Windryder Gyrocopter

The modern-day gyroplane was developed by Dr. Igor Bensen, a Russian immigrant and engineer. Dr. Bensen designed a line of gyroplanes beginning in the early 1950’s, beginning with his model B-5, and introducing his model B-8 sometime later. Interestingly, the B-8 was tested by the United States Air Force beginning in 1968 under the Discretionary Decent Vehicle Program. The idea was to incorporate a small gyroplane into a military aircraft instead of an ejection seat, allowing for more control for the pilot after ejecting from the aircraft. While the idea never panned out, modern day gyroplanes continue on in similar roles, used by military and law enforcement personnel worldwide due to its lower cost to operate than similar vehicles such as helicopters.

The Museum’s Windryder Gyroplane was manufactured on July 1, 1986 in Broomfield, Colorado, and was the prototype for the first Windryder planes that were built. The aircraft was the winner of the “best new rotorcraft” at the Experimental Aircraft Associations (EAA) annual convention and fly-in in 1987 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft was also featured on the cover of “Popular Mechanics” magazine in November 1988. The Gyroplane was then purchased by Kent Okeson of Snohomish, Washington, who flew the gyroplane extensively before donating the aircraft to the Tillamook Air Museum in November 2017.