Flettner Fl 184

Fl 184
Image from Anton Flettner's autogyro patent, "Aircrfaft", US Patent 2030578, 2 October 1933
General information
Type	Autogyro
Manufacturer	Flettner
Designer	Anton Flettner
Number built	1
History
First flight	1930s

The Flettner 184 was a German night reconnaissance and anti-submarine autogyro developed during the 1930s.

Design

The Fl 184 was a two-seat autogyro with an enclosed cabin. The Fl 184 rotors had a length of 12 m and a cyclic pitch control system. The aircraft's power was supplied by a 160 PS (160 hp; 120 kW) Siemens-Halske Sh 14A radial engine that drove a two-bladed wooden propeller.

Operational history

The sole Fl 184, given the registration D-EDVE, was scheduled to be tested for night reconnaissance in late 1936. However, before these tests could take place, it caught fire whilst in flight and crashed.^{[ citation needed ]}

After the crash the entire program was cancelled and no more aircraft were manufactured.^{[ citation needed ]}

Specifications

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 14A 7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
• Main rotor diameter: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Main rotor area: 113.1 m² (1,217 sq ft) 3-bladed autorotating
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch tractor propeller

Performance

References

1. Nowarra, Heinz J. (1993). Die Deutsche Luftruestung 1933-1945 Vol.2 - Flugzeugtypen Erla-Heinkel (in German). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. pp. 37, 262–263. ISBN   3-7637-5464-4.

Further reading

• Lienhard, Bruce H. Charnov ; foreword by John (2003). From autogiro to gyroplane : the amazing survival of an aviation technology. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. ISBN   978-1567205039.