Juan de la Cierva
Juan de la Cierva was a
Spanish aeronautical
engineer and
pilot. His most famous accomplishment was the invention of the
autogyro in
1923. The autogyro is a highly maneuverable aircraft with an unpowered rotor. It was a predecessor to the modern
helicopter. During the
Spanish Civil War, he supported
Francisco Franco's side. He died in a fixed-wing plane accident.
