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An aerodyne is a heavier-than-air aircraft which derives lift from motion. By contrast, an aerostat (such as a balloon) uses buoyancy to fly.
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Types of aerodynes
There are several types of aerodynes, including:
Fixed-wing aerodynes
All aerodynes that owe lift to their wings are fixed-wing aerodynes. The most common example is the aeroplane. Other examples include hang gliders and lifting bodies. (A convertiplane is a fixed-wing aircraft that achieves flight by the physical rotation of its engines.)
Rotary-wing aerodynes
Helicopters are the most widely known, but autogyros, gyrodynes, and tiltrotors are other types of rotary-wing aerodynes.
Ornithopters
An ornithopter is an aircraft that is neither a fixed-wing nor a rotary-wing craft. It obtains lift by the flapping of its wings in a bird-like fashion.
Other uses of the word and popular culture
In addition, the name may refer to:
- K-100 Aerodyne – a Kenworth truck.
- Aerodyne dropship – a fictional vehicle in the BattleTech game.
- The Aerodyne – a 1986 short film directed by Stan Brakhage.
- In the war game Ground Control by Massive Entertainment, all aircraft except Drop Ships are referred to as various types of aerodynes (Attack Aerodyne, Bomber Aerodyne, and so on).
- The Fender Aerodyne Telecaster, a contemporary model of the classic Fender Telecaster Electric guitar.
See also
References
