Madrid, Apr 22 (EFE). Spanish aerospace company BellComm is globally marketing its C-44 Medevac autogyro, a safe, practical and effective flying machine that can be adapted to multiple civilian or military uses, including the emergency airlifting of victims of highway accidents or the evacuation of wounded soldiers from combat zones.

Its operating cost per flight hour of around 100 euros ($114), compared to 1,000 euros ($1,137) for a conventional helicopter, also makes it attractive from an economic standpoint.

The C-44, which consumes 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of automotive fuel per hour and has a maximum speed of 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour, has a maximum take-off weight of 560 kilograms (1,233 pounds) and a normal flight range of four hours.

That range, however, can be extended to six hours and 600 kilometers (372 miles) by adding auxiliary fuel tanks.

The medical evacuation version of the autogyro is equipped with a removable stretcher, with the patient or injured person loaded on board through the front part of the cabin.

The gyroplane is made of reinforced carbon fiber and measures 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in length, 3.2 meters in width and three meters in height. It can be transported by highway via trailer and fits in the size of a standard home garage.

The C-44 rotorcraft, which costs six times less than the market price of a similar-category helicopter, not only can carry out 90 percent of a chopper’s medical missions and operate in any type of weather conditions or temperature extremes but also boasts a take-off distance of just 60 meters (196 feet) and a landing distance of only 10 meters (33 feet), BellComm spokesman Flavio Dodero said.

From the military point of view, “the C-44 autogyro leaves a very faint trace on radar and is practically invisible to the human eye when flying at a height of 6,000 or 7,000 feet,” Dodero said, adding that that “makes it difficult to shoot down with a land-to-air missile or any type of weapon.”

The crew for missions can consist of a single pilot although the autogyro may also carry a doctor or health technician if necessary, depending on the patient’s stability.

The gyroplane does not take off and land vertically and cannot remain completely static in the air like a helicopter, but it is safer to fly in turbulent conditions and boasts excellent maneuverability and is very easy to pilot. EFE