The Flettner Fl 185 was an experimental German gyrodyne developed by Anton Flettner, a machine which could fly both as a helicopter and as a gyroplane.
| Fl 185 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Autogyro/helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Flettner |
| Designer | Anton Flettner |
| First flight | 1936 |
| Number built | 1 |
Design and development
editThis aircraft was developed in 1936 with support of the Kriegsmarine. It was powered by a 160 horsepower (120 kW) BMW-Bramo Sh 14 A radial piston engine with forced-air cooling, mounted at the nose. The engine drove a 12 m diameter main rotor and two auxiliary propellers mounted on outriggers attached to the fuselage.
At take-off or when hovering, the auxiliary propellers worked in opposition to each other and served to cancel the torque of the main rotor,[1] a function handled by a single, variable-pitch tail rotor on contemporary helicopters. In forward flight, however, both propellers worked to provide forward thrust while the rotor autorotated, as in a twin-engined autogyro.[1] The landing gear consisted of a nose-wheel, two smaller stabilising wheels under the outriggers and a tail skid. Only one prototype was constructed.
Specifications (Fl 185)
editData from [2]
General characteristics
- Powerplant: 1 × Bramo 314C 7-cyl air-cooled radial piston engine, 110 kW (150 hp)
- Main rotor diameter: 1 3-bladed × 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
- Main rotor area: 113.112 m2 (1,217.53 sq ft)
- Propellers: 2 x 2 bladed-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propellers
Performance
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Ford, Roger (2013). Germany's Secret Weapons of World War II. London, United Kingdom: Amber Books. p. 224. ISBN 9781909160569.
- ^ "Flettner Fl 185". Retrieved 20 December 2012.
References
edit- "Flettner Fl 185". Retrieved 20 December 2012.
Further reading
edit
- Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Nowarra, Heinz J. (1985). Die deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5464-4.