Landing characteristics of an autogiro

An investigation to determine the rate of descent, the horizontal velocity, and the attitude at contact of an autogiro in landings was made by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at the request of the Bureau of Air Commerce, Department of Commerce. The investigation covered various types of landings. The results of the investigation disclosed that the maximum rate of descent at contact with the ground (10.6 feet per second) was less than the minimum rate of descent attainable in a steady glide (15.8 feet per second); that the rates of descent at contact were of the same order of magnitude as those experienced by conventional airplanes in landings; that flared landings resulted in very low horizontal velocities at contact. Also that unexpectedly high lift and drag force coefficients were developed in the latter stages of the flared landings.