Cierva C.3

C.3
Role	experimental autogyro
Manufacturer	Juan de la Cierva
Designer	Juan de la Cierva
Number built	1

The Cierva C.3 was an experimental autogyro built by Juan de la Cierva in Spain in 1921. It was based on the fuselage of a Sommer monoplane, and was actually completed and tested before that aircraft. The C.3 utilised a single, three-bladed rotor in place of the coaxial double rotor tested on the C.1. A few short hops were achieved in testing and Cierva noted a tendency for the machine to want to roll over, thus alerting him to the problem of dissymmetry of lift that he would have to overcome in order to built a successful rotary-wing aircraft. The C.3 was damaged and rebuilt four times before being abandoned without having flown, la Cierva returning to work on the C.2.

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 254. 
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 891 Sheet 28. 
• Leishman, J. Gordon (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 699. 

See also