Tilly Copter

Like lead wheel weights on car wheels. 😉

LOL I was thinking more along the lines of increasing the rotational mass and also for blade damping and also possibly to help control the ‘Coning’ angle of the blades….but of course one could also trim the weights individually to balance the assembly 😉

rgds baz

Excellent find Fouga, some details of a Vittorio Isacco design

…………and at http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=84061, albeit a few years ago on this forum.

Like lead wheel weights on car wheels. 😉

The ‘lumps’ on the rotor tips could be weights to increase the rotational momentum (flywheel effect) of the rotor blades and/or possibly help blade stability

I haven’t a clue what the Tilly is doing but this is the early vehicle test rig for Hafner’s Rotachute.
I’m better at aircraft rec than trucks but I think its a Fordson.
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Excellent find Fouga, some details of a Vittorio Isacco design here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saunders_Helicogyre and a bit on his early life in Russia here, http://aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/isacco.php
Planemike was correct in his deduction, the picture being taken at RAF Boreham in Essex.

direct link:
http://www.gettyimages.be/detail/news-photo/rotating-wing-to-replace-a-parachute-being-demonstrated-at-news-photo/3360286

Search on Getty doesn’t produce this image and the last four letters still look like ‘egas’ to me! 😉

Sill looks like ‘Getty Images’ to me!;)

In that case it was used for Rotachute development. – as shown here!

The same Rotachute of 1942, and development ended in 1943?

I’m trying to think of rotary designs of the ’45-’47 period and the Fairey Gyrodyne keeps popping up, Bristol (who Hafner of Rotachute/buggy worked for) and Cierva/Weir (to SARO) were also pursuing various projects with different rotor heads and drive systems.

I suppose the possibility exists that the picture shows a pure project feasibilty study that didn’t lead to any known design, conducted by the RAE or similar?

Rotor tips

Looking more closely at the better quality second photo, the rotor has ‘lumps’ on th rotor tips. Could these be small jets or outlets for a powered rotor?
Cheers
Mike

I am not an expert on vehicle registrations but think it is possible the vehicle may have originally been registered in the County of Essex. Not sure where that takes us or how it helps.

Planemike

…it gives the date as 15-3-47 with the caption ‘Parachute replacement’

In that case it was used for Rotachute development. – as shown here!
http://aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/hafner_rotachute.php

Some more clues

I found a better photo on a Dutch website but there was no info there that meant anything sensible. Searching Getty Images using the proper photo reference, it gives the date as 15-3-47 with the caption ‘Parachute replacement’. The Standard has a private registration plate, so is ex-RAF post-war.

If it’s any help the registration is 484 TW.

Cheers
Mike

Tilly Copter thanks

Thanks to all of you guys for your suggestions. Not being an avid aircraft enthusiast, I’m still a little in the dark about what this might be. For your information this type of Standard Tilly was used by the RAF throughout the war years and early post-war years. if it belongs to an aircraft company – which seems likely – then that could give it a later date.

Cheers
Mike

IF I am remembering things right…. this is from an article in Air International during the early days – I’m sure I’ve seen it before regarding either the rotorbuggy or the flying jeep thingie that was developed in Oz….

I look further!

I enhanced the picture and the water mark is definitely the ‘getty images’ logo, however no combination of autogyro, gyro, helicopter, blade, test rig, that I can think of could locate it in their catalogue.

Hi Baz, Christmas greetings…….!!!

Planemike

And the same to you Mike 😀

I agree. it’s the Getty images logo

So does the need to run it along a runway at 55mph mean its part of the design testing for an autogro or would you do that for a helicopter.
I cannot see from the image whether any drive is going to the rotor head.

Richard

Search on Getty doesn’t produce this image and the last four letters still look like ‘egas’ to me! 😉

Looks like ‘Getty Images’ to me.

I think you can ignore the mast design,I think it is just an ‘A’ frame to support the subject rotor head etc.

rgds baz

Hi Baz, Christmas greetings…….!!!

Knew we needed an engineer to point is the right direction !!!

Planemike