Legacy of Wings

Here is the story of one of the true pioneers of aviation, who until now has remained largely unknown to the general public and even to some aviation aficionados. Harold F. Pitcairn, American inventor, designer and businessman, deserves recognition for his outstanding achievements in every one of these roles.
Pitcairn devoted the 25 years prior to World War II to developing rotary-wing flight. He flew the first rotary-wing aircraft in America. His autogiros were so safe and agile that his pilots made headlines with stunts like landing on the White House lawn, as Pitcairn received the Collier Trophy from President Hoover.
Having held helicopter patents dating to 1926, Pitcairn licensed the rights to Igor I. Sikorsky for the development of the first practical helicopter during World War II. Here, for the first time, is the story of the patent infringement case caused by the U.S. government's later change of the regulations affecting royalties. It took more than a quarter of a century of litigation for justice to prevail with a $300 million award to Pitcairn's estate.
But Pitcairn's impact on the advancement of aviation technology extended beyond the bounds of vertical flight. Beginning with his youthful experiences at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. in 1914, his professional career progressed from the creation of one of the early flying fields in the U.S. to the design and development of a series of planes, including the pioneer air-mail carrier that has become a classic: the Mailwing. His air-mail line, which began on a meadow near his home, eventually grew into one of America's major passenger airlines — Eastern Air Lines — no small feat.
Because Harold Pitcairn's life spanned the entire history of heavier-than-air powered flight, his biography of personal achievements traces the flow of advancement in that industry. Working with the likes of Jim Ray, Ambrose Banks and Ben and Jim Faulkner, Pitcairn engaged in one of America's most recent pioneering efforts. This biography describes the adventures of one of that industry's most illustrious insiders.
Lavishly illustrated with 175 photos culled from archives and three-view drawings for practically every Pitcairn design (created expressly for this book), Legacy of Wings also provides a unique reference for the antique model-builder.



by Frank Kingston Smith
Published by Jason Aronson Inc. (USA) 1981 1st edition. 371pp profusely illustrated with b&w photos and line drawings, 3 view drawings etc. index, appendices. 19x26 good in worn d/j.




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"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "new edition" "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.