DOBLHOFF WNF 342 GERMAN WW II HELICOPTER

The Doblhoff WNF 342 was a prototype German light helicopter from the Second World War. The flight of the first prototype took place in 1943. In the WNF 342 V4, the drive was provided by a single BMW-Bramo Sh.14A engine with 140 HP. The main rotor diameter was 10 meters, and the curb weight was up to 430 kilograms. The maximum speed was around 50 km / h. Doblhoff WNF 342 was developed at the Wiener-Neustädter Flugzeugwerke aviation plant by Friderich von Doblhoff for the needs of the German Kriegsmarine, which aimed to obtain an observation helicopter as cheap as possible, capable of operating from the decks of small surface ships and U-boats. Finally, a helicopter with a highly unusual design was created, with a main rotor and a single push propeller, and a tail fin located on a double tail beam. It is worth noting that a total of three examples of this atypical aircraft were made, designated as WNF 342: V1 / V2, V3 and V4. They differed from each other, for example, in the used drive unit or the diameter of the main rotor. However, the machine did not enter serial production.