The Fairey Rotodyne was a British compound gyroplane that combined helicopter-style vertical lift with airplane-like forward propulsion. Its rotor-tip pressure jets powered vertical takeoffs, landings and hovering, while wing-mounted turboprops drove propellers in forward flight. The sole demonstrator prototype proved the concept, set a convertiplane speed record, and demonstrated the possibility of city-centre VTOL air travel before the programme was cancelled in 1962.
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