| Focke-Achgelis Fa 269 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| model shown | |
| Role | VTOL aircraft project |
| Manufacturer | Focke-Achgelis |
| Designer | Heinrich Focke |
| First flight | none |
| Primary user | none |
| Number built | 0 |
The Focke-Achgelis Fa 269 was a tiltrotor VTOL aircraft project designed by Heinrich Focke.
Background[]
Conceived as a single-seat fighter, the Fa 269 project resulted from a design study order issued by the Reich Air Ministry to Focke-Achgelis in 1941. The order called for a local defense fighter which would combine the VTOL capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and economy of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.
A large amount of wind tunnel testing was undertaken, along with work on gearboxes, drives and power-pivoting mechanisms, and a full-scale mock-up of the aircraft was built to demonstrate the VTOL concept, but much of this was destroyed by Allied bombing raids and all work was shelved in 1944 when Focke-Achgelis estimated that there was little likelihood of a practical prototype being available before 1947.
Description[]
A mid-wing monoplane, the Fa 269 was to have been powered by a single BMW 801 air-cooled radial engine buried in the fuselage behind the cockpit, which was to have driven transverse drive shafts in the leading edges of the fixed wing, the shafts turning three-bladed rotors via synchronised gearboxes. The plane of rotation of the rotors would have been capable of being swivelled through 80° using angled extension shafts.
It was proposed that the Fa 269 would adopt a high angle of attack when at rest using extremely long undercarriage units. For vertical take-off, the rotors would be lowered till their plane of rotation was parallel with the ground. For translation to conventional flight following take-off, the extension shafts were to pivot to the rear, the rotors then behaving as pusher propellers.
Specifications (Fa 269)[]
Data from Air International, January 1975
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 8.93 m ( ft in)
- Wingspan: 10 m ( ft in)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 570 km/h (354 mph)
Armament
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Focke-Achgelis Fa 269. |
- Springmann, Enno; Gottfried Hilscher (1997). Focke: Flugzeuge und Hubschrauber von Heinrich Focke 1912-1961. Aviatic-Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-925505-36-9.
- Nowarra, Heinz (1985-1988). Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945. Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5464-4.
The original article can be found at Focke-Achgelis Fa 269 and the edit history here.