| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,580,556,955 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
autogiro |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
autogiroHeavier-than-air craft that supports itself in the air with a rotary wing, or rotor. The Spanish aviator Juan de la Cierva designed the first successful autogiro in 1923. The autogiro's rotor provides only lift and not propulsion; it has been superseded by the helicopter, in which the rotor provides both. The autogiro is propelled by an orthodox propeller. The three- or four-bladed rotor on an autogiro spins in a horizontal plane on top of the craft, and is not driven by the engine. The blades have an aerofoil cross section, as a plane's wings. When the autogiro moves forward, the rotor starts to rotate by itself, a state known as autorotation. When travelling fast enough, the rotor develops enough lift from its aerofoil blades to support the craft. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Hutchinson Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|