Cyril Pullin
Encyclopedia
Cyril Pullin was a British
inventor, engineer
and motorcycle
race driver. His inventions contributed to the rotary engine
and the helicopter
. His son was the pilot for the first successful British helicopter flight in 1938. Cyril Pullin died in 1965 aged 72.
, London
. He became a well known motorcycle racer and in 1914 won the Isle of Man TT
race.
with a record average of 49.49 mph on a Rudge Multi which had a variable belt drive gearbox giving an effective option of over 20 speeds which made a huge difference on the hills. The race, which ran for over four hours was led by Oliver Godfrey and Howard Davies who dead heated for second place when Pullin overtook them both to win by only 6.4 seconds. Pullin's success on the day was sadly marred when fellow competitor in the Junior TT Frank Walker
came round the final corner on his Royal Enfield
to find the road blocked by people trying to see the finish. He did his best to avoid injuring spectators but was killed in the crash. Following the tragedy the organisers of the TT introduced rope barriers and crowd control.
On 23 March 1922 at Brooklands
Pullin established a new record and became the first ever British motorcyclist to be timed at over 100 m.p.h. on a 3 hp Douglas 500cc motorcycle
.
in the hub of a motorcycle wheel, a rotating single-cylinder engine known as a one-lunger. This consisted of just the cylinder and a clutch which could be engaged and disengaged, with a simple drum brake. The invention never entered production but is credited as an important step in rotary engine development.
His sister was married to Stephen Leslie Bailey, a then prominent engineer at Douglas Motorcycles
and many of his patents were filed under the name of that company.
, Hertfordshire, to produce Ascot-Pullin Motorcycles
and the Ascot car based on the Hungarian
Fejes
, with chassis and 10 hp engine assembled from welded steel pressings. It never went into production.
A larger car, the Ascot Gold Cup Six with a 2423 cc six-cylinder engine possibly made by Continental
, three-speed gearbox and servo brakes did become a reality and a few production cars were made. It was advertised as being available as a two seat sports, coupé or fabric saloon.
control. The W.5 made its first flight at Dalrymple
, Ayrshire
, on 7 June 1938, when it was piloted by Raymond Pullin and it became the first British helicopter to fly successfully. By World War II
the W.5 had logged eighty hours' flying time and was followed by a scaled up version, the W.6, which was the first two-seater helicopter in the world. Further progress on this model was prevented by World War II.
In 1940 Pullin became Managing Director of Weirs at Cathcart Works in Glasgow
, where he designed the 1500cc Flat-twin
and the 4-cylinder Pixie engines which followed it and were used in the Weir autogyros.
After the war development at the Cierva Autogiro Company
of the W.9 "Drainpipe
" and the 24 passenger carrying W.11 Air Horse
helicopters continued under the direction of Cyril Pullin.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
inventor, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
race driver. His inventions contributed to the rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
and the helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. His son was the pilot for the first successful British helicopter flight in 1938. Cyril Pullin died in 1965 aged 72.
Early life
Cyril George Pullin was born 1892 in WandsworthWandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He became a well known motorcycle racer and in 1914 won the Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
race.
Racing career
In 1914 Cyril Pullin won the Isle of Man TTIsle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
with a record average of 49.49 mph on a Rudge Multi which had a variable belt drive gearbox giving an effective option of over 20 speeds which made a huge difference on the hills. The race, which ran for over four hours was led by Oliver Godfrey and Howard Davies who dead heated for second place when Pullin overtook them both to win by only 6.4 seconds. Pullin's success on the day was sadly marred when fellow competitor in the Junior TT Frank Walker
Frederick James Walker
Frederick James Walker Kingstown, Co Dublin, Ireland an Irish motorcycle racer who competed at the Isle of Man TT Races.A hat manufacturer by trade, Frank Walker competed at the 1914 Isle of Man TT races and riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle in the Junior TT Race. After leading on the first lap,...
came round the final corner on his Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield was the name under which the Enfield Cycle Company made motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines. This legacy of weapons manufacture is reflected in the logo, a cannon, and their motto "Made like a gun, goes like a bullet". Use of the brand name Royal Enfield was...
to find the road blocked by people trying to see the finish. He did his best to avoid injuring spectators but was killed in the crash. Following the tragedy the organisers of the TT introduced rope barriers and crowd control.
On 23 March 1922 at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
Pullin established a new record and became the first ever British motorcyclist to be timed at over 100 m.p.h. on a 3 hp Douglas 500cc motorcycle
Douglas (motorcycles)
Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907–1957 based in Kingswood, Bristol, owned by the Douglas family, and especially known for its horizontally opposed twin cylinder engined bikes and as manufacturers of speedway machines...
.
