Pitcairn PCA-2
| PCA-2 | |
|---|---|
| A PCA-2 operated by the Beech-Nut corporation | |
| General information | |
| Type | Utility autogyro |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Pitcairn-Cierva Autogiro Company |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 20–30 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1931 |
| Variant | Pitcairn OP-1 |
The Pitcairn PCA-2 was an autogyro (designated as "autogiro" by Pitcairn) developed in the United States in the early 1930s. It was Harold F. Pitcairn's first autogyro design to be sold in quantity. It had a conventional design for its day – an airplane-like fuselage with two open cockpits in tandem, and an engine mounted tractor-fashion in the nose. The lift by the four-blade main rotor was augmented by stubby, low-set monoplane wings that also carried the control surfaces. The wingtips featured considerable dihedral that acted as winglets for added stability.