First pic is from the flight trials in England, the other three are from the Cathcart Factory.
Weir W-2 experimental autogiro conducting a demonstration flight in 1934 Lord Weir and his brother JG Weir were involved in setting up the Cierva Autogiro Company in 1926 with JG Weir as Chairman. Early versions were built under licence by A.V.Roe and in 1932 G&J Weir obtained the rights to develop autogiros using Cierva patents at their factory in Glasgow. By 1939 Weirs had virtually taken over the Cierva company.
The Weir W-2 autogiro in flight during demonstrations at the Cierva Autogiro Company at Hanworth in 1934. Powered by a flat twin, two cylinder, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled engine also designed and built by G&J Weir. It incorporated an auxiliary drive shaft to spin up the rotor to reduce the take-off run required.
G&J Weir designed and built four experimental autogiros numbered W1 to W4 at their Cathcart factory from 1933 to 1937 after which they moved on to produce twin rotor helicopters the W5 and W6 before the work was brought to a halt by the needs of WW2 in 1940.
Weir W 4 twin rotor autogyro 1937 A more elegantly finished version of the earlier W 3 design. Weir W 4 design included a Cierva auto dynamic jump-off feature where the rotor was engaged through a direct drive shaft to start lifting. The drive then switched to the tractor airscrew to move forward having already lifted off.he twin rotor Weir W 4 single seat autogyro was powered by a Weir Pixie engine uprated from the W 3 model. The design was the last autogyro made by Weir who by 1938 turned attention to helicopter design.G & J Weir began their involvement in rotorcraft in 1928 when supporting Cierva in the start of the Cierva autogyro company. Weir started manufacture of autogyros in 1933 developing 4 successively more refined designs.
Weir W 5 helicopter with design team in 1939
The W 5 was made up of many earlier autogyro components into a bizarre machine. A single seat uncovered fuselage and outrigger made of plywood box girder construction on each side amid ships on which was mounted a 2 bladed rotor.
A modified Weir engine is seen, with a blower cooling fan in front, mounted in the reverse to suit the drive splitting gearing to the rotor arms. The design team are standing behind. It first flew at Dalrymple in June 1938.
Weir abandoned autogyro developments in 1937 in favour of the helicopter which they considered had greater potential for passenger use. This was triggered by the success of the W 3 and W 4 autogyro jump off experiments.
Weir W 6 helicopter under construction and nearing completion in 1939
Weir became interested in helicopter design and pioneered in 1938 the fundamental safety feature of auto-rotation where the rotor is de-clutched from the drive motor allowing safe descent if an engine failed. Demonstrated by their first design the W 5.
The W 6 was constructed using a tubular framework with 3 bladed rotors on the 2 elevated outrigger arms. A DH Gipsy 6 engine with special cooling fan powered the rotors through a drive splitter gearbox. An early passenger was Air Vice Marshal Teddar 1940.
G & J Weir began their involvement in rotorcraft in 1928 when supporting Cierva in the start of the Cierva autogyro company. Weir started manufacture of autogyros in 1933 developing 4 successively more refined designs.