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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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C
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Convertiplane
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1992-09-02
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938b
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24 lines
Type of vertical takeoff aircraft with rotors
on its wings that spin horizontally for
takeoff, but tilt to spin in a vertical plane
for forward flight. At takeoff it looks like
a two-rotor helicopter, with both rotors
facing skywards. As forward speed is gained,
the rotors tilt slowly forward until they are
facing directly ahead. There are several
different forms of convertiplane. The
LTV-Hillier-Ryan XC-142, designed in the USA,
had wings, carrying the four engines and
propellers, that rotated. The German VC-400
had two rotors on each of its wingtips.
Neither of these designs went into
production. A recent Boeing and Bell design,
the Osprey, uses a pair of tilting engines,
with propellers 11.5 m/38 ft across, mounted
at the end of the wings. It is
intended eventually to carry about 50
passengers direct to city centres. The design
should also be useful for search and rescue
operations and for transport to offshore oil
rigs.