National Air and Space Museum Archives

Autogiro Company of America v. United States Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0060
Dates:
1958-1962
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
10.9 Cubic feet
(10 records center boxes) (2 11x14x25 transfiles)
10.4 Linear feet
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection contains documents relating to the 1958-62 Autogiro Company of America vs. the United States. The collection includes transcripts of hearings and copies of patents and contracts relevant to the case.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The Autogiro Co. of America was formed in 1931 to hold the US licensing rights of the Cierva Autogiro Co, Ltd. of England. Autogiro sublicensed these rights to Kellet Autogiro Co [Philadelphia, PA] and Pitcairn Autogiro Co [Willow Grove, PA], which developed and manufactured a number of autogiros during the 1930s. During World War II, Kellet stopped working on autogiros in favor of helicopters. Pitcairn Autogiro became Pitcairn Larsen Autogiro in 1940 then G&A Aircraft, Inc., which was bought out by Firestone Aircraft in 1943 before fading from the aviation scene. In 1958 Autogiro brought suit against the United Sates, charging that the government had infringed on Autogiro's patent rights by procuring rotary wing aircraft from Bell, Hiller, McCollock, and Vertol/Piasecki, which were not sublicensees of Autogiro's patents.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
No Donor Information, gift, XXXX-0060, Unknown

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

More Information

General

General
NASMrev


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics -- Law and legislation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Autogiros Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Patents Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Contracts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kellet Autogiro Corp Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pitcairn Autogiro Co, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cierva Autogiro Co, Ltd. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Autogiro Company of America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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