Rotodyne: The Incredible Aircraft That (Nearly) Revolutionized Air Travel

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[@megaprojects9649]

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[@hg2.]

How does this thing work?

[@ps2rugby]

Would Neft Daslari be mega enough for you to cover in a video? Massive industrial city and the supposedly the first operating offshore oil platform in the world…

[@cggage]

I have always been a fan of the Rotodyne. It is a shame it was not preserved in a museum.

[@onastick2411]

There's part of the fuselage and interior in the helicopter museum just outside Western Super Mare.

[@drewlovely2668]

According to google there are 4 museums that house rotodyne helicopters

[@onastick2411]

@@drewlovely2668 bits of Rotodyne, no full version exists, and the earlier incarnations, the Gyrodyne, is intact somewhere I think.

[@Philip271828]

​@@onastick2411the museum on the old Woodley Aerodrome has one, but you have to hunt for it.

[@mceajc]

Ditto the TSR II.

[@deetesmin]

Not the first time government has scrapped brilliant designs.

[@DarthAverage]

The Canadian government did the same thing in 1959 when the Avro CF-105 Arrow fighter/interceptor was cancelled - cut up all* the planes, ordered documents and blueprints destroyed, etc. * Or did they...? 🤔

[@johnjephcote7636]

British Government: "Never been done before..." (therefore no interest and no funding).

[@richardvernon317]

@@johnjephcote7636 What killed this was the fact that it was extremely noisy!!! Damage your hearing at great distance kind of noisy!!!!

[@NeilEvans1980]

It’s a British tradition

[@neilhollands8448]

My father worked at Fairey as a clerk in the 1950's and always spoke highly of the Rotodyne. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

[@hg2.]

How does this thing work?

[@ScarabaeusSacer435]

One cutaway animation showing just how these worked-- the interplay between engines and tip-jets, would have been worth a thousand words.

[@errantalgae]

Mustard made a really good video 4 years ago

[@flugholm]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpytgKBni5xqjsk

[@tonyduncan9852]

It probably featured in the EAGLE comic, centre page..

[@bellshooter]

I remember making and painting an Airfix kit of the Fairey Rotodyne , in the early 60's , I was a fan!

[@jaws848]

They have reissued it.🙂🙂

[@andrewharrison8436]

Ahh good - someone else who had that kit.

[@WORKERS.DREADNOUGHT]

I thought the FR was a real thing, just because of the kit.

[@jaws848]

@@WORKERS.DREADNOUGHT it is real...mind you only 1 was built

[@modelermark172]

I've already got mine on order!@@jaws848

[@danbenson7587]

Engineering Nerd Here. Three types of tip drive helicopters: compressed air squirted thru tip nozzles (Sud-Quest Djinn), fuel and compressed air ignited in an afterburner (Fairey Rotodyne), and ramjet tip engines (Hiller Hornet). Tip nozzles are very inefficient, the afterburner is more efficient but incredible noisy, and the Ramjet both inefficient and noisy. The helicopter blade tip velocity is, say, at .80 Mach. To produce thrust the tip drives exhaust velocity must exceed .80 Mach, say Mach 1.5 or more. This high velocity stream ripping the standing air creates noise, a lot of noise. While the racket can be meliorated, the result remains unacceptable. Another problem is the tip jet forces cause control issues. The physics just can’t be juggled to an acceptable outcome. So the compromise for vertical capability and speedy horizontal flight evolved into the Bell V22. Still the Rotodyne has a place in my heart. Cheers

[@tonyduncan9852]

_"the result remains unacceptable."_ - at last a person with reason AND knowledge. Cheers.

[@longboardfella5306]

Thanks - that’s very helpful to know

[@charlesfhines9226]

Why does it seem so hard to do something so simple. You're telling me that using a fuselage similar in shape to the original rotodyne but upgraded with Pratt and Whitney PT6A turboprop FADEC engines, using the engine exhaust to power the tip jets and using an external shroud to to mix the tip exhaust with cooling air to reduce tip noise, use the latest in fly by wire avionics, hydraulics and composite structures, more efficient rotor blade airfoils and designs to reduce the aircrafts weight significantly cannot be built today? I find that hard to believe. Especially if I can do it in my head after watching a short video.

