User talk:Vertiflite/Sandbox

The term VTOL includes helicopters and other powered rotorcraft (not autogyros). In fact, the American Helicopter Society's website is www.vtol.org. Their bylaws state: “The purpose of the Society is to engage in educational and scientific activities to advance the theory and practices of the science of helicopter and other aircraft in the area of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and similar devices, including not only these categories of aircraft in existence but those to be developed.” -- AHS Bylaws, May 1976

This is backed up in these references:

1.	"The first VTOL aircraft type we come to using this procedure is, appropriately, the helicopter, which is the forerunner of all other VTOL types." -- pg. 4, "Vertical Takeoff & Landing Aircraft," John P. Campbell, The MacMillan Company, New York, 1962. From the flyleaf: "'Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft'" is the first book to cover the rapidly developing field of VTOL aircraft from the helicopter to the GEM (ground effect machine."

2.	"[A power loading graph] is also very useful when comparing different types of VTOL aircraft. The board categories: rotorcraft, platforms, propeller craft jetfans, augmented jets, fanjets, and jets may be compared in terms of disc loading, power requirement, and down draught velocity." -- pg. 28, "VTOL – Military Research Aircraft," Mike Rogers, Orion Books, New York, 1989.

3.	"The categories are VTOL with rotors (commonly referred to as helicopters), VTOL with propellers, fans, jets, and wings (often referred to as compound aircraft), and VTOL with jets (often referred to as rotorless aircraft)." -- pg. 3, "Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft," edited by I.B. Laskowitz, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol 107, Art.1, March 25, 1963.

4.	"With many types of VTOL concepts, there are very fine differences between the different techniques. There will be no discussion of the pure helicopter-type of VTOL [in this book], but its first cousin, the Compound (or Unloaded-Rotor Convertiplane) will be discussed in this chapter." -- pg. 11, "Straight Up - A History of Vertical Flight," Steve Markman and Bill Holder, Schiffer Publishing, 2000.

Note that the rest of this article is currently all over the map with references to the fanciful Lerche, Moller skycar, etc. Not clear why the CL-84 is singled out here. This whole article should be redone. --Vertiflite (talk) 01:25, 15 October 2008 (UTC)