The Bensen Aircraft Corporation was established by Dr.
Igor Bensen
Igor Vasilevich Bensen (; April 1, 1917 – February 10, 2000) was a Russian-American engineer. He founded Bensen Aircraft, a US company which produced a successful line of gyrogliders (rotor kites) and autogyros.
Early life and educatio ...
at
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Anchored by the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh an ...
in
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
in 1952 to develop and market a variety of helicopters and autogyros of Bensen's own design.
History
Their most successful product was the
Bensen B-8
The Bensen B-8 is a small, single-seat autogyro developed in the United States in the 1950s. Although the original manufacturer stopped production in 1987, plans for homebuilders are still available as of 2019. Its design was a refinement of t ...
, which first flew in 1955 and remained in production until the company closed down in 1987.
Aircraft
See also
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Gyrocopter
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-driven ...
*
Gyroglider
A rotor kite or gyrokite is an unpowered, rotary-wing aircraft. Like an autogyro or helicopter, it relies on lift created by one or more sets of rotors in order to fly. Unlike a helicopter, gyrokites and rotor kites do not have an engine power ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
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External links
Bensen Aircraft Foundation archives{{Bensen aircraft
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Defunct helicopter manufacturers of the United States
Defunct manufacturing companies based in North Carolina
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1952