The Scottish-designed autogyro that demonstrated vertical take-off performance
Ben Dunnell explores The Aeroplane’s outstanding archives to cast new light on past stories

The Weir W3 ‘jumps’ into the air at Hounslow Heath on 17 July 1936, with Alan Marsh at the controls.
ALL PHOTOS AEROPLANE
The date: 17 July 1936. The venue: Hounslow Heath in Middlesex, a former Royal Flying Corps, RAF and civil aerodrome, but by now “quite unusable by the normal aeroplane”.