Fl 282 V-23 Hummingbird (Kolibri)

Plastic kit for a model of a Flettner Fl 282 V-23 Hummingbird (Kolibri)

• 1:35 scale
• Photo-etched parts included
• Decals for 5 variants
• unbuilt, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird") is a single-seat open-cockpit helicopter with intermeshing rotors manufactured by Anton Flettner of Germany. The Fl 282 was undoubtedly Anton Flettner's most successful helicopter development. Prototype testing was completed in July 1940, when the helicopter entered service.

In 1942, the German Navy began testing the FI 282. The FI 282 handled well in good and bad weather, had stable flight characteristics in all conditions, while being quite maneuverable. Several tests included rough conditions at sea, including landings in harsh conditions, where the Kolibri proved to be a capable and reliable machine.

A total of twenty prototypes were tested in 1942. Due to the success of the prototypes, plans were approved to produce 1000 helicopters; however, these were never built in such numbers due to the Allied bombing of the Flettner and BMW factories.

By 1943, 24 Fl 282s had been built, 20 of which were used by the Kriegsmarine for convoy protection in the Mediterranean and Aegean. Unfortunately, little is known about the operational use of the machine during this period. It is also known that at least three Fl 282s (and also three Focke Achgelis Fa 223s) were available to Luft-Transportstaffel 40, which was stationed at Ainring in April 1945. It was possibly one of this unit's Fl 282s that Gauleiter Hanke flew from besieged Breslau shortly before the city was taken.

Only three FI 282s were discovered by the Allies in operational condition at the end of the war. All the others were lost in action or destroyed or dismantled to prevent capture of their technology. Of these three machines, Fl 282 V15 and V23 were taken to the USA, while a third FI 282 V16 was claimed by the USSR. Known surviving examples are the Fl 282 (c/n 28368) at the Cranfield Institute of Technology and the Fl 282 V23 at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The example captured by the USSR is on display in Moscow at the Aviation Institute (National Research University).

Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri characteristics:

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Length: 6.56 m (21 ft 6 in)
• Height: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
• Weight (empty): 760 kg (1,676 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
• Engine: 1 × Bramo Sh.14A 7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 119 kW (160 hp)
• Main rotor diameter: 2× 11.96 m (39 ft 3 in)
• Main rotor area: 224.69 m2 (2,418.5 sqft)

Performance:

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn) at sea level
• Range: 170 km (106 mi; 92 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 3,300 m (10,800 ft) / Hover altitude: 300 m (984 ft)
• Climb rate: 1.52 m/s (299 ft/min)
• Rotor loading: 8.84 kg/m2 (1.81 lb/sqft)