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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0108.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 January 1953 BRITISH PORTFOLIO . . . THE CIERVA AUTOGIRO CO., LTD., formed in 1926, produced a famous series of Autogiros—notably the Rot,., which saw service in the R.A.F. Before being taken over by Saunders-Roe, Ltd., in 1951, the company had turned to heli copter design (the difference between an autogiro and a helicopter being that the rotor in the former is not driven, but is free to rotate, as the aircraft is drawn forward by a conventional airscrew) and the Air Horse was its second effort in this field. This is a large machine, manned by a crew of two, with full dual control if required. Behind the crew is the engine compart ment, and in rear of that the 24-seat passenger cabin. Power is supplied by a single 1,620 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin engine driving the three wooden rotors through shafting. The rotors are carried on outriggers, and all revolve in the same direction. In any helicopter using shaft drive (as opposed to tip jets) torque reaction must be counteracted, otherwise the whole machine will rotate slowly in the opposite direction to the rotor. The effect is usually gained by use of a tail rotor or by employing two main rotors revolving in opposite directions. In the case of the Air Horse, the rotors are attached to the outriggers in such a manner as to provide an inclination of the natural thrust axis, exactly sufficient to counteract the torque under cruising condi tions. THE FAIREY AVIATION CO., LTD., first ventured into the field of rotating-wing aircraft with the Gyrodyne. It accom modated two pilots, with space for two or three passengers on a bench seat behind. Fixed stub wings and tail surfaces contri buted to stability during flight. Power was supplied by a con ventional, horizontal-crankshaft 525 h.p. Alvis Leonides, which drove both the rotor and the tractor airscrew on the starboard wing-tip through gears and shafting. Transmission was so arranged that under cruising conditions the greater part of the power was delivered to the airscrew, and this, coupled with the lift supplied by the wings, unloaded the rotor and permitted an unusually high cniising speed. The Gyrodyne, in fact, established a world helicopter speed record of 124.3 m.p.h. during 1948. A note on a new, tip-jet version will be found on page no. The Fairey Gyrodyne. Note the mounting of the Alvis Leonides engine. " Flight " Copyright Drawings
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