Gadfly HDW.1

Gadfly HDW.1
Role	Autogyro
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Gadfly Aircraft Company Limited
Designer	E. Smith
Status	On Display
Number built	1

The Gadfly HDW.1 (also known as the Thruxton Gadfly) is a 1960s British two-seat cabin autogyro.

Design and construction

The autogyro was designed by E. Smith and built by the Gadfly Aircraft Company Limited. It is of welded steel tube construction with tricycle landing gear, powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Rolls-Royce Continental IO-346-A inline piston engine driving a pusher propeller. It has a two-bladed rotor that can be engine-driven for starting.

It was completed at Andover in 1967 and registered G-AVKE.^[1] After retirement the Gadfly was initially exhibited at the Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend Airport. Latterly it has been displayed at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare.

The sole Gadfly displayed at Southend Airport in 1976 complete with main rotor and pusher propeller

Specifications

Data from ^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one
Length: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
Gross weight: 1,600 lb (726 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Continental IO-346-A , 165 hp (123 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)

Performance

Cruise speed: 110 mph (176 km/h, 96 kn)
Range: 460 mi (740 km, 400 nmi)

References

Notes

^ UK Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register G-AVKE^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Jackson 1973, p. 310

Bibliography

Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. p. 382. ISBN 0-370-10010-7.}

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[1] UK Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register G-AVKE^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[Jackson310-2] Jackson 1973, p. 310

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