Gyroplane
A Gyroplane (/ˈdʒaɪrəˌpleɪn/) is a type of aircraft that utilizes a combination of fixed wings and an unpowered autorotor to achieve and sustain lift. Forward propulsion is accomplished by an independent, motor-driven propeller screw, which can be mounted in either a "pusher" (rear-mounted) or "tractor" (fore-mounted) configuration.
First invented and developed in Érevon, gyroplanes were an important strategic weapon on the Heremonian side in the Great Intercontinental War. While extremely effective as air support for ground troops, and as short-range bombers, gyroplanes only became successful defending against Noamese dirigible airships at the very end of the war, after the introduction of the phosphorus bullet and other technological improvements that allowed effective operation at higher altitudes.
After the war, gyroplanes were employed profitably in several commercial ventures. By 1920, regular cargo and "air mail" services had been established throughout the advanced countries of the West. With the development of the enclosed cabin in the early '20s, gyroplanes entered the commercial passenger industry, although limitations in range and capacity compared to dirigible airship lines have slowed the growth of gyroplane-based passenger airlines.
First invented and developed in Érevon, gyroplanes were an important strategic weapon on the Heremonian side in the Great Intercontinental War. While extremely effective as air support for ground troops, and as short-range bombers, gyroplanes only became successful defending against Noamese dirigible airships at the very end of the war, after the introduction of the phosphorus bullet and other technological improvements that allowed effective operation at higher altitudes.
After the war, gyroplanes were employed profitably in several commercial ventures. By 1920, regular cargo and "air mail" services had been established throughout the advanced countries of the West. With the development of the enclosed cabin in the early '20s, gyroplanes entered the commercial passenger industry, although limitations in range and capacity compared to dirigible airship lines have slowed the growth of gyroplane-based passenger airlines.
Early Development
On 17 Dusanmonat 1903, cousins, business partners and aviation pioneers Sean ÓHearáin and Finbar MacCailin achieved the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight on the beach at Galblayney Strand in southern Podo Rath. In the early morning of that day they flew a primitive ashwood gyroplane called the Eitilt Sheila,1 which they had invented, designed and built themselves. Their single-wing design employed a three-axis control system operated by the pilot's hands and feet. It was driven by a forward-mounted, hand-carved sprús propeller screw, powered by a purpose-built cast aluminum three-cylinder internal combustion engine. By adding an unpowered overhead rotor in free autorotation to assist in developing lift, ÓHearáin and MacCailin solved the low-speed lift problems that had caused the crash of the White brothers' bi-winged White Flyer, killing Orson White the previous year.
Over the next five years, numerous inventions developed by the ÓHearáin & MacCailin Gyroplane Co. produced many substantial advances in gyroplane design, resulting in improved stability, speed and range capabilities. The Great Intercontinental War accelerated Érevish military interest in the use of the gyroplane as a weapon. Although there was substantial initial skepticism as to their usefulness in warfare, gyroplanes quickly showed their potential as observation platforms, and it wasn't long before gyroplanes were causing casualties to Heberian forces. This led to the development of several specialized types of gyroplane, including bombers, trench strafers and eventually aerial fighters.
Military Application
The primary military gyroplane operated by the Érevish Royal Army at the beginning of the Great Intercontinental War was the ÓHearáin and MacCailin Model E1 Scabhta (ÓM-E1 Scout). Designed primarily for a reconnaissance role, the E1 saw substantial action from the very early days of the invasion of Raionia. Air reconnaissance was vital during the initial highly mobile phase of the war, and made it possible for Érevon to deploy its army effectively, halting the Noamese advance. The E1 was also used for photographic reconnaissance, artillery spotting and contact patrol work later in the war, before it was replaced in 1910 by the larger and faster ÓM-G2 Fairtheora (Sentinel).
