Haviland Platt

United States of America

 

Haviland Platt was the developer of the XR-1 rotary-wing aircraft.

Haviland Hull Platt earned his degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Early on in his career, he worked in the fields of automotive and naval engineering.

With a growing interest in rotary-wing flight, Platt co-founded Platt-LePage with aeronautical and systems engineer Laurence LePage, where he worked on Autogiro technologies. LePage had seen Heinrich Focke's successful autogiro designs in Germany and wanted to emulate Focke's concept.

On April 15th of 1940, the U.S. Army opened up their first-ever helicopter contract. Platt-Lepage, as well as many other big names in the rotorcraft industry such as Sikorsky, Pitcairn, and Kellett, all seized the opportunity.

Platt-LePage completed their design of what they called the PL-3, which was able to win the Army competition and earn the designation XR-1.

After a relatively successful testing phase of the XV-1, the XV-1A was developed as an improved version of the aircraft. Haviland Platt played a large part in this design and even held several patents on components of the aircraft. He continued to work at Platt-LePage until 1969 when he retired to his home in New York.

Mr. Platt died in on March 25, 1982. He was 92. 

Hendrickson. J.B. (2005) Dr. W. Laurence LePage, From XR-1 to Tilt-Rotor, AHS 61st Annual Forum

 

Milestones associated with Haviland Platt
June 23, 1941	First flight of the Platt-LePage XR-1
October 27, 1943	First flight of the Platt-LePage XR-1A
July 7, 1950	Patent on the tilt rotor concept applied for