| Doblhoff/WNF 342 | |
|---|---|
| Doblhoff WNF 342 V4 model in the Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg (Helicopter Museum Bückeburg) | |
| Role | Tip jet research helicopter |
| National origin | Austria |
| Manufacturer | Wiener-Neustädter Flugzeugwerke |
| Designer | Friedrich von Doblhoff |
| First flight | 1943 |
| Number built | 3 |
The Doblhoff/WNF 342 was the first helicopter to take off and land using tip jets to drive the rotor.
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]
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.
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).[1]
Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft[3]
General characteristics
Performance
