Like a helicopter, a gyroplane generates the lift needed to fly by using rotors rather than wings - that is the one and only similarity they have. Unlike a helicopter, the rotors are not actually powered - all they need to keep moving is a flow of air over their surfaces. The lift this creates will become a self-sustaining force which both keeps the aeroplane in the air and keeps the rotors turning. Also unlike a helicopter, a gyroplane has a propeller which is powered by the engine to generate thrust which moves the machine forward. |
