Fifth Cierva Memorial Lecture

Abstract

I Have the great honour to give the Fifth Memorial Lecture in tribute to Juan de la Cierva, a great man and pioneer in rotating wing development, whose work was predominantly done in England.His fundamental practical achievement, resulting from a deep knowledge of aeronautical science, was the demonstration of the fact that a big airscrew with suitable pitch could serve as a lifting surface without the danger of stall which is inherent in fixed-wing aircraft.