Doblhoff WNF 342

The Doblhoff/WNF 342 was the first helicopter to take off and land using tip jets to drive the rotor.

Doblhoff/WNF 342
Doblhoff WNF 342 V4 model in the Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg (Bückeburg Helicopter Museum)
Role Tip jet research helicopter
National origin Austria
Manufacturer Wiener-Neustädter Flugzeugwerke
Designer Friedrich von Doblhoff
First flight 1943
Number built 3

Development

The WNF 342 was designed for a German Navy requirement for an observation platform for use from small ships and submarines.[1]

The conventional piston engine drove both a small propeller (to provide airflow across a rudder) and an air compressor to provide air (subsequently mixed with fuel) through the rotor head and hollow rotor blades to combustion chambers at the rotor tips.[2]

Variants

V1/V2: The first helicopter was initially powered by a 60 horsepower (45 kW) engine (V1) and then a 90 horsepower (67 kW) engine (V2)—both by Walter Mikron. It first flew in 1943,[3] and was captured with V4 at Zell am See.

V3: The second WNF 342 had a larger rotor and was destroyed during testing.

Doblhoff WNF 342 V4 model

V4: The last unit produced was a two-seat variant with new collective and cyclic controls. After 25 flight hours it was captured by United States forces[4] and on July 19, 1945, shipped to the US under Operation Lusty on HMS Reaper (D82).

Specifications (V4)

Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Main rotor diameter: 10.00 m (32 ft 9¾ in)
  • Main rotor area: 78.54 m2 (845.42 ft2)
  • Empty weight: 430 kg (948 lb)
  • Gross weight: 640 kg (1,411 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × BMW-Bramo Sh.14A radial piston engine, 104 kW (140 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)

Armament

See also

Related lists

References
  1. "Doblhoff". Hubschrauber Museum. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  2. Ford, Roger (2013). Germany's Secret Weapons of World War II. London, United Kingdom: Amber Books. p. 224. ISBN 9781909160569.
  3. Orbis 1985, pp. 1454–1455
  4. Apostolo, Giorgio. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters, pp. 18, 126. Bonanza Books, New York, 1984. ISBN 0-517-43935-2.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.