autogiro
/ˌɔtoʊˈdʒaɪroʊ/
noun
- A type of aircraft that uses an unpowered rotor for lift and a separate engine-driven propeller for forward thrust.
- The autogiro was an early flying machine that looked like a cross between a plane and a helicopter.
- Unlike a helicopter, an autogiro's rotor spins freely as the aircraft moves forward.
- My grandfather used to tell stories about flying an autogiro in the 1930s.