Inventions
In the 1920s Pullin developed various helicopter engine patents and in the 1940s he developed the Powerwheel, a rotary engineRotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
in the hub of a motorcycle wheel, a rotating single-cylinder engine known as a one-lunger. This consisted of just the cylinder and a clutch which could be engaged and disengaged, with a simple drum brake. The invention never entered production but is credited as an important step in rotary engine development.
His sister was married to Stephen Leslie Bailey, a then prominent engineer at Douglas Motorcycles
Douglas (motorcycles)
Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907–1957 based in Kingswood, Bristol, owned by the Douglas family, and especially known for its horizontally opposed twin cylinder engined bikes and as manufacturers of speedway machines...
and many of his patents were filed under the name of that company.
Car and motorcycle business
In 1928 Pullin took over the former Phoenix factory in LetchworthLetchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
, Hertfordshire, to produce Ascot-Pullin Motorcycles
Ascot-Pullin Motorcycles
Ascot-Pullin Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Cyril Pullin as the Ascot Motor and Manufacture Co Ltd at Letchworth, Hertfordshire in 1928...
and the Ascot car based on the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Fejes
Fejes
The Fejes was a Hungarian automobile, a utility vehicle manufactured in Budapest between 1923 and 1932 to a design by automotive engineer Jenő Fejes by Fejes Lemezmotor és Gépgyár Rt. The entire car, including the 1244 cc ohv engine, was constructed of welded and pressed iron. Several were...
, with chassis and 10 hp engine assembled from welded steel pressings. It never went into production.
A larger car, the Ascot Gold Cup Six with a 2423 cc six-cylinder engine possibly made by Continental
Continental Motors Company
Continental Motors Company was an American engine and automobile manufacturer. The company produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment from the 1900s through the 1960s. Continental Motors also produced Continental-branded automobiles in...
, three-speed gearbox and servo brakes did become a reality and a few production cars were made. It was advertised as being available as a two seat sports, coupé or fabric saloon.
Rotary wing aircraft
In 1932 Pullin joined G & J Weir Ltd's aircraft department, in Glasgow, Scotland, as Chief Designer to develop single place autogyros. Pullin converted the Weir W.4 autogyro into a helicopter by using two co-axial rotors, later replaced by two rotors mounted atop outriggers each side of the fuselage. The Weir W.5 was a single seat helicopter powered by an air-cooled engine, and established a maximum airspeed of 70 mph. Its two two-blade, fixed-pitch rotors had swashplate-actuated cyclicHelicopter flight controls
A helicopter pilot manipulates the helicopter flight controls in order to achieve controlled aerodynamic flight. The changes made to the flight controls are transmitted mechanically to the rotor, producing aerodynamic effects on the helicopter's rotor blades which allow the helicopter to be...
control. The W.5 made its first flight at Dalrymple
Dalrymple, East Ayrshire
Dalrymple is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the western-most point of East Ayrshire, around 8km south-east of Ayr. Dalrymple is in the Doon Valley, on the north bank of the River Doon. The population is 1,347....
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, on 7 June 1938, when it was piloted by Raymond Pullin and it became the first British helicopter to fly successfully. By World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the W.5 had logged eighty hours' flying time and was followed by a scaled up version, the W.6, which was the first two-seater helicopter in the world. Further progress on this model was prevented by World War II.
In 1940 Pullin became Managing Director of Weirs at Cathcart Works in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where he designed the 1500cc Flat-twin
Flat-twin
A flat-twin is a two cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders arranged on opposite sides of the crankshaft. It is part of the class of flat engines, sub-type "boxer", and shares most characteristics of those engines.-Motorcycle use:...
and the 4-cylinder Pixie engines which followed it and were used in the Weir autogyros.
After the war development at the Cierva Autogiro Company
Cierva Autogiro Company
The Cierva Autogiro Company was a British developer of autogyros established in 1926.It was set up to further the designs of Juan de la Cierva with the financial backing of James George Weir, a Scottish industrialist and aviator.-History:...
of the W.9 "Drainpipe
Cierva W.9
-References:-External links:*...
" and the 24 passenger carrying W.11 Air Horse
Cierva Air Horse
-References:NotesReferences* Copies of entries in "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft", 1997. by D.Donald and "Helicopters and Autogyros of the World", 1958 by P.Lambermont. Hosted at www.aviastar.org. Accessed January 2008...
helicopters continued under the direction of Cyril Pullin.
External links
- 1914 picture of 21-year-old Cyril Pullin on his winning motorcycle. It was an earlier model which he had designed. This site is about the TT race, and tells the story of the race and the motorcycle design
- Cyril Pullin's patents. This site about old Douglas motorcycle parts digs into old engine and motor patents, specifically following various stages of Cyril Pullin's work and inventions
- Image of Pullin riding motorcycle in 1923
- TT database rider profile
- TT database TT results
