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The Doblhoff/WNF 342 was the first helicopter to take off and land using
V4: The last unit produced was a two-seat variant with new collective and cyclic controls. After 25 flight hours it was captured by
Vertical Rewind: Spoils of War
Doblhoff WNF 342 V4 in scale of 1 : 11 as shown at the Helicopter Museum of Bückeburg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doblhoff Wnf 342 1940s Austrian experimental aircraft 1940s Austrian helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1943 WNF 342 Tipjet-powered helicopters Single-engined piston helicopters
tip jet
A tip jet is a jet nozzle at the tip of some helicopter rotor blades, used to spin the rotor, much like a Catherine wheel firework. Tip jets replace the normal shaft drive and have the advantage of placing no torque on the airframe, thus not r ...
s to drive the rotor.
Development
The WNF 342 was designed for a German Navy requirement for an observation platform for use from small ships and submarines. 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.Variants
V1/V2: The first helicopter was initially powered by a engine (V1) and then a engine (V2)—both byWalter Mikron
The Walter Mikron is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted straight engine for aircraft.
Development
Developed in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s, the engine saw limited use in late 1930s and early 1950s. In the 1980s an initial batch of eng ...
. It first flew in 1943, and was captured with V4 at Zell am See
Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See District in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. Located in the Kitzbühel Alps, the town is an important tourist destination due to its Ski resort, ski resorts and shorel ...
.
V3: The second WNF 342 had a larger rotor and was destroyed during testing.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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
forcesApostolo, Giorgio. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters'', pp. 18, 126. Bonanza Books, New York, 1984. . and on July 19, 1945, shipped to the US under Operation Lusty
Operation LUSTY (LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY) was the United States Army Air Forces' effort to capture and evaluate German aeronautical technology during and after World War II.
Overview
During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces Intelligence ...
on HMS Reaper (D82)
USS ''Winjah'' (CVE-54) (originally AVG-54, later ACV-54), was a of the United States Navy, leased to the Royal Navy during World War II.
''Winjah'' was laid down on 5 June 1943 at Tacoma, Washington, by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding. She was as ...
br>Specifications (V4)
See also
References
*Vertical Rewind: Spoils of War
External links
Doblhoff WNF 342 V4 in scale of 1 : 11 as shown at the Helicopter Museum of Bückeburg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doblhoff Wnf 342 1940s Austrian experimental aircraft 1940s Austrian helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1943 WNF 342 Tipjet-powered helicopters Single-engined piston helicopters