The tests convinced them to continue to develop rotary-winged aircraft for shipboard use. Navy leaders hoped to use this aircraft to hunt for enemy submarines and protect convoys. By 1942, the German Navy was already testing Flettner's twin-rotor helicopter, the Fl 282. Thanks to Focke and fellow helicopter pioneer, Anton Flettner, Germany entered World War II as the leader in rotorcraft technology. It quickly shattered all records for helicopter speed, altitude, distance, and endurance. Long Description Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 A-1 Bachstelze (Water Wagtail) Henrich Focke startled the aviation world when he flew his Focke-Wulf Fw 61 helicopter in 1937. The Fa 330 was simple to fly, and an ingenious parachute system allowed the pilot to escape from the aircraft at relatively low altitudes. The pilot communicated his observations by a telephone line that ran along the tow cable. When not in use, the aircraft remained stowed in two watertight tubes in the U-Boat's conning tower. A crew of four could assemble and disassemble the Fa 330 in three minutes. Only U-Boats operating in the Indian Ocean deployed them, because Allied naval superiority in the Atlantic Ocean made surfacing in the daylight extremely hazardous. U-Boat commanders disliked the Fa 330, because it gave away the location of the submarine, both visually and on radar. Towed aloft by Type IX D2 U-Boats to a maximum altitude of 220 meters, the pilot had a possible sighting distance of 53 kilometers. Summary This rotary-wing kite allowed German submarines to locate targets in heavy seas. Object Details Physical Description Single-seat gyroglider with skid gear and 3-bladed rotor breaks down for storage aboard U-boat overall pale blue stuffed, black leather seat cushion, olive drab canvas seat back.
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