Ikenga
Autogyro development
was my creative focus from 1984 through 1994. The catalyst for my flying
sculptures was a meeting with Wing Commander Ken Wallis, designer of James
Bond's Little Nellie autogyro, in 1965 while on a photography assignment
for Queen magazine in England.
Autogyros sparked my interest and soon afterwards I was commissioned to
create conceptual drawings for a five passenger autogyro to be built in
Blackpool. Designs for modular autogyros followed as did a very exciting
project: creating a minimal structure airborne residence based on lighter
then air technology - akin to a floating Yogi abode. Flight remains a
metaphor, to me, for the soaring of Spirit. I'm thankful to Shobahn Gradenwitz
for underwriting aircraft #1, and to Ken, George Hinson-Rider, Mark Hallett,
Igor Benson, Bill Parsons, Ed
Alderfer, and Richard Bentley for giving support and technical guidance
to the dream.
Note: Cygnus 21TX
and E.Z. Bird Autogiro's are available to collectors/museums. Contact:
gyro@dwij.org
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