[@charlesfhines9226]

It can be done. It needs to be done. However, there needs to be a company willing to take on such a simple and relatively straightforward. The hard challenge that I see is the shrouding of the tip jets to reduce the noise and cooling the engine exhaust so it can be used to power the tip jets. The rest of the specifications are there. A high speed 40 passenger compound helicopter that can be used for short city hops from downtown heliports to the airport ( NYC to JFK, LGA or EWR or medium regional city pairs LAX- SFO. If designed correctly, a new Rotodynesized aircraft would have a tremendous impact in all sectors of aviation by being a tremendous asset to whomever has the foresight to recognize what a true game changerit would be.

[@garrystone561]

Yes, the main criticism of the Fairy Rotodyne was its noise.

[@noahwail2444]

I have been facinated by this plane for decades, and would realy like to see it resurected in modern materials. I am shure that many of its problems could be solved now.

[@ChessMasterNate]

The real advantages of modern tech here would be in aerodynamics, genetic algorithms optimizing reconfiguring structural support conserving materials, and more importantly saving weight, lower weight electronics and more efficient, lighter and stronger engines. You don't really need carbon fiber, maybe a little titanium. But I think these would still be flying to day if they had ever gotten their shot.

[@Appletank8]

The main issue with gyroplanes is that they're not as capable at VTOL as helicopters, and slower than conventional aircraft from the extra drag. There's been some attempts in the past decade to stall out the rotor to reduce drag, they tend to vibrate if not balanced correctly.

[@paulbade3566]

@@Appletank8 It appears the Rotodyne was a hybrid concept - the rotor was directly jet-driven by exhaust gas or compressor air from the turbine engine(s) instead of through a turbine-power gearbox as in a conventional helicopter. Driven blades will be more effective at vertical lift than the passively spun blades of a gyrocopter. Imbalance vibration would be an issue in any rotor design.

[@Appletank8]

@@paulbade3566 The vibration issue I was describing was about at very low rotation speed, and how gyrocopters sit in an awkward middle ground between helicopters and airplanes.

[@kevatut23]

I designed a new consumer based aircraft concept for the company that bought the rights to Rotodyne back in 2004. Very interesting project. But like so many re-imagining efforts, it died in fairly short order.

[@Adroit1911]

I would love to be able to see some art from that project.

[@kevatut23]

@@Adroit1911 I have some of the CAD renders. Everything else went to them. It was for a now defunct company named Avodyne. And I got the year wrong. It was 2002

[@kevatut23]

@Adroit1911 that's strange. I replied to you earlier, but looks like it didn't post. I have some cad renderings, but all the documentation stayed with Avodyne. Seems it was actually 2002.

[@Youbetternowatchthis]

@@kevatut23sometimes youtube just throws comments into the aether. A lot of people would like to see anything that can be seen. These kinds of aircraft are truly a rare sight. Even as concepts

[@kitemanmusic]

Fairey short order! LOL

[@philliplopez8745]

A tale of what happens when the bean counters win .

[@brianford8493]

I wet myself when my Granny gave me the Airfix kit of that loud typically British wonder Luft....really enjoyed that.....Ta Chapski! ✌️

[@demonorb8634]

I work at white waltham, great history to the airfield. The heli museum has the only surviving parts of the rotordyne and I must go visit.

[@firefox5926]

do me a favour and take looks of photos from different angles and stick them on Wikipedia lol if you could throw ina ruler for scale thated even better lol

[@muzmason3064]

Is there a history of WW anywhere, first time I saw the Hawk prototype and the Sally B and the HST125 on the one lane bridge 😊

[@Evilroco]

My Grandfather ran "Cornish Carpets" opposite White Waltham in the 70's and 80's ,they had some great air shows back in the day all watched from the flat roof , as well as some notable aerobatic Pilots who would fly /practice at a regular basis . Is it still covered in fine field mushrooms in Autumn ? , we used to pick buckets full as kids.

[@mrb.5610]

No CAD, no fly by wire, no composite materials .... and yet it worked and worked bloody well. Imagine what 60 years of development could have done to this.

[@frasermitchell9183]

I actually saw one in flight from our garden ! I was 10 at the time. Of course USAF B47 bombers flew past regularly on their way to land at Greenham Common; also a B36 once ! Heard sonic bangs too ! Farnbrough wasn't too far away.

