IKENGA Autogyro - Santa Fe, NM

The Ikenga aircraft project was inspired by the vision of building kit-assembeled, minimal structure, STOL aircraft for utility use in underdeveloped countries: aerial surveying, border patrol, cattle herding, commuting, crop spraying, flying doctors, and pipeline inspection were some of the targeted applications. Recreational and Sports flying in the U.S. was also a marketing goal. The Cygnus 21T Autogyro was used to evaluate video down-link hardware for covert intelligence gathering while the Cygnus 21TX was designed for medical use.

A foundation stone for my vision was that Ikenga be used as a test bed for alternative power systems to the two-stroke fossil fuel engine, to evaluate the latest developments in low-speed rotor and air fan technology, and to embrace a worthwhile creative objective.  Future designs were destined to be an entry point into "flight suit" technology:  swift miniature ships featuring advanced composites that are molded to the body size of each pilot. This is still an applicable concept for personal flight!