ÓHearáin and MacCailin granted manufacturing licenses to several major industrial concerns in order to increase production of the ÓM-G2 for the war effort. The first of these was awarded on 3 Elfmonat 1910 to the Lonergan Aircraft Corporation of Lishconnor. Subsequent licenses were issued to Heinrich Gorman Flugzeugbau GmbH (1911) and l'Armurerie de l'Aéronautique (1912). By the end of the war all of the major western powers were producing advanced gyroplanes for their air forces.
Typical gyroplanes of the time could only carry very small bomb loads, and the bombs themselves were very primitive. Stowage was rather haphazard, and no effective bomb sight had yet been invented. Yet despite these shortcomings, many successful bombing attacks were mounted from the early days of the war. Perhaps most notable of these were the successful RAAF attacks upon the Noamese airship sheds at Kalbajar and Qalana in Erzmonat and Dreimonat of 1909.
Post-War Service
After the war, the ÓHearáin and MacCailin Gyroplane Company expended considerable resources engaging in litigation to protect its numerous aeronautical patents from infringement by the companies that had been granted limited manufacturing rights, as well as other manufacturers eager to enter the aircraft industry. Years of expensive court battles severely hindered the growth of the commercial gyroplane industry.
In the summer of 1916, Uilliam Radhulbh ÓHeaghra, millionaire publisher of the Ballmargath Daily Times, offered a Ƣ50,000 prize to the first person who could cross Heremonia by gyroplane in under ninety days. On 17 Naoimonat 1916, young newly trained pilot Roger Callahan lifted off from a grassy field outside Róka, Zorovia, at the controls of a war-surplus ÓM-G2 Sentinel.2 After circling the field twice, he headed west, determined to win the Ƣ50,000 prize. 9,000 western miles, 146 days, 37 crash landings, three broken bones and countless bruises and abrasions later, Callahan arrived in Gaillimhe, Hy Mainey to the cheers of the thousands who had lined the edges of the field awaiting his arrival. He did not win the prize, but he did become the first person to fly across the continent in a gyroplane, making history and instantly achieving international celebrity status.
Despite the years of legal wrangling by ÓHearáin and MacCailin, several small concerns were organized to provide air cargo and passenger service to the public.3 The most successful among these early commercial ventures was the Gyroplane Transport and Travel Corporation of Drumlane, which in 1916 secured the first government contract to provide "air mail" service for the government of Bréifne. Operating a fleet of twelve war surplus ÓM-G7 bombers, GT&T offered daily mail delivery between Drumlane and Lantara,4 and two-day service to Toulais and Waldestadt, as well as an air freight service to seven cities in Bréifne and the Lochtees.
On 4 Uganmonat 1917, a GT&T ÓM-G7, converted to add two passenger seats within the fuselage, took off from the Drumlane Aerodrome, and became the first commercial passenger gyroplane flight in history. But it wasn't until the patent litigation was settled in Erzmonat 1919 that real advancements could be made. In the summer of 1920, Lonergan Aircraft introduced the first fully enclosed passenger cabin with the launch of the LA-7 "Gyroliner," with added controls for a co-pilot and seating capacity for seven passengers. The Lonergan Gyroliner rapidly became the most popular commercial passenger gyroplane in Heremonia, and spawned the establishment of over a dozen commercial passenger airlines across the continent, firmly establishing the the commercial gyroline industry.5
ÓHearáin and MacCailin purchased the White Bicycle & Gyroflyer Company in 1905. In 1926 they merged with Lonergan to form Ó&M-Lonergan Aeronautics and expanded manufacturing, research and development capacity at both Ballyford and Lishconnor. After purchasing several smaller parts vendors and gyroplane manufacturers (including Ryan Aerocopter Design and Swift Air Manufacturing), Ó&M-Lonergan was reorganized in 1935 and renamed Consolidated Aeronautics. Corporate offices moved to Ballmargath in 1939. In 1943, Consolidated Aeronautics merged with submarine manufacturer Electric Torpedo Boat Company to form Dynamic Technologies Corporation.
