Fairey Eggrodyne: A short-hop commuter rotodyne (combination helicopter and airplane) with simplified controls and limited cargo hauling capability.
Main Controls
Main instrument panel
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Overhead Controls
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Engine Throttle / Collective Handle, etc.
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Landing Gear, Radar Altimeter, and Auto-Hover controls
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Quick Take-Off Procedure
1. Enter cabin and close door.
2. Enter cockpit, closing door with via handle.
3. Enter preferred pilot seat (all controls are mirrored or ambidextrous).
4. Power up engines using engine power control on collective: recommend first green bar for checkout flight.
5. Rotor will spin up as engines pass 4 RPS; anti-torque will also activate, but use L/R keys to keep heading.
6. Turn on instrument lights, navigation lights, and anti-collision lights prior to takeoff.
7. Activate auto-hover mode (left of conversion handle)
8. Adjust seat height for preference.
9. Use judicious forward pitch, or advance Horizontal Conversion Handle to ~ 0.25 to advance out of the hangar.
10. Once clear of hangar and obstructions, if engine power indicator shows green, use Up key to add up collective. Recommend climbing to 300m prior to converting to forward flight.
Congratulations, you are flying one of the most uniquely British egg-shaped aircraft in history!
VTOL to Airplane Flight
1.a. If hovering, nose down and add collective to pick up forward speed while maintaining level or climbing flight.
1.b. If climbing with some forward thrust, maintain positive vertical speed.
2. Advance Horizontal Conversion handle to ~0.5 to 0.55. This is the maximum all-round performance setting.
3. Raise landing gear (left of conversion handle).
4. Maintain level or climbing flight until airspeed approaches 100 kph.
5. Disengage auto-hover (if engaged).
6. Advance Horizontal Conversion handle to ~0.75. The aircraft may pitch forward as thrust increases; pull back on stick (S key) to keep nose up.
7. Advance Horizontal Conversion handle to 1.0. This is the maximum cruise efficiency setting.
8. (Optional) set hold altitude and engage altitude hold; there may be some bucking as the autopilot adjusts to in-flight status.
The rotor will gradually slow but will continue to spin at a low RPS while in forward flight.
Elevator authority will feel lower due to loss of rotor influence; increasing engine power by one step will help.
Airplane to VTOL Flight
1. Approach the target landing or hover site in level flight.
2. Engage auto-hover mode (this will override horizontal alt hold autopilot).
3. Smoothly retract Horizontal Conversion handle until it clicks (or hold longer to engage reverse thrust).
4. Extend landing gear.
5. (Optional) lower seat to gain better view through lower windows.
6. Activate landing lights.
7. Approach hover or landing site from downwind.
8. Confirm landing gear is down (three green) prior to landing!
9. Check radar altimeter (left of conversion handle) and landing lights to gauge height above ground.
10. Upon touchdown:
- engage brakes (space key)
- reduce engine power to yellow or red band, or reduce until solid line disappears to kill engines.
- lower seat for egress.
Congratulations, you are back on solid land! Thank you for flying British Airways.
