A Dream of Flight Review

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(More customer reviews)Outstanding autobiography of this imaginative, aviation pioneer's life work !
Ed Folks
San Antonio, Texas

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Igor Bensen ranks as an aviation pioneer who made a unique contribution to flying. He developed the Bensen Gyrocopter, an aircraft so unusual that early witnesses placed bets that it wouldn't fly. But it did fly, and at one time was so widely accepted that it became the world's most popular homebuilt aircraft.This is the only book written by Igor Bensen. In it, he describes his efforts to develop the ideal personal aircraft. Starting in 1953, Bensen built a series of helicopters and gyroplanes (Gyroplanes are helicopter-like flying machines whose rotor blades receive power not from an engine but from the force of air as the machine moves forward). Many photographs in this book from the Bensen archives show his unusual designs, including Gyrocopters with as many as six engines, one- and two-seat Gyrocopters, jet-powered helicopters, a multi-engine flying platform and many others.Bensen tells about his first crash, his near misses while flying air shows with the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, and his world speed record flights.This book also includes a biography of Igor Bensen written by Paul Bergen Abbott based on a personal interview with Bensen. The biography tells how the young boy Igor became fascinated while watching birds in his native Russia. After he and his family fled the Russian revolution and came to the United States, Bensen pursued his dream of flight. Along with developing many unique flying machines, Bensen invented the idea of selling his machine in a kit so people could build their own aircraft, a very popular practice today. His small rear-engine Gyrocopter became the basic design for all modern gyroplanes. He also founded the Popular Rotorcraft Association, a worldwide organization that promotes flying amateur-built helicopters and gyroplanes.Bensen's book is unique, a personal account written by one of aviation's most interesting adventurers.

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From Autogiro to Gyroplane: The Amazing Survival of an Aviation Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)Charnov has done a creditable job of presenting a history of the Autogiro. This effort joins the small library available on the subject, the current gold standard being "Cierva Autogiros" by Peter Brooks, who in addition to his writing abilities is technically qualified to discuss the subject. Though Charnov has obviously expended much effort in gathering, sifting and organizing information on the Autogiro, his greatest weakness is his lack of technical understanding of the aircraft. For the casual reader, this deficiency is probably unnoticeable; however, since books of this type tend to attract a somewhat technically aware audience, the frequent and inaccurate use of terms and descriptions detracts from the book. The discussion of the Fairey Gyrodyne completely misses the point of what made this third type of rotorcraft (including gyroplane and helicopter) so technologically significant. Also, the title, "From Autogiro to Gyroplane," is misleading since the latter term is merely a generic definition for autorotational aircraft which automatically includes the trademarked Autogiro; the title is analogous to "From Chevrolet to Automobile."
This book's greatest failure is the implication that the Bensen Gyrocopter and its derivatives are the natural successors to the Autogiro. The Autogiro was developed, constructed, and operated by aviation professionals. This produced the outstanding safety record of the Autogiro even though each successive aircraft included significant technical or operational advances over its predecessor. This work laid the foundation for today's rotary wing aircraft industry. By contrast, the Bensen Gyrocopter and derivatives are commonly designed, constructed, and operated by rank amateurs who commonly dismiss or are completely ignorant of lessons learned during the development of the Autogiro, with the result that this type of aircraft has established an abysmal safety record. It is instructive to compare side-by-side Bensen's "Mechanics Illustrated" advertisements of the type, build it yourself, train yourself to fly it, with Cierva Autogiro Company/Pitcairn Autogiro Company advertisements which announce the availability of professional flight training in certificated aircraft.
The era of the Autogiro ended with the magnificent Fairey Rotodyne; with very few exceptions, succeeding gyroplane history is the story of amateurs.
This book contains much valuable information though it includes a significant amount of detritus.

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