[@febweb17]

My father was based at White Waltham in the late 1950's. When the Rotodyne was being tested it would sometimes fly over our house. The noise was incredibly. My mother was terrified that the vibratory noise would shake her ornaments off the mantle piece. The USA now use the Kestrel for purposes similar to the Rotodyne.

[@Deepthought-42]

16:24 Loved the Vulcan and Victor in the background, presumably at Farnborough.

[@astrocrut]

At the Museum of Berkshire Aviation is the Fairey Jet Gyrodyne (Prototype) Serial No. XJ389 c/n F9420. This helicopter is a conversion of Gyrodyne G-AJJP and first flew at White Waltham in its new configuration in January 1954. Initially allocated Serial XD759 it was changed to XJ389 due to duplication.

[@chrisamies2141]

It's lucky to have survived, it was displayed outdoors in the centre of Southampton for years in the 1970s.

[@markloubser2433]

The French built a tip-jet two seater called the Djiene (Genie), which saw production in the 50/60's i believe. Was quite effective, definitely this principle deserves revised attention.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

3:00 - Mid roll ads 4:15 - Back to the video

[@Suprahampton]

With modern alloy & composite knowledge plus the leap in jet tech, a Rotodyne now would be an amazing vehicle

[@voornaam3191]

This is great! In an old Belgian comics series, Suske and Wiske, they often flew in a gyrodyne. The man writing and drawing this strip, Willy Vandersteen, included the modern things of the fifties!

[@pjcarter8230]

I remember being taken, as a child by my father to see the Rotordyne. I can't remember where the demonstration was but I can still remember the terrific noise as it took off. I think this might have been before the silencers were fitted.

[@jamesaspinall9248]

Okanagan helicopters was Vancouver based. My dad worked for them for ages.

[@davevann9795]

This video listed 3 types of rotary aircraft. Another type is the cyclogyro, with some companies currently designing and building cyclogyro aircraft and drones.

[@Flies2FLL]

What Fairey should have done was take that fuselage and build a standard turboprop airplane version to compete with the Fokker 27. An airline could have BOTH with many of the same parts, saving tons of money and making the rotorcraft version financially viable. British aerospace companies had tons of great ideas in the '50's and '60's, but their business practices were what let them down. They had the engineers, but not the businessmen. This can easily be shown by how completely the American companies dominated commercial aviation starting with the advent of the 707. Great video!

[@ATomRileyA]

Also the Americans were better at bribing officials so could could get their products bought by various politicians with back handers.

[@amazer747]

Boeing going the same way: Accountants vs Engineers and unfortunately the accountants win.

[@paulbade3566]

At that time British business units were severely handicapped by the controls of a socialist government.

[@RetinaBurner]

I'm betting that a modern version of the Rotodyne would be amazing to fly, and a true beast in the air. Just think of what modern materials and engines could do for it. Here's hoping that it is resurrected in a modern form. I love the idea of the tip jets, although the noise would still be a major concern, I'm sure modern design techniques would be able to mitigate a large portion of the noise generated.

[@smalltime0]

There is a whole raft of interesting designs in aviation that could work with modern materials and avionics. But they're too whacky to get all the regulatory approvals and public on board. I'd love to see ring-wings take off :P, but I doubt they will. Also circular wings, just because the silhouette would probably give some alien conspiracy theorists a heart attack.

[@maximilianeckert4665]

V-22 Osprey exists so I doubt Rotodyne will be coming back

[@o2benaz]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@maximilianeckert4665The Osprey’s killed over 57 men, and been grounded several times, like right now. Even if the military were to release them to private concerns, would you want to pay the insurance premiums you’d be charged? (It would be nice to see something new in the air, Rotodyne or not.)

[@randytaylor1258]

High-bypaa turbofans for one would reduce noise.

[@superbmediacontentcreator]

Would not the Osprey be the modern-day solution?

[@simonrigg8391]

17:39 What happened there! 🤣

[@SteamboatWilley]

Looks like Simon used someone's post-apocalyptic fanart without looking too closely.

[@alanmartinez488]

Thank you for using both metric and imperial measurements in the narration...👍

[@Schlipperschlopper]

This is a very clever machine for super heavy transports and fire fighting in the woods!