Within a decade, dozens of international airlines were offering gyroplane passenger service to hundreds of cities across the world, primarily in Heremonia.6 Due to the space and range limitations of early aircraft, and associated high costs, passenger traffic was initially limited to the very wealthy. But the increasing demand spawned the growth of additional competition, in both the service and the manufacturing sectors. Innovations in airframe design, engine efficiency and climate control produced rapid increases in capacity, range and passenger comfort.
The current passenger gyroplane market is dominated by Érevon's Dynamic Technologies Corporation and Aéroindustrie-Schaade, a joint venture sponsored by the governments of Velandriault and the Agnomain. The DT17 and the Aéro-3 airframes dominate the international passenger market, while the smaller DTC14L is preferred far and away by domestic carriers.
COMPARISON OF AIRCRAFT:
Dynamic Technologies DT17 |
Aéroindustrie-Schaade Aéro3 |
Dynamic Technologies DT14L |
| Passenger capacity: 24
Cargo capacity: 5,500 pds Cruising speed: 145 wmi/uar Range: 1,100 wmi. |
Passenger capacity: 26
Cargo capacity: 6,000 pds. Cruising speed: 120 wmi/uar Range: 1,000 wmi. |
Passenger capacity: 18
Cargo capacity: 3,500 pds. Cruising speed: 100 wmi/uar Range: 1,000 wmi. |
High speed air cargo, in particular priority mail delivery, continues to be a reliable source of revenue for the gyroplane airline industry. The continuing innovations that have helped accelerate passenger demand, such as increased capacity and reduced flight times, have also had a substantial positive impact on cargo service, allowing for faster as well as more widespread delivery options. As a result, gyroplanes are making inroads as a cost-effective alternative for high-speed mail and cargo transportation, even in the east. In response, most western nations, as well as Capacyront, Carman, Nemed and Noam, have added a premium delivery class to their mail service, and philatelists eagerly collect the new "Gyro-Mail" stamps.
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1 Named for ÓHearáin's mother.
2 Callahan was the first private citizen to purchase an ÓHearáin and MacCailin aircraft for personal use.
3 In rural areas, a new method of applying fertilizers and insecticides known as "crop dusting" provided commercial opportunities for many former wartime pilots to become small independent gyroplane operators.
4 By using a relay system, total flight time between the cities was reduced to 22 uair.
5 There are currently 57 airlines from 31 countries offering international gyroplane passenger service to the public, according to the International Transport & Travel Association's Annual Report on the State of International Air Transportation - 1985.
6 Dirigible airship airlines continue to dominate the passenger airline sector in Heberia, and retain a large share of the market in Heremonia, due to the economies of scale offered by their large seating capacity and greater range, as well as the enhanced creature comforts they can afford to their passengers at low cost.
1 Named for ÓHearáin's mother.
2 Callahan was the first private citizen to purchase an ÓHearáin and MacCailin aircraft for personal use.
3 In rural areas, a new method of applying fertilizers and insecticides known as "crop dusting" provided commercial opportunities for many former wartime pilots to become small independent gyroplane operators.
4 By using a relay system, total flight time between the cities was reduced to 22 uair.
5 There are currently 57 airlines from 31 countries offering international gyroplane passenger service to the public, according to the International Transport & Travel Association's Annual Report on the State of International Air Transportation - 1985.
6 Dirigible airship airlines continue to dominate the passenger airline sector in Heberia, and retain a large share of the market in Heremonia, due to the economies of scale offered by their large seating capacity and greater range, as well as the enhanced creature comforts they can afford to their passengers at low cost.
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Modern Technology
Sean ÓHearáin (in pilot seat) and Finbar MacCailin (standing) with their ÓM-G2 Fairtheora (Sentinel) in 1910.
Note the rear-mounted "pusher" configuration.
Note the rear-mounted "pusher" configuration.
Gyro Mail Stamp - Érevon 1927
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