Gyro 2000
Ikenga 530Z
Photo: Robert Deering 10/23/2006
Smithsonian Nationa Air and Space Museum
Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Chantilly, Virginia

In the early 1980s, David Gittens, a gifted artist and industrial designer, began work on an innovative, low-cost gyroplane that could transport medical personnel and needed equipment to remote villages in the poorer nations of the world. Unfortunately, potential buyers were more interested in the less peaceful applications of the Ikenga, and Gittens had to abandon his goal of a "future link" connecting stricken areas with the wider world.

The Ikenga 530Z's simple construction and capability to takeoff and land in short distances while operating from unprepared surfaces made it ideally suited for use in remote areas. Its tractor engine made it more stable than the pusher configuration of most modern gyroplanes. The pilot rode motorcycle-style, with the heels of the pilot's feet controlling the rudder pedals. "Ikenga" refers to the ceremonial mask that embodies humanity's creative life force in the Ibo mythology of Eastern Nigeria.

Physical Description:
Single-seat autogiro with 2-blade rotor, tractor engine driving three-blade, wooden propeller.

Source: Smithsonian Air & Space Museum