[@RichardPentreath]

I was pleased to see a picture of my one-time Westland Flight Test colleague, David Gibbings. Although he did have a pilot's licence, he was actually employed as a Flight Test Observer. As I recall, our other colleagues Ron Gellatly and John Morton were the test pilots on the Rotordyne.

[@noggin48]

I was lucky enough to see this wonderful machine about three times, actually flying directly over my parents house, at Dyson Close, Windsor, Berkshire. It seems that our house, was in direct line, between Heathrow and White Waltham, Berkshire. A true beauty to behold!

[@smalltime0]

* Auto-Gyros sometimes have a starter motor, which is active until stable lift is achieved.

[@HypoceeYT]

With the difference that a gyroplane's prerotator can only be run on the ground, where the reaction torque is taken care of by the wheels, while the Rotodyne's torqueless tip jets ran in flight.

[@smalltime0]

@@HypoceeYT Yeap, but that wasn't what I was saying - he missed that auto-gyros (I think even most) use a starter motor

[@kitemanmusic]

The rotor needs to be powered for vertical take-off, and forward flight, until the wings create lift.

[@lloydevans2900]

There was another interesting application for "tip jet" helicopters, which was developed between 1952 and 1957 by a combination of Sikorsky, Reaction Motors and the US Air Force, to be a "bolt on, go faster" type system which in theory could be applied to any existing helicopter design. This was known at the time as the "Rocket on Rotor" concept and was surprisingly simple, reliable and extremely effective. The basic idea was to install a hemispherical tank containing rocket grade hydrogen peroxide (minimum 80% concentration, aka high test peroxide) just above the main rotor hub, with feed tubes running down the inside of each rotor blade . A small catalytic peroxide monopropellant rocket engine would be mounted in each blade tip, providing between 35 and 50 pounds (approximately 16 to 23 kilograms) of force per blade. Control was surprisingly simple, only requiring a feed valve to switch the flow to each blade on or off, with no pumps required since the centrifugal force of the spinning rotor provided more than enough pressure to feed the peroxide to each rocket motor. The tanks used during testing held enough peroxide to power the tip rockets for about 6 minutes in total. This concept was tested during the development period mentioned above, and was a resounding success. It obviously would not be able to spin up a helicopter rotor from rest, but it was never intended to do that anyway. It was primarily designed to provide short term supplementary power, not as a replacement for the main engine. The tests demonstrated that even with a helicopter loaded to its maximum takeoff weight (not counting the additional weight of the peroxide tank and rockets), it would lift off and climb at double the normal rate. Plus the system could allow a helicopter fitted to take off and climb with 20% extra weight on board. Another bonus was that if the main engine failed in flight and there was still a few minutes worth of peroxide in the tank, engaging the blade-tip rockets would give the helicopter an extra 50% of autorotation time from any given altitude, which also gave a similar improvement of autorotation range, as well as giving the pilot greater control during autorotation. The original videos made in the 1950s can still be found if you search for "rocket on rotor" here on youtube. This is not where I first discovered the existence of this concept though - it is mentioned in the classic rocketry book "Ignition!", near the beginning of the chapter on monopropellants, of which hydrogen peroxide is a classic example. Below is the amusing way the author describes the "Rocket on Rotor" concept: "This was the ROR, or "Rocket on Rotor" concept, by which a very small - perhaps fifty pounds thrust - peroxide motor was mounted on the tip of each rotor blade of a helicopter. The propellant tank was to be in the hub of the rotor, and centrifugal force would take care of the feed pressure. The idea was to improve the performance of the chopper, particularly when it had to lift off in a hurry (that means when somebody is shooting at you). The work on this went on from 1952 to 1957, and was a spectacular success. I've seen an ROR helicopter operating, and when the pilot cut in his rockets the beast shot up into the air like a goosed archangel. The project was dropped, for some reason, which seems a shame. An ROR chopper would have been awfully helpful in Vietnam, where somebody usually is shooting at you."

[@dogphlap6749]

Why we can't have nice things. I'm old enough to remember when this project got canned although, as a child I did not understand much of the background I still remember the sense of Britain having given up on forward thinking designs in favour of me too engineering and its inevitable slide in aircraft engineering towards the mundane (briefly interrupted by Hawkers Jump Jet).

