Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache (Dragon)

Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 History of the Dragon

The military helicopter gained its wings over the Korean peninsula during the Korean War (1950-1953), but saw its greatest development through trials in the 1920s and 1930s. Focke-Wulf is a German company founded in 1936, best known for the contribution of its Fw 190 fighter to the Luftwaffe campaign of World War II (1939-1945), it began designing helicopters in the 1930s, which later became the practical Fw 61. This The helicopter completed its maiden flight on June 26, 1936, completing two prototypes. The Luftwaffe was interested in the concept of vertical flight for military use and commissioned Focke-Wulf to develop an improved form from this method.

For further work, Focke-Wulf co-founder Henrich Focke founded the company Focke-Achgelis, German pilot Gerd Acgelis.

From 1938, the pair developed a new type of helicopter, the original model becoming a six-person transport aircraft powered by BMW equipment, known as the Fa 226 "Hornisse" ("Hornet"). The aircraft was ordered by Lufthansa for commercial service and sparked interest in the German military to become the Fa 223 "Drasche" ("Dragon"). A series of prototypes were subsequently named "V", the first of which was completed in the fall of 1939, beginning a critical testing phase.

However, ongoing development problems ensured that the first flight was not recorded until August 1940. When tests reached a speed of 183 miles per hour and an altitude of 23,300 feet, the helicopter proved to be a promising design.

In its final form, the Fa 223 has an unconventional layout by today's helicopter standards. It uses a teardrop-shaped fuselage with heavy glass at the nose that tapers toward the stern. Three-wheeled undercarriage was installed - looking like modern quality - although the legs were attached under the front bulkhead of the aircraft. The rotor is fixed outboard along the tube assembly, and a single motor (fixed in the hull) drives the three-blade rotor assembly through the shaft.

The tail includes a vertical tail with an elevated horizontal plane on top. As with the previous Fw 61 design, BMW supplied the engine (BMW "Bramo" 323D) and gearbox for the helicopter.

Although the engine is built into the fuselage, space is reserved for the cargo hold, cockpit, fuel depot and equipment.

Development of the Fa 223 continued as Germany was fully involved in the war (now spanning multiple fronts). However, the plan suffered a setback when the V1 was lost in an accident in February 1941 and the V2 was destroyed in an Allied bombing. To advance the program, the V3 was chosen as a pre-production design to mimic what would become a production-quality "Fa 223E" with dual controls for the pilot and co-pilot. This control scheme is also well suited for basic machine training for future Air Force helicopter pilots. As a result, the brand has installed more mission equipment than its predecessor, but the proven qualities of the previous V aircraft have been carried over to the V3.

Serial production of the V3 began in 1942.

The German war machine was battered every month and programs like the Fa 223 were badly damaged as Allied airstrikes were poised to unfold. The Fa 223 factory in Delmenhorst was destroyed in a bombing raid in June 1942, forcing the production line to move to Laupheim in 1943. This also allowed development to continue, with progress revealing a lift system with buoyancy equivalent to today's mid-size tractors. In early 1944, two Fa 223 prototypes were successfully used to recover a downed Dornier aircraft on a mountainside - further enhancing the machine's overall vertical flight capabilities. As a result of this exercise, several helicopters were used for mountain combat training.

Another Allied bombing halted production of the Fa 223 in July 1944, delaying further work until the production line was resumed in Berlin, where it could be better protected from air raids.

1944 was a turning point in the Allied war, which brought the German war initiative of early 1945 into despair. During the Allied advance towards Berlin, measures were taken to prevent the aircraft from falling into enemy hands. During the German retreat, some examples were overhauled. At least two fell into the hands of the U.S. military and were extensively dissected.

By May 1945, the war in Europe was over and attention turned to the Pacific Theater and Imperial Japan. In September 1945, a Fa 223 (prototype V14) flew from Cherbourg, France to Beaulieu, England, marking the first helicopter crossing of the English Channel in aviation history.

If the broadcast lasts longer than allowed, the Fa 223 certainly has the potential to impress during the war. Both the Luftwaffe and the German Navy saw a multi-role platform and initially received several prominent variants: the Fa 223A would serve in an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role while carrying 2 x 550lb bombs or a pair of depth charges.

The Fa 223B was intended to be a reconnaissance aircraft with additional onboard fuel storage for increased range. The Fa 223C is designed to be a dedicated search and rescue (SAR) platform equipped with a winch system. The Fa 223D is designed as a dedicated cargo carrier for mountain services.

The Fa 223E is intended to represent the dual control trainer variant.

The most distinctive product of the entire Fa 223 product line was what became the Fa 223Z (Z = "Zwilling" or "Twin"), which combined two Fa 223 helicopters into a single quadrotor heavy duty system. The product was only partially completed by the end of the war, and its incomplete shells were advanced by the Allies at Ossenhausen in southern Germany.

The Fa 223 was used only with the Luftwaffe's Transportstaffel 40 during World War II.

The Fa 223 served briefly in France and Czechoslovakia after the war. The French Air Force operates an example called "SE-3000", assembled by Sud-Est. Czechoslovakia took two examples and called them "VR-1", assembled by CZL (Avia). It is understood that these systems operated until 1946.

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