Fairey Rotodyne
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
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"Trying to rebuild infrastructure while keeping the railway running also verges on the impossible"
The mainl ine out of Paddington is currently seeing a lot of platforms being lengthened for Cross -Rail - and I believe SW lines towards Ascot & Reading are getting the same treatment - disruption - sure - but not major
The mainl ine out of Paddington is currently seeing a lot of platforms being lengthened for Cross -Rail - and I believe SW lines towards Ascot & Reading are getting the same treatment - disruption - sure - but not major
The lack of joined-up thinking for the vanity project HS2 and direct Crossrail or Eurostar connections is so typical of muddled UK transport thinking...
If anything needs to be binned, it's HS2!
If anything needs to be binned, it's HS2!
Well of course if the problem o be solved is time city centre-city centre, then IMHO Concorde was not "the answer". However, also IMHO, a superb feat of engineering
Rotodyne: vertical takeoff aircraft that never made it off the ground.
Fairey Rotodyne from the 1950’s. Never made it into production.
Last edited by Foxxster; 26th Oct 2019 at 21:31.
Noisy doesn't really describe it - undoubtedly the worst I ever heard - made a B-47 or a Caravelle sound like a glider... I think it was the specific frequency of the "whine" from the prop tips that was really good at shaking the fillings out of your teeth .........
The prototype was indeed noisy when flying in helicopter mode, but massive reductions in tip jet noise had been achieved by the time the government pulled any further funding.
Even before then, when the Rotodyne with modified tip jets visited Battersea Heliport hardly anyone knew it had been and gone. Don't forget that the airliners of the day were also VERY noisy. Even in the early '70s, the racket made by DC-8s, Boeing 707s, VC10s and Tridents was quite something!
Even before then, when the Rotodyne with modified tip jets visited Battersea Heliport hardly anyone knew it had been and gone. Don't forget that the airliners of the day were also VERY noisy. Even in the early '70s, the racket made by DC-8s, Boeing 707s, VC10s and Tridents was quite something!
In the early 60s, I lived about three miles from where the Rotodyne was being test flown at White Waltham. Running just along the northern boundary of the airfield is the GWR main line, where in those days, Kings and Castles were pounding along at 80-90 mph.
The tip-jet noise of the Rotodyne sounded exactly like the noise of a King or Castle at speed.
There is a very good History Channel documentary in four parts on YouTube:
The tip-jet noise of the Rotodyne sounded exactly like the noise of a King or Castle at speed.
There is a very good History Channel documentary in four parts on YouTube:
Last edited by India Four Two; 27th Oct 2019 at 02:23.
Beags "Even before then, when the Rotodyne with modified tip jets visited Battersea Heliport hardly anyone knew it had been and gone."
There was a sound recording being made by an engineer on Battersea Bridge who gave a running commentary as the beast came along the Thames.
" Patter, patter , patter , Rotodyne etc... now approaching..... patter, patter..........." SPLAT!! .... "Pigeon has just shat on the microphone...patter patter ..... etc.etc."
Or so I was informed.
There was a sound recording being made by an engineer on Battersea Bridge who gave a running commentary as the beast came along the Thames.
" Patter, patter , patter , Rotodyne etc... now approaching..... patter, patter..........." SPLAT!! .... "Pigeon has just shat on the microphone...patter patter ..... etc.etc."
Or so I was informed.
The Rotodyne didn't stand a chance once the Government decided that all British rotorcraft should be under the control of one company, Westlands.
SARO's Scout / Wasp survived, Bristol's Belvedere staggered on - just, but Fairey's Rotodyne was dropped as Westlands thought they had a competing design of their own. Interestingly this was a version of the Tilt Wing concept of Bristol's Chief Designer, Raoul Hafner who just happened to move from Bristol's to become head of development at Westlands.
SARO's Scout / Wasp survived, Bristol's Belvedere staggered on - just, but Fairey's Rotodyne was dropped as Westlands thought they had a competing design of their own. Interestingly this was a version of the Tilt Wing concept of Bristol's Chief Designer, Raoul Hafner who just happened to move from Bristol's to become head of development at Westlands.