[@mattos4203]

One of my favourite aircraft. I've been to the Helicopter museum in Weston and seen what remains. Shame it was cancelled.

[@johnbtamm]

What is that bizarre drawing at 17:20?! United in Blood!

[@jetsons101]

FUNNY: I built a Revell model of the Fairey Rotodyne when I was a kid...... Thanks to Megaprojects for posting........

[@guylr7390]

I built that one too

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Two U.K. plastic kit manufacturers, Airfix and FROG, both independently produced 1/72 scale plastic model kits of the Fairey Rotodyne as well. The FROG one is extremely had to find whereas the Airfix version is quite easy to locate as it has been re-issued many times.

[@guylr7390]

I made a airport dioramas for the one I built.

[@bicyclist2]

Looks cool. I think I've seen some photo's of it before, but this is the first time I've heard anything about it. Very cool. Thank you.

[@domatlan1911]

This absolutely needs to be revisited as a troop carrier etc. The problem with the v22 is that the transition phase between forward and vertical flight is called a rock phase.

[@williambefort5327]

A small fraction of the $ the USA spent developing the V-22 would have made a success of the Rotodyne, at least in military and naval roles where high-noise aircraft are the rule and not the exception (e.g., Harriers and Chinooks are as loud.)

[@donaircooleone]

What a machine!

[@archmageofmetal8883]

I read that in Clarkson's voice.

[@seanstewart8942]

😂 i can hear it ​@@archmageofmetal8883

[@garrystone561]

Remember the UK govt had blueprints for the Fairy Rotodyne destroyed and all prototypes smashed to smithereens despite its spectacular debut at the Paris airshow.

[@napierpaxman]

Best video on this fascinating aircraft ever! :)

[@Flies2FLL]

A big problem with this aircraft: It was SCREAMING loud! Tip jets used compressed air to ignite fuel at the tips and the roar from four of these tiny jets was incredible!

[@awatt]

Noise reduction programme was well under way and having a lit of success. Stand next to any helicopter when it's taking off.

[@FNLNFNLN]

@@awatt The noise reduction efforts brought the noise down to the level of a regular commercial airliner. Thing is, this thing was meant to operate in city centers. The thing about city centers is, the property values, and thus, NIMBY power, is a lot higher than the occupants you'd typically find in airport approach and departure paths. Helicopters might be loud, but they don't operate all that frequently at low altitudes in city centers - unlike this thing would have.

[@awatt]

@@FNLNFNLN The noise reduction programme was ongoing and was achieving a massive reduction in sound level. The last iteration reduced the sound level to that of a bus. There is a helipad in central London that operates helicopters that are far louder than rotodyne and air ambulances regularly land in parks and such without any complaints.

[@Flies2FLL]

@@awatt A "lit" of success? Do you speak English?

[@awatt]

@@Flies2FLL If you had any intelligence you could easily work out that i is next to o on a QWERTY keyboard thus 'lit" is a simple typo of "lot" I can't be bothered proof reading when commenting midwits.

[@jasonz7788]

Awesome thanks

[@psmith2234]

What a wonderful documentary project for your team to create!!

[@killer1963daddy]

OKANAGAN Hellicopters in Texas? Try the OKANAGAN helicopters in the OKANAGAN B.C. CANADA 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@ukmediawarrior]

I think I remember seeing craft similar, or exactly, like this in Thunderbirds when I was a kid :)

[@thelandofnod123]

The Gyrodyne used a radial not rotary engine. The “compressors” were the supercharger cores used on some Merlin engines.

[@baxtermullins1842]

The noise was unbelievable-it could wake up the dead!

[@KeithPrince-cp3me]

I'm old enough to recall the Rotodyne.

[@PredatoryQQmber]

I watched half of the video and still had to search on wikipedia to see what 'tip-jet' even was and what this video is about. Apparently, it's a design where blades have nozzles with air coming out of them. And because thrust is coming from the tips, somehow, it doesn't need rotor blade for stabilization.

[@mavericmorph5358]

Great stuff. How about a look into the British history of the Maglev train?

[@scannercfchannel]

I was drawn to the video by the “MAKING A COMEBACK?” statement in the poster, it is a bit disappointing to see that only the last minute of the video actually mentions something related to that …

[@zogzoogler]

Awesome that Rotodyne is getting some airtime- another squandered British tech

[@ianmcsherry5254]

Very interesting, and enjoyable. 👍

[@Ottobon]

I remember writing a bullcrap entry about a combat version of one of these on Wikipedia, the dragonfly I think, got a laugh out of it but only stayed up for maybe a hour. Wish I knew how to navigate way back machines just to enjoy the cringe again. I think an interesting thing about these is that the noise complaints could be reduced, but most of that tech is still somewhat classified , Gordon Murray did speak about it a bit, though, because he was able to get his hands on some sort of basic version, which is in the T.50 and part of why that car doesn't make any fan noise, despite being a bit of a fan car. Although need to be fair absolutely no clue if or how that tech scales up, but you can see him comment on it in some of his videos related to the t.50 and even see it's slightly jagged shaped fan that according to him comes from stealth development.

[@Ionut-bg6vw]

As the night come as well as this kind of videos

[@benclothier7990]

Great whistle stop tour of the history with the context of the industrial and political landscape so critical to those companies in the mid 20th century. Wasn't aware the noise problem had been solved to some extent. Could probably make a movie about the UK helicopter industry from the 1930s to the 1960s. It seems the UK Government at the time took the opposite approach to the US where the likes of Bell, Sikorsky, Piasecki all flourished. As demonstrated, the UK tech was often pioneering - just needed bigger civil/military markets and perhaps more longer term investors to achieve the required scale to support the R&D. In this case nationalization and management by "accountants", as the late Reg Austin would say, caused the inevitable brain drain.

[@KeithPrince-cp3me]

I recall reports that US Pan Am withdrew its interest as a city centre to airport hopper in favour of Boeing Vertol twin rotor helicopters that promised to be cheaper, and this series of helicopters went on to great commercial success.

[@goonyhill1857]

Remember building the model around 50 years ago

[@dtrain1634]

Well it’s def making a comeback in 1/72!!! 😮

[@SteamboatWilley]

This would have been an excellent anti-submarine/AWACS/COD platform for use on the Invincible class aircraft carriers.

[@craigquann]

To be honest, I'm surprised they're not more popular especially in the rural regions of canada and other such countries where haul roads are questionable or non existant. Being able to takeoff and land like a helicopter but having more passenger/payloads would make it easier on remote villages to resupply.

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

I saw this at Farnborough in 1959(?) and confirm that it was remarkably loud, an absolute plus from a little boy's point of view. In context, noise was a feature of many of the new turbojet and contraprop aircraft on display at Farnborough in those days and it sounded like the future.

[@Auldpharte]

I too saw it at Farnborough. As you say, it was noisy, but similar to other jet and turboprop aircraft on display.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

"From two miles away it would stop a conversation. I mean, the noise of those little jets on the tips of the rotor was just indescribable. So what have we got? The noisiest hovering vehicle the world has yet come up with and you're going to stick in the middle of city?" -- John Farley

[@onastick2411]

The noise had been reduced to the level of a normal jet, presumably by now, the noise would have been reduced even more. Helicopters are very noisy, and they fly into cities. It seems like the noise thing has become a bit of a fetish.

[@tonyduncan9852]

As an engineer at the very establishment where both the Rotodyne tip jet AND Concorde's Olympus engine were tested (and I experienced both for months at a time) I can tell you quite confidently that you are totally and completely wrong, to the point of fetishising uninformed scepticism. STEM skills seem to be outside your remit. In other words, stop your lies and fantasies..@@onastick2411

[@iunnox666]

If by a "normal jet" you mean a turbojet, maybe.

[@williambefort5327]

No, I'm going to fly it off aircraft carriers, and they'll never notice. A CH-47 Chinook produces 115 decibels and people have figured out how to live with it.

[@obi-ron]

Too many manufacturers have a vested interest in selling what they build to let this make a comeback. Specialised commercial transport for particular industries might make it viable in small numbers, but there wouldnt be enough demand to make it a viable competitor in markets dominated by products that are more profitable to the manufacturers than they are useful to the users.

[@TobaJones77]

Sooo glad you made a video on this. The Rotodyne is marvellous with so many advantages. Surely the noise issue can be solved with todays technology. Maybe using ion wind technology instead??

