"Steve Hix" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Peter Stickney) wrote:

For the Rotodyne, noise was a severe problem. (Engine selection
wasn't - Fairey wanted to move to teh Tyne for any later developments)
If the newsreel soundtracks of teh thing I've heard are accurate, it
could only be described as that of a Huey carrying a large, running
Steam Locomotive. Consider this - Rotodyne noise was considered
objectionable during a time when acceptable noise included
unsuppressed straight-jet 707s and the just-proposed Concorde. You
gotta go some to beat them.

I went to high school during the late '60s about 20 miles south of
Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station. We occasionally saw, and sometimes heard,
some interesting flying things working around the area, not counting
things like an SR-71 visiting on Armed Forces Day, and so on.

Nothing, absolutely *nothing* during those years sounded anything
like the AH-56 prototype that flew over one day, along with a
AH-1 flying chase. It emptied every building in the school, people
wondering what in the world was making all that racket. I figure it
was about 3000', or a bit more, above ground, and noisy on top of
being loud. I don't think the Huey Cobra was audible at all, at
least compared to the Cheyenne.

If the Rotodyne was anything near the same noise level, I don't
think they'd have been invited back to too many neighborhood
parties.

I dont think it did though.

The rotodyne tip jets were only lit for a minute or so on landing
and takeoff for one thing and they did a number or trial landings
at Battersea Heliport in central london with no complaints

Keith