Could the Mini-Copter fly as an autogyro?

Short answer

Yes, but only one of its variants: the third version added a piston engine and a pusher propeller, letting it fly as an autogyro without the rotor-tip rockets once enough forward speed was reached. That engine was a four-cylinder opposed McCulloch of 90 hp (67 kW). Three units were built.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Could the Mini-Copter fly as an autogyro?

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The third variant, an autogyro

A third version of the design incorporated a piston engine and a pusher propeller, with which it could fly as an autogyro without the rotor-tip rockets once sufficient forward speed had been reached. The engine fitted was a four-cylinder, opposed McCulloch of 90 hp (67 kW).

The rocket-powered versions

In the first two versions, power was provided by rocket motors mounted on the rotor tips. These were two Aerospace General hydrogen-peroxide rockets, each with 42 lbf (0.19 kN) of thrust. In its most basic form, the Mini-Copter amounted to little more than fuel tanks and a rotor assembly strapped to the pilot.

What it was meant for, and how it ended up

The device was designed to be air-dropped to American military pilots stranded behind enemy lines or in otherwise inaccessible areas. Development began in 1972, and the first flight took place on 31 March 1973. The three prototypes were tested by the US Navy from late 1974 until 1977 and were then transferred to the US Army in 1978, for trials under a $409,000 program called the "Individual Tactical Air Vehicle."