- Joined
- 25 June 2009
- Messages
- 13,745
- Reaction score
- 2,928
The Gyrodyne Company of America was founded in 1946 by Peter J. Papadakos (26 July 1914 –26 May 1992), using the assets he bought from the bankrupt Bendix Helicopter Company that was developing a one-man synchronized co-axial rotor helicopter.
Initially, the company pursued the development of the co-axial system at facilities at Fitzmaurice Field at Massapequa, New York, on Long Island. On 1 July 1951 Mr. Papadakos acquired property, originally known as "Flowerfield," at St. James, New York. It was at this location that he continued development of the co-axial rotor helicopter concept. Having successfully overcome control problems with the concept, the company first built the XRON-1 Rotorcycle that became the basis for the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH), first called the DSN-1 before re-designation as the QH-50A. This development began in the mid-1950s and, with production, continued until the late 1960s, through a number of improved models.
The DASH was employed on destroyer-sized ships through the 1960s and into the 1970s until it was replaced by the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) based helicopters, initially the SH-2 Seasprite.
Subsequently, the company engaged in various activities using the QH-50 design and concepts. Following Papadakos' death, in 1999 all QH-50 assets of the company were placed in the care of Aviodyne U.S.A. of Los Angeles, California. Gyrodyne Company of America converted its former manufacturing facilities to rental properties, and its current business is property rental.
Source: Wikipedia
GCA-2. All-metal helicopter with coaxial twin rotor layout, with a five-seat cabin and a rounded fuselage with twin fins (1947) (one built, N74101)
GCA-2A HELIDYNE. Same helicopter modified with twin 100hp Continental auxiliary engines mounted externally on strutted outriggers to give additional forward speed (1949) (one modified, N74101)
GCA-2B. Compound helicopter which performed demonstrated flights for 7 Air Force pilots (one conversion)
GCA-2C. Further development convertible to an ambulance with three litters; one P&W R-985 engine rated at 450 hp (1952) (one built, N6594K)
GCA-2D. 1953 variant, no details
GCA-3 CONVERTIPLANE. Development of the GCA-2 proposed as an air bus of the future with crew of
two, and 16 troops or 12 stretcher cases (1952, not built). Also see here.
GCA-5 GYRODYNE. Three-place single-engine, single-rotor helicopter project with a tail rotor that swiveled laterally to serve as a pusher prop (1951, not built)
GCA-7 HELIDYNE. Proposed version that was to have a wing, as well as two O-200 pushers (apparently never built)
GCA-8 GYROLINER. 56-passenger scaled-up version of Helidyne with engines to be placed on stub wings (not built)
GCA-9 FEEDERLINER. No details (not built)
GCA-9? HELIDYNE. US Navy XHP-1
GCA-12. Possibly a convertiplane project with coaxial rotors (not built)
GCA-21. Freighter rotorcraft (not built)
GCA-22. Observation/liaison helicopter project (not built)
GCA-23. Observation/liaison helicopter project (not built)
GCA-24 HELIDYNE? Military transport helicopter project with coaxial rotors (not built)
GCA-29. Big co-axial amphibian-helicopter proposal with 4x R-3350-32 engines; gross weight-100,000 lb (not built)
GCA-32. MILITARY CONVERTIPLANE. 23-seat? high-speed convertiplane proposed for the United States Air Force (1953, not built)
GCA-33. Small coaxial helicopter project (not built)
GCA-35 GYROLINER. Convertiplane designed to carry 50 passengers and fly at a speed of better than 450 km per hour (1953, not built)
GCA-41 ROTORCYCLE (XHOG-1/XRON-1); simple one-man co-axial portable helicopter intended for use by the USMC for observation, liason and small-unit tactical manœuvres (1955) (two built)
GCA-41A ROTORCYCLE (YRON-1); preseries batch with a Porsche YO-95-2 engine (three built)
GCA-41B ROTORCYCLE. One XRON-1, serial 4002, converted with a Solar T62 turboshaft engine (one modified)
GCA-54. No details.
GCA-55 GEM. Single-seat ground cushion tested by the Navy's BuAer of the annular jet type, powered by a 72 hp Porsche four-cylinder engine (1959)
GCA-59 ROTORCYCLE. Second YRON-1 preseries batch with Porsche YO-95-2 engine; one of these was also converted with a Solar T62 engine (10 built)
GCA-? DASH. DSN / QH-50A unmanned drone derivative of Rotorcycle (1961)
GCA-? DASH. QH-50C production version with one T50-BO8A turboshaft, rated at 243 kW (over 60 built)
GCA-? DASH. QH-50D.
GCA-? NITE PANTHER. Version of QH-50D.
GCA-63. No details (perhaps QH-50E?).
