English

Etymology

back-form aerodynamic

Noun

1. A heavier-than-air craft, deriving its lift from motion.

Translations

• French: aérodyne
• Italian: aerodina

expert-subject Aircraft 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.

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.