Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Two-seat autogyro

Power Plant:

One Anzani six-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

Albert John Fortescue (1870 – 1936) was a member of a family which ran a company, G E Fortescue & Sons, which manufactured agricultural implements. Albert became interested in aviation following the first flight of the Wright brothers and his goal was to reduce the length of runway required to become airborne. He began experiments with a test vehicle to check the design of wings and, powered by a converted motor car engine, he taxied it on the Bonnie Doon Golf Course at Arncliffe, NSW. In about 1907 he built a monoplane in a factory at Loftus Street, Arncliffe, and in 1909 he converted it to autogyro configuration. Trials were undertaken between about 1909 and 1912.

His second machine was also an autogyro, built in 1909 and having a wing and a tail, a four-wheel undercarriage, a four-blade rotor and a four-cylinder in-line engine. In that year he was granted first patent protection of the design, this covering four countries. Extensive testing was carried out. Reports stated it took off in about one-third the distance required by the Wrights, the pilot at this stage being a Mr Nelson. The latter stated he would not take it more than 2 metres (6 ft 6 in) into the air as he felt there was some instability in the controls. Speeds of 64 km/h to 80 km/h (40 mph to 50 mph) were attained.

In 1931 Professor T D J Leech, lecturer in aerodynamics at the Sydney University, noted that Fortescue closely anticipated Cierva, the essential difference between the designs being that the latter’s method of attaching the rotating vanes to the mast was slightly different. He also noted Cierva had applied for his patents 14 days after those of Fortescue had lapsed.

After the closure of the Australian Aircraft & Engineering Company at Mascot in 1923, a company which had been involved in the manufacture of the Avro 504, Mr Fortescue purchased the plant and equipment of the company, including incomplete fuselages, engines, etc. Later noted aviators such as Arthur Butler, Goya Henry, Hudson Fysh, L J Wackett and Nigel Love visited him seeking parts for their aircraft from the material he had in store.

Fortescue’s last autogyro was built in 1924 and was fitted with an Anzani engine, although some reports say it was a Clerget engine which was installed. Installation took place at the Walsh Island Dockyard in Sydney, NSW. This machine appears to have used the fuselage of an Avro 504. Family members have recorded that development work continued on the machine but, once Cierva, and later Sikorsky, had perfected the autogyro, Fortescue’s work became redundant and he closed the project down.

The last autogyro certainly survived for some years. On 19 March 1932 it was placed on the back of a small truck and was displayed in the parade marking the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, having painted on its tail 1909-1912 and on the fuselage ‘The World’s First Auto-Gyro Plane’. It was obtained by two members of the Fortescue family and stored in a garage near Wollongong, NSW in 1936 and is thought to have survived up to 1975 when it was then dumped in a mine-pit in the Wollongong area.

It is interesting to note Mr Fortescue built a monoplane to compete in the Light Aircraft Trials held at Richmond, NSW in November and December of 1924. This machine was flown at Mascot, NSW by Mr R Nelson but sustained damage during testing and did not arrive at Richmond in time for the trials.