Flettner Fl 185 | |
---|---|
Role | Autogyro/helicopter |
Manufacturer | Flettner |
Designer | Anton Flettner |
First flight | 1936 |
Number built | 1 |
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.
Design and development[]
This aircraft was developed in 1936 with support of the German Navy. 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, 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. The landing gear consisted of a nosewheel, two smaller stabilising wheels under the outriggers and a tail skid. Only one prototype was constructed.
Specifications (Fl 185)[]
Data from [1]
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[]
- Fairey FB-1 Gyrodyne
Notes[]
- ↑ "Flettner Fl 185". http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/hubschrauber/fl184.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
References[]
- "Flettner Fl 185". http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/hubschrauber/fl184.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
Further reading[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flettner aircraft. |
- Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945 Nowarra, Heinz J. (1985). Die deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5464-4.
The original article can be found at Flettner Fl 185 and the edit history here.