For the company, see Gyrodyne Company of America

A Gyrodyne is an intermediate form of heavier-than-air aircraft having some of the characteristics of a helicopter and some of an autogyro. The most famous and successful Gyrodyne was the Fairey Rotodyne.

Gyrodynes and heliplanes

Classically, a Gyrodyne had a rotor, and flew like a helicopter or autogyro. It did not need a tail rotor, normally required to provide a torque to counterbalance the rotating effect of the engine that powers the main rotor, but in the FB-1 Gyrodyne the countertorque was provided from the propellor driving the craft forward. The subsequent Jet Gyrodyne rotor was powered by jets at the tips of the rotor during vertical take-off rather than taking it from an engine and so there was no counter-torque required at all.

In modern times, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA describes a gyrodyne as a "rotor wing" aircraft that powers its rotor for takeoff and landing, but en route, flies in autorotation, like a gyroplane, without power to the rotor. Forward thrust is provided by engine driven propellers. Being able to fly in autorotation gives the gyrodyne all of the advantages and simplicity of a gyroplane.

The newer idea of a Heliplane extends this concept. A Heliplane flies not like an autogyro, but like a fixed-wing aircraft - with wings that provide most of its lift at cruise.

Examples

• Flettner (Germany)
  • The Flettner 184 helicopter/autogyro
  • "Avia" Helicopter Developments - the Flettner 184 (1935)
  • "Avia" Helicopter Developments - the Flettner 185 (1938)

• Focke-Wulf
  • Focke-Wulf Fw Triebflugel - a WW2 German design that used a jet powered rotor in place of wings.

• Fairey Aviation (UK)
  • Fairey Gyrodyne and Jet Gyrodyne (1954)
  • Fairey Rotodyne (1957)

• Lockheed
  • XH-51
  • AH-56 Cheyenne (1967)

• Groen Brothers Aviation
  • Gyrodyne and Heliplane concepts (2005)

• CarterCopters (2005)
  • Demonstrator prototype
  • Heliplane concept

• Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
  • World's First Autonomous Autogyro (2006)

• Raven

External links

• The Fairey Rotodyne: An Idea Whose Time Has Come – Again? Detailed History
• The Royal Air Force Museum catalogue of Gyrodynes
• Gyrodyne Company of America (USA) - producers of helicopters under the band-name "Gyrodyne"
• Model 2C - contra-rotating rotor helicopter (1952)
• Rotorfly Heliplane - RC Model

Transportation | Aircraft | Aviation | Rotorcraft | Autogyros | Helicopters