The engineer Rene Dorand, of the Societe d'Etudes des Giravions Dorand, developed several designs for experimental rotary wing craft using a thermal propulsion system, where-by compressed air was ejected from the blade tips.

G.Apostolo "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters", 1984

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In France, the Dorand Rotorcraft Company built, in 1951-52, an aircraft with an original design, the DH.011. It was equipped with a turbo-jet engine with double flux, the Turbomeca "Aspin I". The slightly compressed air of the second flux (the compression ratio was only 1.18) was directed to nozzles located at the end of the two huge blades. The cabin had four seats; the design cruising speed was 110km/h. Tests, carried out at Issy-les-Moulineaux were not as good as expected so they abandoned the aircraft.

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Technical data for DH.011 Engine: 1 x Turbomeca "Aspin I", gross weight: 1025kg, empty weight: 540kg, theoretical ceiling: 6000m, range: 200km