Aircraft Data Sheet: The Fairey Type Y, Rotodyne

First flight:	6th November 1957
Rotor diameter: Wing Span:	27.4m/90ft 0ins 14.17m/46ft 6ins
Length:	17.88m/58ft 8ins
Max weight:	14,969 kg/33,000lb
Max speed:	298 kph/161knots
Power:	Two 2,800shp/2087kW Napier N.El. 7 turboshafts1
Accommodation:	Two pilots plus test crew
No Built:	1

The Rotodyne was a large convertiplane research vehicle, aimed primarily at the civil transport market. This unique aircraft used tip jets to power the rotor, taking off in the helicopter regime, and then once established in level flight the tip jets were extinguished and flight continued as an autogyro. Fairey achieved considerable success with the prototype and plans were in hand for a larger (56-seat) production version. Westland continued design and development work until the project was cancelled due to lack of government support in 1962.