I came across this interesting flying machine in my research the other day. It’s Jess Dixon’s flying car! A homebuilt co-axial helicopter!
This picture and accompanying text appeared in the November 1941 edition of the Modern Mechanix magazine.
Here’s what Modern Mechanix has to say about it:
“This Helicopter-Car Flies Over Traffic!
JESS DIXON, of Andalusia, Alabama, got tired of being tied up in traffic jams, so he designed and built this novel flying vehicle. It is a combination of automobile, helicopter, autogiro, and motorcycle. It has two large lifting rotos in a single head, revolving in opposite directions. It is powered by a 40 h.p. motor which is air-cooled. He claims his machine is capable of speeds up to 100 miles an hour.”
The Aerofiles website has a short comment on this unique helicopter:
Jess Dixon, Andalusia AL.
1936 = Roadable helicopter. 1pOH; 40hp air-cooled engine. Coaxial rotor system with cyclic and collective pitch control. “Foot pedals actuated a hinged vane on the tail, counting on rotor downwash for yaw control.” In a photo the helicopter is seen hovering, but no test results were found.
According to the Andalusia newspaper, the helicopter was named the “Flying Ginny” but according to this source (Mobile Aviation) the little flying machine is called “The Hummingbird.” Regardless of the name, this little flying car invention has claimed the imagination of many.
It appears that Jess Dixon was offered a job by Twin Coach Company in Ohio to further develop his flying machine. This work seems to have culminated in the TCAH-1, a two seat coaxial helicopter design powered by two 75hp engines. There are no pictures available that I know of, but I read there is a diagram of the helicopter available in the 1945 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology, Volume 44.
Boy if I could just get my hands on a copy….
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