GCA-? Junior DASH. Proposed scaled-down and simplified version of DASH (not built)
GCA-66. US Army LOH proposal (not built)
Also see:
Initially, the company pursued the development of the co-axial system at facilities at Fitzmaurice Field at Massapequa, New York, on Long Island. On 1 July 1951 Mr. Papadakos acquired property, originally known as "Flowerfield," at St. James, New York. It was at this location that he continued development of the co-axial rotor helicopter concept. Having successfully overcome control problems with the concept, the company first built the XRON-1 Rotorcycle that became the basis for the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH), first called the DSN-1 before re-designation as the QH-50A. This development began in the mid-1950s and, with production, continued until the late 1960s, through a number of improved models.
The DASH was employed on destroyer-sized ships through the 1960s and into the 1970s until it was replaced by the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) based helicopters, initially the SH-2 Seasprite.
Subsequently, the company engaged in various activities using the QH-50 design and concepts. Following Papadakos' death, in 1999 all QH-50 assets of the company were placed in the care of Aviodyne U.S.A. of Los Angeles, California. Gyrodyne Company of America converted its former manufacturing facilities to rental properties, and its current business is property rental.
Source: Wikipedia
GCA-2. All-metal helicopter with coaxial twin rotor layout, with a five-seat cabin and a rounded fuselage with twin fins (1947) (one built, N74101)
GCA-2A HELIDYNE. Same helicopter modified with twin 100hp Continental auxiliary engines mounted externally on strutted outriggers to give additional forward speed (1949) (one modified, N74101)
GCA-2B. Compound helicopter which performed demonstrated flights for 7 Air Force pilots (one conversion)
GCA-2C. Further development convertible to an ambulance with three litters; one P&W R-985 engine rated at 450 hp (1952) (one built, N6594K)
GCA-2D. 1953 variant, no details
GCA-3 CONVERTIPLANE. Development of the GCA-2 proposed as an air bus of the future with crew of
two, and 16 troops or 12 stretcher cases (1952, not built). Also see here.
GCA-5 GYRODYNE. Three-place single-engine, single-rotor helicopter project with a tail rotor that swiveled laterally to serve as a pusher prop (1951, not built)
GCA-7 HELIDYNE. Proposed version that was to have a wing, as well as two O-200 pushers (apparently never built)
GCA-8 GYROLINER. 56-passenger scaled-up version of Helidyne with engines to be placed on stub wings (not built)
GCA-9 FEEDERLINER. No details (not built)
GCA-9? HELIDYNE. US Navy XHP-1
GCA-12. Possibly a convertiplane project with coaxial rotors (not built)
GCA-21. Freighter rotorcraft (not built)
GCA-22. Observation/liaison helicopter project (not built)
GCA-23. Observation/liaison helicopter project (not built)
GCA-24 HELIDYNE? Military transport helicopter project with coaxial rotors (not built)
GCA-29. Big co-axial amphibian-helicopter proposal with 4x R-3350-32 engines; gross weight-100,000 lb (not built)
GCA-32. MILITARY CONVERTIPLANE. 23-seat? high-speed convertiplane proposed for the United States Air Force (1953, not built)
GCA-33. Small coaxial helicopter project (not built)
GCA-35 GYROLINER. Convertiplane designed to carry 50 passengers and fly at a speed of better than 450 km per hour (1953, not built)
GCA-41 ROTORCYCLE (XHOG-1/XRON-1); simple one-man co-axial portable helicopter intended for use by the USMC for observation, liason and small-unit tactical manœuvres (1955) (two built)
GCA-41A ROTORCYCLE (YRON-1); preseries batch with a Porsche YO-95-2 engine (three built)
GCA-41B ROTORCYCLE. One XRON-1, serial 4002, converted with a Solar T62 turboshaft engine (one modified)
GCA-54. No details.
GCA-55 GEM. Single-seat ground cushion tested by the Navy's BuAer of the annular jet type, powered by a 72 hp Porsche four-cylinder engine (1959)
GCA-59 ROTORCYCLE. Second YRON-1 preseries batch with Porsche YO-95-2 engine; one of these was also converted with a Solar T62 engine (10 built)
GCA-? DASH. DSN / QH-50A unmanned drone derivative of Rotorcycle (1961)
GCA-? DASH. QH-50C production version with one T50-BO8A turboshaft, rated at 243 kW (over 60 built)
GCA-? DASH. QH-50D.
GCA-? NITE PANTHER. Version of QH-50D.
GCA-63. No details (perhaps QH-50E?).
GCA-? Junior DASH. Proposed scaled-down and simplified version of DASH (not built)
GCA-66. US Army LOH proposal (not built)
Also see:
Last edited by a moderator:
