Focke-Achgelis FW-61
This HFI model is part of the world's largest public display of scale model helicopters. It was built to 1/72 scale.
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Aircraft Specifications
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First Flight: |
1936 |
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Main Rotor: |
23 ft. |
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Engine: |
1 x 160 shp Bramo SH 14A, 160 shp |
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Max Speed: |
62 mph |
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Height: |
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Length: |
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Gross Weight: |
2,101 lbs. |
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Empty Weight: |
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About the Aircraft: The FW61 was one of the most remarkable pioneer helicopters ever developed, and some consider it the world's first successful helicopter. Professor Heinrich Focke had built a monoplane in 1912 and he continued building various pioneer crafts such as the FW A-16, the A-32, the A-43, etc. In 1931, he established his own research laboratory including a small wind tunnel. Under his direction, with the company called Focke-Achgelis, he began experimenting with rotary wing aircraft. His 11-pound mock-up, equipped with a 0.7 hp engine, reached a height of 59 ft. After a series of transmission/rotor tests on June 26, 1936, the first free flight of the FW61 was successful. The aircraft's most famous pilot was Hanna Reitsch who, in 1937, flew the aircraft from Bremen to Berlin --a distance of 68 miles. In 1938, she gave a display of the helicopter's maneuverability, inside the Berlin Deutschland-Halle, to an audience whose members included Adolph Hitler.
Works Referenced