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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1627.PDF
FLIGHT, 2 September 1960 349 Westland (Fairey) Gannet AEW.3 Westland (Fairey) Rotodyne Primarily intended as a VTOL transpon for city-centre to city-centre operations over short and medium ranges, the aircraft can also offer an attractive performance as a freighter or troop transpon. The production Rotodyne will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops, each developing 5,250 s.h.p., with auxiliary compressors. The prototype on view at Farnborough, which began flying in November 1957, has two Napier Elands of about 2,800 h.p. For vertical take-off the power- plant feeds fresh compressed air to the main 104ft diameter rotor, which absorbs most of the engines' power. Additional power is obtained from four kerosine-burning Fairey pressure-jet units at the rotor-tips. After take-off transition to forward flight is accomplished by progressively transferring power from the rotor to the conventional propellers. The fixed wing contributes about 60 per cent of the lift in the cruising condition, the remainder being provided by the auto-rotating rotor. Tentative orders have been placed by BEA and New York Airways, As a civil transpon the Rotodyne will carry up to 60 passengers, and as a military transpon up to 70 fully equipped troops. A typical freight load would be 12,0001b over a stage length of 240 n. miles. Gross weight of the Tyne-powered Rotodyne will be 53,5001b, and fuel capacity 10,0001b. Cruising speed is quoted as 175kt, and maximum range 610 n. miles. Saunders-/toe Division Skeeter Production of the piston-engined Skeeter (215 h.p. Gipsy Major) for the British Army and the W. German army and navy is now complete, and the example at Farnborough diis year will be powered by a 425 s.h.p. Blackburn Turmo 603 series free-turbine engine derated to 250 s.h.p. This machine is currently being used for the evaluation of autostabilizer equipment. Gross weight is 2,3501b; max speed, 90kt; max rate of climb, l,420ft/min at best climbing speed of 45kt; vertical rate of climb, 710ft/min; hover ceiling, 15,000ft. Sprite and Wasp These are the military and civil versions respectively of the Saunders-Roe P.531, and are powered respectively by an 885 s.h.p. Blackburn A.129 Nimbus free-turbine engine derated to 650 s.h.p., and a 900 s.h.p. de Havilland Gnome similarly derated. A contract was recently received by Westland from the Ministry of Aviation for the development of the Nimbus- powered Sprite, designated P.531-2 Mk 1, as a 5-6 seat general-purpose helicopter. In this version the forward fuselage has been lengthened to extend the rear compartment by 6in. The first machine of diis pre-production batch, which made its first flight on August 4, is straingauged and will be used for performance and handling trials. The Sprite is intended for a variety of duties including liaison, light freighting, casualty evacua- tion, air/sea rescue, reconnaissance, training and as a weapons carrier. In its passenger-carrying form it has two seats in front and a rear bench-type seat for 3-4 persons. This rear space is utilized for two stretchers in the ambulance role, and a lightweight Lucas air-operated hoist can be fitted for rescue operations. In parallel with the development of the Sprite, the company is continuing to develop the civil Wasp up to C. of A. standard. The following details are stated to apply equally to both versions of the P.531: gross weight, 5,0001b; fuel capacity, 158gal; max speed, llOkt; max cruising speed, 105kt; max rate of climb, 1,490ft/min at best climbing speed of 50kt; vertical rate of climb, 600ft/min; hover ceiling, 10,000ft; hover ceiling in ground effect 17,800ft; service ceiling, 20,000ft; max range (pilot, three passengers, ten per cent fuel reserve), 217 n. miles. Rotodyne main leg I _ Below, Gnome H.1000 in Wasp Westland (Saunders-Roe) Sprite Westland (Saunders-Roe) Skeeter Mk 6
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