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The Roton is, from a technological standpoint, the most interesting of the new craft.
ECONOMIST: On a rotor-blade and a prayer | The
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If it can be made to work, however, the Roton will have a number of advantages besides mere cheapness.
ECONOMIST: On a rotor-blade and a prayer | The
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So backing the Roton is both a technological and a financial gamble.
ECONOMIST: On a rotor-blade and a prayer | The
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The Roton, however, will employ centrifugal force.
ECONOMIST: On a rotor-blade and a prayer | The
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Once the Roton has been slowed sufficiently by atmospheric drag, however, the pilot will change the blade-angles so that the blades are set spinning by the airflow, slowing the craft still further. (This technique, called auto-rotation, is used by helicopter pilots in emergency landings.) Small thrusters on the side of the Roton will stabilise it, so that it can be steered towards its landing site.
ECONOMIST: On a rotor-blade and a prayer | The