User:Born2flie/Carter CCTD

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The Carter CCTD was a two-bladed, compound autogyro developed by Carter Aviation Technologies to demonstrate slowed rotor technology. The design had an unpowered rotor mounted on top of the fuselage, wings like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft mounted underneath, and a pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage. On 17 June 2005, the CCTD became the first rotorcraft to achieve mu-1 (μ-1), an equal ratio of airspeed to rotor tip speed. But later the same day on a second flight, the aircraft had been flying at 160 mph (257 km/h) when the drive pulley to the propeller drive-shaft bolts failed in flight, reversing propeller thrust. The aircraft was totally destroyed but both crew members were unharmed. The CCTD is also referred to as the CarterCopter and sometimes as CC1

Development

 * 24 September 1998, first flight.
 * 17 June 2005, μ-1 achieved.
 * 17 June 2005, crash and retirement.

Achievements
At present, the prototype's engine is normally aspirated, and hence is limited to just 320 hp (240 kW) and the fastest Carter Aviation Technologies prototype has achieved is about 173 mph (270 km/h); which is still ~40% faster than a conventional autogyro but slower than gyrodynes of the 1950s.