It is a privilege to pay tribute through this Cierva Memorial Lecture to a great pioneer and an honour to do so in this, the Society's Centenary Year. In 1918, when 24 years of age, Cierva designed and built a three-engined aeroplane which stalled during a turn and, after spinning, crashed. He recognised the limitations of the conventional aircraft and turned to the rotating wing.

Westland's association with rotary wings began with the five-seater 600 hp Cierva C.20, built in 1934. Their first series production rotorcraft, the S.51, to the design of Igor Sikorsky, came some 14 years later. With the passage of further time, bringing some successes and some frustrations, a sound foundation has indeed been laid for future progress.