[@glennlischitsky4304]

It would be an excellent addition to your page if you would add some of the US Navy's future and upcoming Frigates, Submarines etc... as well as some other countries Naval future and current projects. Nevertheless, I have been a follower of your contents for quite some time now. More Power! 👍

[@Bernard-np2fq]

Saw it at Farnborough incredibly noisy. noise has seen off the hovercraft as well great to see it though had the airfix kit.

[@user-it7lf7kk8m]

Nice video, remember seeing this in plane books as a kid but never saw any video , so these clips were most welcome. Shame it wasnt followed up, it could have been the "osprey" of its time.

[@robertscheinost179]

Nah, Ospreys have a tendency to smash into the ground.

[@christorkildson6472]

The phrase "ground breaking aircraft" leaves generates an umwanted image in the mind. :-)

[@mokrulgobline9403]

Wow - compressed air jets in the rotor tips, propelling the rotors is a crazy design! First I've heard of it, though I am from across the pond.

[@garrystone561]

The jets on the rotor tips were powered by burning fuel in compressed air not just compressed air.

[@Conn653]

I'm 73 and retired from the airlines. The Rotodyne is a much needed aircraft in today's market place.

[@mikeburton7077]

When l was at school in Marsh Lane ,Stanmore l saw a Rotodyne fly over the playing field, very noisy!

[@robertscheinost179]

If it was a Concorde jet taking off you would have lost your hearing off forever!

[@WatchKek]

Woo Weston-super-Mare finally a reason to go

[@Hillbilly001]

All right! A helicopter worthy of the Lizard Overlords. Allegedly.

[@billgiles3261]

I remember seeing the Rotodyne back in 50’s. Also the Fairy Delta 2.

[@NeilStansbury]

The Rotodyne is one of my favourite aircraft, I have no doubt it's larger vision will return, especially with the rise of "UAV taxis"

[@xXSwaghetti.YoloneseXx-uf2bb]

they got simon locked up in that basement making 2-3 videos a day

[@Jath2112]

Seriously.... if you look carefully sometimes you can see the IV tube in his sleeve and the bed pan behind his chair. I don't think they even let him get up. They just roll in a new backdrop for whichever of the 50 different channels they are forcing him to read for. .... On the real... I can see him being a legitimate part of the history of modern content. He is everywhere.

[@vTKurse]

@@Jath2112history? Yup Geography? Yup, biography? Yup. Construction? Yup. Current war trends and news? Yup. Random facts and inquests? (Business/Brain Blaze) yup. Space? Yup. Conspiracies? Yup. True crime documentaries? Yup.

[@Jath2112]

@@vTKurse I am curious about how well it pays? For the right person, it is truly a dream job...

[@vTKurse]

@@Jath2112 probably very very well.

[@shannonmcstormy5021]

What is needed is propeller blades that can morph such that after liftoff, they stop spinning, lock in place, morph from helicopter blades where they then function as additional wings substantially increasing lift. Jet engines would be used as primary forward propulsion. This would allow vertical capabilities or, used as a traditional aircraft needing a runway, with substantially greater weight capacity. This could yield a high-performance aircraft and/or a highly-redundant ultra-safe aircraft with multiple means to function in the event of an emergency.

[@brianb-p6586]

That was called the X-Wing when it was proposed as a variation of the Sikorsky S-72 compound helicopter, but it never flew. The big problem, of course, is that the blade on the retreating side needs to work as a wing with reverse direction airflow, which is why the X-Wing was supposed to use a circulation control rotor.

[@_Mentat]

Upper class Brit: "I want to be a fighter pilot." Military: Oo-er, can't say no, that might be insulting, "Have this contract to build aircraft instead."

[@z_actual]

These days we can cure the remaining issues with Rotodyne, that is the tip jets with simpler systems and electrification. We can load or unload the main rotor in flight, and we can use the stub wings to remove the problems with retreating blade stall. As such configured as a compound helicopter there is reason to expect such a machine would have a V-Max closer to 300mph, it would be able to land and take off vertically, and would have the safety of being able to fly or land using autorotation of the main rotor.

