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Aerodyne
The Aerodyne on display at the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim[1]
Role VTOL Experimental aircraft
National origin West Germany
Manufacturer Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Designer Alexander Lippisch
First flight 18 September 1972
Retired 30 November 1972
Primary user Federal German Ministry of Defence
Number built 1

The Dornier Aerodyne[1] (also referred to as "Lippisch-Dornier Aerodyne"[2]) was a wingless VTOL unmanned aircraft. Conceived by Alexander Lippisch, it was developed and built by Dornier on behalf of the Federal German Ministry of Defence (BMVg). Lippisch was part of the team.[2] The first flight took place on 18 September 1972. The development ended on 30 November 1972 after successful hovering-flight testing with the aircraft. Experimentation did not continue due to lack of interest by the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces).[citation needed]

Description

The principle behind the Aerodyne is the combination of lift and thrust production in a single construction unit and flow channel, i.e. a ducted fan. Flaps at the end of the fan divert the outflowing air to produce lift, thrust, or a combination of both. As a result, the Aerodyne could be steered and flown in the entire range between hovering and full-forward flight.

For forward flight, the Aerodyne had a conventional tail unit at the rear, which allowed for pitch and yaw control. The equipment was unmanned and operated by remote control.

It was intended to be a land- or ship-supported drone (UAV) for aerial reconnaissance.

Specifications

References

  1. ^ a b Deutsches Museum: Aerodyne, retrieved 19 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b KRISTINA KIRKLIAUSKAITE, "Lippisch-Dornier Aerodyne: Wingless and tailless aircraft", Aerotime, retrieved 19 March 2021.

Bibliography

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