Focke-Wulf Fw Triebflugel

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The Focke-Wulf Triebflügel was another in the line of German concept craft produced late, in this case 1944, during the Second World War. It was a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) design so that it could be used to defend key places like factories or areas with no or only small airstrips against the ever increasing Allied bombing raids on central Germany.

The design is particularly unusual. It did not have wings but a rotor/propellor assembly in the middle of the craft (roughly halfway between cockpit and tailplane) rotating around the fuselage. When the plane was sitting on its tail in the vertical position they are similar to a helicopters rotor when flying horizontally they would function more like a giant propellor. There was no reaction torque because of the way the rotating wings were driven. At the end of each was a ramjet. To start the wings moving up simple rockets were used. As the speed increased the flow of air would be sufficient for the ramjets to work and the rockets would be switched off. The pitch of the blades could be varied with the effect of changing the speed and the lift produced.

When taking off the rotors would be angled to give lift as with a helicopter or more accurately a gyrodyne. Once the plane had attained sufficient altitude it could be angled into level flight but to land the craft had to slow its speed and pitch the wings until the craft was vertical. Power could then be reduced and it would descend until the landing gear rested on the ground. This would have been a tricky and possible dangerous manouver given that the rotor would obscure rear vision.

Unlike some other tail-sitting craft, the pilot's seat was fixed in the direction for forward flight and thus, take off and landing would have been done lying on their back.

The Triebflugel had only reached wind-tunnel testing when the allied forces reached the production facilities.

This design was unique among 20th century VTOL craft, and other German concept craft.

The French engine company SNECMA did produce a turbojet powered aircraft the Coleoptere VTOL craft but it made it no further than tethered testing.

[edit] Popular Culture

Triebflugel is included in Playstation 2 game Warship Gunner 2 as an aircraft. It's type is VTOL Interceptor , designed to attack enemy aircraft and it's armed with 57 mm Machinegun and 20 mm Revolving Gun. It's speed is 800 km/h.