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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1674.PDF
762 FLIGHT THE ROTODYNE FLIES ON Wednesday of last week Faireys embarked on the lateststage in the development of their massive Rotodyne "VTOairliner" (see leading article) when Ron Gellatly, senior helicopter test pilot, and John Morton took it into the air for thefirst time. On the airfield at White Waltham those concerned with the tests are showing a cautious delight. The first four flights, allof them made during the first 30 hours, produced no snags what- ever. The Rotodyne had already breezed through its resonancetrials and took to the air apparently without the slightest trouble. Early flight tests were to have explored hovering within theground cushion, but in fact Gellatly took the Rotodyne for a circuit round the airfield well above ground-cushion altitudeduring one of the first three flights. On all but the first, too, an observer had been carried; and when Flight's representative sawthe fourth flight on Thursday of last week, Dr. D. B. Leason, head of the thermodynamics and design group, was acting in thiscapacity, monitoring the three automatic camera recorders mounted in the forward fuselage. Mr. R. L. Lickley, technical director,Dr. G. S. Hislop, chief designer, and many other members of the design team were present during the early flights. The Rotodyne was flying at a weight quite close to the 33,000 lbwhich is the maximum for the development aircraft. Two large blocks of ballast were bolted to the floor close to the rear loadingsill. Other test fixtures included two thick jury struts from the main wheels to the inside of the wing root. These are designedto absorb any untoward loads during early landings. The inclined The long cabin, left, and the pilots' cockpit, below, are neat and airy- Concentration of test instrumentation in the cabin has left the cockpii remarkably orderly tor a prototype. The central bank of dials covers engine and control systems and the pedestal is small and tidy.
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