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The Hafner Rotabuggy (formally known as the Malcolm Rotaplane and as the "M.L. 10/42 Flying Jeep") was a British
Although initial tests showed that the Rotabuggy was prone to severe vibration at speeds greater than , with improvements the Rotabuggy achieved a flight speed of on 1 February 1944. The last test flight occurred in September 1944, where the unit flew for 10 minutes at an altitude of and a speed of , after being released by a Whitley bomber, and was described as "highly satisfactory". However, the introduction of gliders that could carry vehicles (such as the Waco Hadrian and
Museum of Army Flying exhibitUnrealaircraft.com
{{Hafner aircraft Autogyros Rotor kites 1940s British experimental aircraft Roadable aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1943
experimental aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts.
The term ''research aircraft'' or ''testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...
that was essentially a Willys MB
The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army Truck, -ton, 4×4, Command Reconnaissance, commonly known as the Willys Jeep, Jeep, or jeep, and sometimes referred to by its List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog ...
combined with a rotor kite, developed with the intention of producing a way of air-dropping off-road vehicles.
Design and development
It was designed byRaoul Hafner
Raoul Hafner, (1905–1980) FEng, FRAes, was an Austrian-born British helicopter pioneer and engineer. He made a distinctive contribution to the British aerospace industry, particularly in the development of helicopters.
Life
Born in 1905, he ...
of the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) after their development of the Rotachute enjoyed some success.
The prototype was built by the R. Malcolm & Co. Ltdlater ML Aviation (also producer of the Malcolm hood
An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. An aircraft canopy provides a controlled and sometimes pressurized environment for the aircraft's occupants, and allows for a greater field of view ove ...
) at White Waltham
White Waltham is a village and civil parish, west of Maidenhead, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is crossed briefly by the M4 motorway, which along with the Great Western Main Line and all other roads co ...
in 1942. Air Ministry specification 10/42 for a "Special Rotating Wing Glider" was used to identify the project.Meekcoms/Morgan 1994, p. 306
Initial testing showed that a Willys MB could be dropped from heights up to without damage to the vehicle. A diameter rotor was attached, along with a tail fairing and fins, but no rudders. Two men were required to pilot the aircraft: one to drive it as an automobile, and one to pilot it in the air using a control column. Initially it was named the "Blitz Buggy", but that was soon dropped for the "Rotabuggy".
The first trial was conducted on 16 November 1943, with the unit being towed behind a Diamond T lorry, but the lorry could not get enough speed to put the Rotabuggy in the air. A more powerful vehicle, a supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement.
The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
4.5-litre Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...
automobile, was used on 27 November to finally allow the machine to become airborne and in test could obtain glide speeds of 45 mph. Later tests were made towed behind an Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bomber.
Although initial tests showed that the Rotabuggy was prone to severe vibration at speeds greater than , with improvements the Rotabuggy achieved a flight speed of on 1 February 1944. The last test flight occurred in September 1944, where the unit flew for 10 minutes at an altitude of and a speed of , after being released by a Whitley bomber, and was described as "highly satisfactory". However, the introduction of gliders that could carry vehicles (such as the Waco Hadrian and Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century c ...
) made the Rotabuggy superfluous and further development was cancelled.
A replica of the Rotabuggy is displayed at the Museum of Army Flying in Middle Wallop. Hafner also came up with the idea of a similarly outfitted "Rotatank" using a Valentine tank, but that was never built.
Specifications
See also
* Baynes Bat *Flying tank
Tanks with glider wings were the subject of several unsuccessful experiments in the 20th century. It was intended that these could be towed behind, or carried under, an airplane, to glide into a battlefield, in support of infantry forces.
In war, ...
References
;Notes ;Sources ;Bibliography * * *External links
Museum of Army Flying exhibit
{{Hafner aircraft Autogyros Rotor kites 1940s British experimental aircraft Roadable aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1943