Watkinson Cyclogyroplane

[avion ancien]

Between 1961 and 1977 Mr Herbert Watkinson, who lived in Bexhill, designed and built two human powered gyroplanes, the Watkinson CG-3 and CG-4. The CG-3/1 was built in 1961 and made its first untethered flight in 1962. It was then modified and, as the CG-3/3, it was taken to RAF Tangmere in 1963, where it is reported to have flown a distance of 175 yards but had aerial control difficulties. Subsequently it was donated to the Shuttleworth Collection, at Old Warden, in 1970. Attempts were made to fly it there but the damage caused to it, as a result of these attempts, put it beyond repair and it was broken up. Late in his life, in 1976, Mr Watkinson started work on a successor, the CG-4. This was to have been tested at Lydd Airport. However, before he could complete this aircraft he became ill and he died in 1977. The following year the incomplete CG-4 was donated to the Helicopter Museum, at Weston-super-Mare, where currently it is in store (q.v. http://helimuseum.com/heli.php?ident=cg4). Whether there existed a CG-1, CG-2 or CG-3/2, I do not know. These may have been no more than designs on paper.

 

[Rotorhawk]

do you know if the plans or designs are accessible to see?

 

[Aerohydro]

Here is a photo of a Watkinson cyclogyroplane; probably one of the iterations of the CG-3.