Remembering the Rotodyne
Discussion
There isn't a windsock in the clip.
If there is a headwind a gyro can do what happened in the clip without collective on the disc.
They can also 'hover' if there is a headwind.
The American Post Office used to fly a gyro from tbe roof of their depot.
As it turned out, without enough airspeed you kill the pilots.
If there is a headwind a gyro can do what happened in the clip without collective on the disc.
They can also 'hover' if there is a headwind.
The American Post Office used to fly a gyro from tbe roof of their depot.
As it turned out, without enough airspeed you kill the pilots.
010101 said:
There isn't a windsock in the clip.
If there is a headwind a gyro can do what happened in the clip without collective on the disc.
They can also 'hover' if there is a headwind.
The American Post Office used to fly a gyro from tbe roof of their depot.
As it turned out, without enough airspeed you kill the pilots.
All true - but some could also do a jump take off in zero wind and used powerful pre-rotation and collective pitch control to achieve it.If there is a headwind a gyro can do what happened in the clip without collective on the disc.
They can also 'hover' if there is a headwind.
The American Post Office used to fly a gyro from tbe roof of their depot.
As it turned out, without enough airspeed you kill the pilots.
AnotherClarkey said:
All true - but some could also do a jump take off in zero wind and used powerful pre-rotation and collective pitch control to achieve it.
I flew an Air & Space 18A which had this jump take off feature.http://www.hmfriends.org.uk/airandspacegyro.htm
HOGEPH said:
I flew an Air & Space 18A which had this jump take off feature.
http://www.hmfriends.org.uk/airandspacegyro.htm
Oooh, interesting. With the jump take off, is the transition to forward flight a relatively relaxed affair or does the rotor rpm decay so quickly that it is a bit buttock-clenching?http://www.hmfriends.org.uk/airandspacegyro.htm
Sorry for the thread drift.
This is going back 20 years, but what I can remember is spinning the rotor head up to where everything was shaking, pressing a button to cause the blade to increase pitch, (delta hinge?) And then slamming the throttle to the firewall to get some airspeed.
I don't recall screaming at any point...
I don't recall screaming at any point...
HOGEPH said:
This is going back 20 years, but what I can remember is spinning the rotor head up to where everything was shaking, pressing a button to cause the blade to increase pitch, (delta hinge?) And then slamming the throttle to the firewall to get some airspeed.
I don't recall screaming at any point...
Thanks, an interesting account. I am not surprised about the vibration - I seem to recall reading that the 'take off' rotor rpm is 350-370 while in normal flight it is more like 240.I don't recall screaming at any point...
Meanwhile, in a traditional Tuesday thread revival, the excellent @clark_aviation has found some bbc sound recordings
"Most people know that the Fairey Rotodyne was very LOUD!
Thanks to the BBC Sound Effects Library, you can now 'experience the noise' yourself!"
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
Certainly an interesting noise. And not one you'd want to be woken up to..l
"Most people know that the Fairey Rotodyne was very LOUD!
Thanks to the BBC Sound Effects Library, you can now 'experience the noise' yourself!"
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
Certainly an interesting noise. And not one you'd want to be woken up to..l
Hard to tell how noisy they were in reality now because there are none around to listen to.
My theory is that it wasn't really the noise factor that doomed the Rotodyne. It was the fact that, under government decree, all helicopter projects were handed to Westland. As a result, Bristol, Saunders-Roe and Fairey all had to transfer their development work and projects to Westland. I just get the impression that Westland's ambitions were aimed more at getting licence work from other (overseas) manufacturers such as Sikorsky or Bell.
My theory is that it wasn't really the noise factor that doomed the Rotodyne. It was the fact that, under government decree, all helicopter projects were handed to Westland. As a result, Bristol, Saunders-Roe and Fairey all had to transfer their development work and projects to Westland. I just get the impression that Westland's ambitions were aimed more at getting licence work from other (overseas) manufacturers such as Sikorsky or Bell.
williamp said:
Meanwhile, in a traditional Tuesday thread revival, the excellent @clark_aviation has found some bbc sound recordings
"Most people know that the Fairey Rotodyne was very LOUD!
Thanks to the BBC Sound Effects Library, you can now 'experience the noise' yourself!"
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
Certainly an interesting noise. And not one you'd want to be woken up to..l
Really interesting - thanks for posting that! : D"Most people know that the Fairey Rotodyne was very LOUD!
Thanks to the BBC Sound Effects Library, you can now 'experience the noise' yourself!"
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=070...
Certainly an interesting noise. And not one you'd want to be woken up to..l
My father was tasked with doing ground noise tests on the Rotodyne's predecessor, the Fairey Gyrodyne. Dad considered the Gyrodyne to be the principal cause of his deafness in later years. He was only given a leather flying helmet as personal noise protection.
The Rotodyne was also noisy and the scientists and engineers behind it knew that.
Fairey Rotodyne Development
Most jet aircraft of the time were also very noisy. As a result many millions have been spent on test facilities and research to reduce aircraft noise.
The National Gas Turbine Establishment at Pyestock, near Farnborough had an 80ft cubed anechoic chamber built for testing scale models of engine exhausts. I worked in there when the RB211-535E4 was being developed for the Boeing 757.
To suggest that because an aircraft sixty years ago was noisy and therefore if a similar aircraft if made today would have to be equally noisy is just ridiculous.
As an aside, the Rotodyne was one of the aircraft offered in competition for the US Army's heavy lift requirement which resulted in them buying the Chinook; still in production 61 years later.
The Rotodyne was also noisy and the scientists and engineers behind it knew that.
Fairey Rotodyne Development
Most jet aircraft of the time were also very noisy. As a result many millions have been spent on test facilities and research to reduce aircraft noise.
The National Gas Turbine Establishment at Pyestock, near Farnborough had an 80ft cubed anechoic chamber built for testing scale models of engine exhausts. I worked in there when the RB211-535E4 was being developed for the Boeing 757.
To suggest that because an aircraft sixty years ago was noisy and therefore if a similar aircraft if made today would have to be equally noisy is just ridiculous.
As an aside, the Rotodyne was one of the aircraft offered in competition for the US Army's heavy lift requirement which resulted in them buying the Chinook; still in production 61 years later.
Edited by GliderRider on Friday 25th November 10:29
andy97 said:
Maybe for the defence UAV market?
The Global Hawk UAV is powered by an Allison Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan engine with 7,050 lbf (31.4 kN) thrust (credit Wiki!)
The tip jets on the rotodyne were more like little ram jets. Would a modern rotodyne use this type of tip propulsion or an actual turbojet or turbofan? The Global Hawk UAV is powered by an Allison Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan engine with 7,050 lbf (31.4 kN) thrust (credit Wiki!)
Edited by andy97 on Friday 25th November 16:51
Eric Mc said:
The tip jets on the rotodyne were more like little ram jets. Would a modern rotodyne use this type of tip propulsion or an actual turbojet or turbofan?
With modern materials technology they could probably manufacturer lightweight carbon blade with a hollow tube running down inside to blow air down. Like the nose, tail and wingtip control nozzles on a harrier.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff