Foche-Achgelis FA 223 and FA330

Foche-Achgelis FA 223 and FA330

Photo 1 is a side view of a twin engined helicopter.
Photo 2 is a gyro that was launched from a u-boat. The view is from slightly above looking down on the aircraft and pilot.

Two b/w photographs on an album page

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PThomasAF20070005

[Photograph]

Focke-Achgelis FA 223.
The Focke Achgelis company was one of two firms which were concerned with Helicopter development during the war. The Fa 223 was first flown in 1940 & was a development of the Fw 61. It had two large non-overlapping rotors driven through reduction gearing by a Bramo BMW 323 engine.

[Photograph]

Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 Bachstelze (Water Wagtail).
The location of targets from the low conning tower of submarines in the days before Radar was always a problem, & several countries tried to create a spotter plane that could be dismantled for stowage in small hangars on a submarine deck. Early in 1942 Germany developed a small gyro kite which could be towed aloft by the parent U-boat. Focke Achgelis came up with the Fa 330 which was towed at the end of a 494’ cable, giving the pilot an operating height of 394’, that provided visual radius of 25 miles compared with 5 miles from a conning tower. The big snag being that in the event of a crash dive the Fa 330 had to be cast adrift with the loss of the pilot, hence it was little used although 200 were produced.