Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Fairey Rotodyne




The Rotodyne was one of those brilliant designs which was a casualty of Britains post-war economic woes. It could have been saved by the British Ministry of Defence, if they'd placed an order for troops transporters, but it didn't and the Rotodyne project was terminated in 1962. In 1967 the MOD placed an order for fifteen Chinook HC1s. It remains to the imagination as to what could have been if the British government had put more emphasis on its own manufacturers, but I have no doubt that the UKs ever diminishing  relationship to the USA determined the sad fate of the Rotodyne.

It is interesting to note the differences between the Rotodyne, the Chinook, and the V-22 Osprey which represents a much later design, but which fulfills a role the Rotodyne might have had it been introduced to the British army.

Chinook
  • Crew: 3–4 (pilot, copilot, one or two air loadmasters depending on aircraft role)
  • Length: 30.1 m (98 ft 9 in)
  • Loaded weight: 12,100 kg (26,680 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 22,680 kg (50,000 lb)
  •  Powerplant: 2 × Honeywell T55-GA-712 turboshaft, 2,800 kW (3,750 hp) each
  • Maximum speed: 295 km/h (183 mph)
  • Service ceiling: 2,590 m (18,500 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 10.1 m/s (1,980 ft/min)

V-22 Osprey
  • Crew: Four (pilot, copilot and two flight engineers/crew chiefs)
  • Capacity:
    • 24 troops (seated), 32 troops (floor loaded), or
    • 20,000 lb (9,070 kg) of internal cargo, or up to 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of external cargo (dual hook)
    • 1× Growler light internally transportable ground vehicle
  • Length: 57 ft 4 in (17.5 m)
  • Width with rotors: 84 ft 7 in (25.8 m)
  • Loaded weight: 47,500 lb (21,500 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 60,500 lb (27,400 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Allison T406/AE 1107C-Liberty turboshafts, 6,150 hp (4,590 kW) each
  • Maximum speed: 275 knots (509 km/h, 316 mph[154]) at sea level / 305 kn (565 km/h; 351 mph) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)[155]
  • Range: 879 nmi (1,011 mi, 1,627 km)
  • Combat radius: 390 nmi (426 mi, 722 km)
  • Ferry range: 1,940 nmi (2,230 mi, 3,590 km) with auxiliary internal fuel tanks

Rotodyne
  • Crew: 2
  • Capacity: 40 passengers[21]
  • Length: 58 ft 8 in (17.88 m)
  • Wingspan: 46 ft 6 in (14.17 m)
  • Height: 22 ft 2 in (6.76 m)
  • Wing area: 475 sq ft (44.1 m²) [22]
  • Gross weight: 33,000 lb (14,969 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Napier Eland N.El.7 turboprops, 2,800 shp (2,100 kW) each [23]
  • Powerplant: 4 × rotor tip jet burning compressed air/fuel , 1,000 lbf (4.4 kN) thrust each [24]
  • Main rotor diameter: 4× 90 ft 0 in (27.43 m)
  • Main rotor area: 6,362 sq ft (591.0 m²)
  • Maximum speed: 190.9 mph (307 km/h; 166 kn) (speed record)[25]
  • Cruise speed: 185 mph (161 kn; 298 km/h)
  • Range: 450 mi (391 nmi; 724 km)

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