The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, has about 100 aviation and space vehicles on display. Shown below are some of the unusual helicopters which are on display.
DeLackner DH-4 Heli-Vector
In the 1950s, Charles Zimmer of the National Advisory Committee on Aviation developed the idea for a personal rotor craft. The DH-4 Heli-Vector was designed by Lewis C. McCarty and produced by the DeLackner Helicopter Company of Mt. Vernon, New York. It featured a small platform for the operator to stand on and a pair of counter-rotating 15 foot blades beneath the platform. It was powered by a modified 20 hp Mercury Marine outboard motor. Over 200 flights were made with the DH-4. This aircraft has a cruising speed of 55 mph, a top speed of 75 mph, and a range of 15 miles.
Benson B-8M Gyrocopter
An autogiro is a hybrid that is neither a helicopter nor an airplane. According to the display:
“Unlike a helicopter, the blades on an autogiro are not powered, but spin due to the air passing through them from below. But by spinning, they create life like a helicopter. The power to move forward is provided by a motor driving a propeller, and turning is handled by a rudder and the tilting of the blades. Also, unlike a helicopter, the autogiro cannot truly hover and cannot back up or move sideways in mid-air.”
The Benson Gryocopter was inspired by the “rotor-kites” used by the Germans in World War II as spotters for their submarines. This was a popular design and thousands were made. Benson stopped building Gyrocopters in 1987. This aircraft was first flown in 1955. It has a top speed of 95 mph and a range of 84 miles.
McCulloch J-2 Gyrocopter
At least 83 of these aircraft were built in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1979. It was first flown in 1962. They have a top speed of 110 mph and a range of 200 miles.
Hiller 1031 Flying Platform (Replica)
Development of the Flying Platform began in 1953 and the craft first flew in 1955. It was a nimble, stable craft. Only six Flying Platforms were built. It has a top speed of 16 mph.
Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcyle
During the Korean War, the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics requested proposals to design and build a one-man helicopter to be used by the Marines. In 1954, Hiller won with the Model 1033 Rotorcycle, an innovative, collapsible helicopter. Give the military designation XROE-1, two prototypes were built. It was first flow in 1957. A total of 12 were built before testing was cancelled. This aircraft has a top speed of 70 mph, a cruising speed of 52 mph, and a range of 30 miles.
According to the display:
“Small enough to fit into a pod slung under an aircraft and drop by parachute, the Rotorcycle featured rapid assembly with no tools, enabling a downed pilot to escape and evade an enemy.”
More Aircraft Photo Tours
Evergreen Aviation: Some Jet Fighters (photo diary)
Stonehenge Air Museum: Biplanes (Photo Diary)
Stonehenge Air Museum: Monoplanes (Photo Diary)
Evergreen Aviation: Biplanes (photo diary)
Evergreen Aviation: Homebuilt Airplanes (photo diary)
WAAAM: Gliders (Photo Diary)
WAAAM: 1936-1939 Airplanes (Photo Diary)
WAAAM: Taylor Airplanes (Photo Diary)
