Harold Frederick Pitcairn (1897-1960)

Harold F. Pitcairn  (1897–1960) was an American aviation inventor and pioneer. He played a key role in the development of the autogyro and founded the Autogiro Company of America. He invented many patents relating to rotary wing aircraft.



Pitcairn start in aviation was as an apprentice at Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company He attended the Curtiss Flying School in Newport News in 1916.

Pitcairn founded Pitcairn Aviation (later to become Eastern Airlines), and Pitcairn Aircraft Company which manufactured efficient airmail biplanes, and autogyros. He bought the right to license Juan de la Ciervas patents for the United States for $300,000 in 1929.

He was awarded the Collier Trophy in 1930 for development of the autogyro. USA President Hoover awarded the trophy on the lawn of the White House in 1931, where a Pitcairn PCA-2 landed as the first aircraft ever.

In 1960, he committed suicide at his home in Philadelphia shortly after a party celebrating his 62nd birthday. Pitcairn was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1977, 17 years after his death, the Supreme Court of the United States awarded Pitcairn $32 million from the US government for rotorcraft control surfaces patents used by military rotorcraft.