In aviation, the word autorotation is applied to operation of fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft. The word has significantly different meanings in each of these two applications.
In the operation of fixed-wing aircraft, autorotation is the name given to the manner in which an aircraft in a stall, or approaching the stall, displays a tendency to roll spontaneously to the right or left. A fixed-wing aircraft in a spin rolls continuously to the right or left, displaying the characteristic known as autorotation.[1][2]
In the operation of helicopters and autogyros, autorotation is the name given to the generation of lift by the main rotor even though no power is being provided to the rotor by an engine. Autogyros have an un-powered main rotor so they rely continuously on autorotation as their source of lift. Following an engine failure, a helicopter may be able to slow its descent before landing and land in a controlled manner, using autorotation.
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