williams Brothers of a Pitcairn and the other was a resin kit of a Ciervo by I think the brand name was Wintergreen, but cannot swear to that.

  This book will be of great interest to aviation historians and enthusiasts and also to modelers.

  Highly recomended.

• VAC Magazine • 2012-07-19

  by Paul Loveday

  This latest book by Arthur E.J.G.Ord-Hume covering as it does the development of the autogiro chronicles both the history and its technical development in such detail that it should not be possible to produce such a comprehensive study for a number of years.

  Ever since mans’ first attempts to fly, the ability to take off, land and in some cases hover like a bird has been one of the methods man has looked to copy. One of the most ardent pursuers of this was the man who was to become known as the Father of the Autogiro, Juan de la Cierva, whose life and work in the field of aviation are extremely well covered. It is ironic that a man who spent his life designing a machine, one of its aims being to make aviation safer was to die in the crash of a conventional aeroplane.

  The book chronicles the development of the autogiro from its very beginnings, detailing all the research carried out and the attempt made to correct the problems encountered by these early pioneers.

  The development of the autogiro is a fascinating period in aviation history and this book explains it in easily understood detail by the author, in conjunction with an extensive glossary of terms and copious footnotes to the chapters.

  Although Cierva is undoubtedly the ‘Father of the Autogiro’ the number and variety of other designers are also described in great detail, and where possible photographs to accompany the text are provided. The number and quality of the photographs, especially of some of the earliest machines, and their progenitors are used to great effect within the body of the text.

  The work carried out by Cierva in his native Spain followed by his work both here in the United Kingdom and the United States between the two wars and his influence on designs already being developed in the US becomes readily apparent. The use and subsequent rejection by various armed forces including the uses the principles of the autogiro were put to such as being towed behind a submarine to improve observation of enemy shipping or to land a vehicle which could be used in action.

  Although having a secondary title of ‘Rotary Wings Before the Helicopter’ the major development of the principles after the war is also covered. The work of various manufacturers, (most of which no longer exist), as well as private and amateur constructors throughout the world is comprehensively covered.

  A comprehensive appendix completes what is a truly magnificent work by a man who is arguably Britain’s leading aviation historian. Although its cost may deter some it is in this reviewer’s eyes well worth the price. For anyone with even a passing interest no matter how small in rotary flight this book is a must. It is extremely well written and the author has the ability to disseminate information in an easily understandable way.

• Air Britain • 2012-07-19
  
• MiniReplika Nr 64 • 2010-03-31