The Fairey Rotodyne never progressed past the prototype stage. It was an early attempt to achieve Vertical Take Off in a non-helicopter, & was actually designed as a 70-seat transport aircraft. Unfortunately, only the Rotodyne Y prototype ever flew, which was basically a scaled down Rotodyne Z, the planned production aircraft. The Rotodyne Y only had 40 seats, & less powerful engines than the planned Rotodyne Z's.

The Fairey Rotodyne had two wing-mounted Napier Eland turboprops providing horizontal thrust, & one large four-bladed rotor driven by Kerosene-burning pressure jets at the tips providing lift. This strange engine configuration enabled the Rotodyne to both fly at a speed greater than other vertical take-off aircraft at the time (all helicopters), carry a greater payload & take off vertically (unlike other prop transports). During the development of the Rotodyne, several orders were placed for this long sought after vertical take-off transport, including provisional orders from BEA & New York Airways, & an almost certain order from the RAF. Unfortunately, the entire project slowly failed, & a lack of funding caused Fairey to cancel the project.

The Rotodyne first flew at White Waltham on the 6th of November 1957, & during its test programme it broke the World Speed Record for a Rotorcraft. When the Rotodyne's kerosene-burning pressure jets are turned off, the rotor could act like that of an autogyro, which would prolong the Rotodyne's endurance considerably.

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