[@tonyduncan9852]

You cannot quieten the tip jets at all. The sound they generate surpasses all standards I know of. They cannot be used near or in urban areas. I was forced to hear this sound for months from 400 yards away. Just forget it and proceed with something sensible.

[@z_actual]

@@tonyduncan9852 I would propose that self stowing folding propellers be used on the trailing edge of each rotor blade at about the 2/3 span, powered by gangs of electric motors to add to redundancy. Rotor blades much more likely to be 3 or 5. I dont doubt even this system would be noisy but it wouldnt approach that of raw fuelled jets. Thanks for the comment.

[@tonyduncan9852]

I am sure that something similar to what you suggest works presently _without_ rotating anything apart from the fans. Rotating masses (motorised fans) are gyroscopic and so they will *_resist_* such a use quite furiously. Simpler perhaps?... @@z_actual

[@brianb-p6586]

The 240 km/h cruise speed was supposed to be an advantage over helicopters. Ironically, the helicopter shown approaching a tall building (the Pan Am building in Manhattan) at 10:26 is a Vertol Model 107 (tandem-rotor helicopter, military designation CH-46 Sea Knight) which has a cruise speed of 265 km/h. The Rotodyne failed because it didn't work well enough to justify building and operating it, compared to helicopters of the same era.

[@Ghost_Hybrid]

The wake turbulence this thing would generate would be absolutely ludicrous. I cannot imagine it operating at a normal airport. Black Hawks have flipped airplanes arriving 2 miles behind.

[@flybobbie1449]

Idea was city to city transport.

[@tonyduncan9852]

Great idea if humans didn't have ears. @@flybobbie1449

[@LordCakeskull]

Reminds me of the story of TSR-2

[@petermonahan2140]

There may be viable use of the design for freight transportation in wide open spaces with limited air or ground competitors. I imagine places like Alaska, Montana, North and South Dakota as well as parts of many other states in the United States and great expanses of Canada. If the redesigns can address the noise issues the commercial applications may be expanded to serve more populated areas and include moving people. Studies based on advances in electric motors and energy storage can be an opportunity to find solutions to the noise problems.

[@mikep4566]

I have always loved this aircraft. Never got to see it apart from on film, what a shame.

[@NOM-X]

lol, I'm sorry but its funny. The door to your right changes position every time u cut back from video. I'm sorry, just vry observant. Thanks again for a great episode. - Will

[@RCAvhstape]

17:32 Did they envision using it in a Mad Max type situation?

[@Switcharoo12]

This aircraft looked so Soviet, I'm shocked the manufacturers name wasn't Faireykov.

[@rcrawford42]

What the world needs is a hybrid of the Rotodyne and Ekranoplan.

[@nicholasmaude6906]

This was a missed opportunity and I hope that an aircraft manufacture revisits this concept and implements it successfully.

[@philchristmas4071]

As the video went on and you showed no images of it being in a museum. I just knew the ending was going to be bad with it scrapped.

[@janrobertbos]

...I agree!!!

[@MisterOcclusion]

I take it that the tip jets eliminate the torque effect suffered by traditional helicopters? Also, it sounds similar to the story of the Avro Arrow, in terms of lost potential, politics, then the utter destruction of the prototype for no really valid reason

[@tonyduncan9852]

_" tip jets eliminate the torque effect"_ - they also eliminate *_hearing_* within a quarter mile.

[@flybobbie1449]

This would be easy now with micro jets on the rotor tips.

[@darthtac]

I think the main problem with the Rotodyne was it just too far ahead of its time. Just think how this could be build now with modern materials. As for the noise issue put some speakers on on it and use noise cancelling, you know like on the earbuds. Oh and thanks to Simon and the basement team for another great video.

[@tonyduncan9852]

_"put some speakers on on it and use noise cancelling"_ - YES. Jimi Hendrix used a 10,000 Watt speaker system. It wouldn't quite fit inside the Rotodyne, unfortunately.

[@seanbrazell7095]

It's the clutch that gets you in the end. Or at least it is with the ENTIRELY safe and reliable (if you arent a US Marine or Japanese civilian. oddly.) Osprey.

[@Realciderreviews]

This would be interesting as a bush fire water bomber

[@nicholasmaude6906]

The Fairey Rotodyne prototype should've been fully preserved instead of a couple of fuselage sections.