Doblhoff WNF 342

Doblhoff/WNF 342
Role	Tip jet research helicopter
National origin	Austria
Manufacturer	Wiener-Neustadter Flugzeugwerke
Designer	Frederich 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.

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 a combustion chamber at the rotor tips. As a research helicopter it was a simple design to allow modification.

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, 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.^{[Clarification needed]} After 25 flight hours it was captured by United States forces and on July 19, 1945, shipped to the US under Operation Lusty on the HMS Reaper (D82).[1]

Aircraft on display

• V4 is held by the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.

Specifications (V4)

Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

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 (1411 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × BMW-Bramo Sh.14A radial piston engine, 104 kW (140 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)

See also

• List of helicopters

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.