Juan de la Cierva
United Kingdom
1895-1936
Juan de la Cierva was born in Murcia, Spain. He was one of the pioneers of rotary-wing flight, and was responsible for successfully introducing the flap hinge as a method for making rotary-winged aircraft controllable. He went on to develop many successful autogyros, or gyroplanes, with many companies purchasing licensing rights for the many patents that he developed.
He was killed in an air crash at Croydon, United Kingdom, on December 9, 1936.
Note: This is an interim biography pending the availability of a more complete version
| Milestones associated with Juan de la Cierva | |
|---|---|
| January 10, 1923 | First flight of a rotorcraft with an articulated/flapping blade (Cierva C.4) |
| January 17, 1923 | First controlled flight by an Autogiro (Cierva C.4) |
| March 31, 1924 | First flight of the Cierva C.6 series Autogiro |
| March 24, 1926 | The Cierva Autogiro company is formed |
| May 19, 1927 | First flight of a rotorcraft with lead-lag hinges (modified Cierva C.7) |
| September 18, 1928 | First crossing of the English Channel by a rotorcraft (Cierva C.8L-II) |
| March 5, 1932 | First flight of a 'Direct Control' Autogiro (modified Cierva C.19 Mk V) |
| March 31, 1933 | First flight of the Cierva C.30 |
| December 9, 1936 | Juan de la Cierva dies |
| February 16, 1961 | The first Cierva Lecture is given |