Fairey Rotodyne

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, I Always Thought the Rotodyne was Cool,Too Bad Fairey Didn't Try to Get American Aerospace Interested, it might have Boosted the Creation of the V-22 Earlier! Tell me if You Agree or Not but...Doesn't The Rotodyne look like it would have been in episode of Thunderbirds or Captain Scarlet?  Dan

[Mossie]

Originally they folded flat - outwards - during hovering operations.  The fear was that the rotor would catch on them during aerobraking with the rotor.  However, they found that the rotor didn't go that far backwards and by folding them, they were causing control problems with downwash so they fixed them in place, canted slightly outwards.

Not quite. The fin tops were canted at 60^o dihedral for early flights.  During mid 1958, the fins were modified to a vertical position as longitudinal stability was found to be lacking.  The third central fin was added to further aid this during 1960.  The fin tips would fold flat during rotor power up & down on the ground only (not during the hover) & this capability remained during the whole program.

Incidently, the Revell kit shows the central fin canted, but it was fixed in a vertical position.  IIRC there's a photo were it looks like it's canted & this is what influenced the Revell kit.  The word got around that there were no photo's that showed the central fin clearly.  There were several available, so I'm not sure how this rumour started.

[PR19_Kit]

Incidently, the Revell kit shows the central fin canted, but it was fixed in a vertical position.  IIRC there's a photo were it looks like it's canted & this is what influenced the Revell kit.  The word got around that there were no photo's that showed the central fin clearly.  There were several available, so I'm not sure how this rumour started.

That business of the canted centre fin was discussed a while back on here somewhere. That single piccie that looks like it's canted must have caused more grief to modellers than any one piccie ever! Not to mention Revell's mould makers.

IIRC it's something to do with the angle the piccie was taken from and a thrown shadow that makes it look like it's canted, but THE book puts the whole thing to rights, stating that was fixed and vertical for its whole existence. Sadly I can't remember if it had the centre fin fitted when it drove me nuts at RAF Benson. I quizzed my non-aviation minded brother about it (he was there at the same time) and his response was 'What's a Rotodyne?' Philistine! 

[Stargazer]

I quizzed my non-aviation minded brother about it (he was there at the same time) and his response was 'What's a Rotodyne?' Philistine! 

The Fairey Philistine... Now THAT sounds like a cool name for my next whif... ROTFL

[rickshaw]

Rotodyne at the Farnborough Air Show

1958 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4AIVAz0QxY&feature=related
1959 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJqcVVnk3DM&feature=related

Another short, silent clip, date unknown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv6Gr2mLo1Y&feature=related

RC Model:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17i43MTx4o8&NR=1

[PR19_Kit]

Some interesting information on the folding upper fin area in those clips.

Most of them show the 'dyne flying with the upper fins at 45 deg, but the 2nd Farnborough clip starts off with them horizontal but later on they are fully vertical. And there's a bit in the middlle of the RC model clip that actually shows them folding.

[Mossie]

Kit, in that second clip I think the fins remain vertical & it's the wing tips your seeing.  The resoloution isn't great and it's only just possible to see the fins, seen from almost exactly rear on the wing tips are in exactly the plane were the fins would fold.

There's more footage of the fin folding on the Fairey Film Unit vid, I posted it again on the end post of the last page, I think it's on the first page too.

[PR19_Kit]

Not quite, I got the clips mixed up I'm afraid.

In the FIRST clip the very first shot of the 'dyne in the static park shows the upper fins horizontal, but it's visible for only a short while. The flying shots in that clip all show the upper fins canted at 45 deg.

The SECOND clip has them in the vertical position in every part of the film.

[Joe C-P]

...Too Bad Fairey Didn't Try to Get American Aerospace Interested...

Cobra: Fairey was actively marketing in the US (and Canada) gaining quite a lot of interest. Kaman Aircraft Corp held the US licence (as well as sales and service contract) for the Rotodyne. That was based on a US Army interest in 200 Rotodyne Y types. But Kaman was specifically targetting the Marine Corps.

And that will be my second Rotodyne build, USMC, with a ramp aft instead of the clamshell doors, and a chin gun and mount points on the wings from an AH-1.

[Stargazer]

And that will be my second Rotodyne build, USMC, with a ramp aft instead of the clamshell doors, and a chin gun and mount points on the wings from an AH-1.

Can't wait to see THAT!!! 

[tigercat]

What If the Fairey Rotodyne had proved a success would we now have the equivalent of an airborne bus service between cities?

Would a Rotodyne be able to serve as:

Maritme Recon versions
Spooky type ground attack
military transports
AWACS?

would they do many of the roles currently done by helicopters.

[The Wooksta!]

Can't see the Maritime Recce but certainly rescue as they'd be faster.

[Mossie]

My view is they were all possible.  The Rotodyne wasn't just meant to fit into helicopter roles but also those by filled by light commuter/transport types.  Some of these such as the Fokker F27 have been converted for Maritime Patrol so it follows that the Rotodyne may have done also.

The military transport is a definite is the Rotodyne was developed for this role & a dedicated military version was offered to the RAF & other customers.  Kamov were selected as a licence manufacturer to market it to the US armed forces (laws prevented a non-American company selling military hardware in the US).  The Z model mock up included a beaver tail with a loading ramp that would have been standard fit for the military Rotodyne & an option for civvy versions.

[Hobbes]

Tactical transport for sure. Dunno about AWACS. Maybe for naval use; the rotors would complicate things but then again the Sea Kings have the same problem. The many roles filled by the Hercules could give some inspiration.

[PR19_Kit]

Kamov were selected as a licence manufacturer to market it to the US armed forces (laws prevented a non-American company selling military hardware in the US). 

Close but no banana!  

I think you'll find that was Kaman, Kamov is/was a Russian company.........