Flettner Fl 282A Kolibri ("Hummingbird") Drawings

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of 36 drawings, drawn by Stephen Willis from document research and measurements of the Flettner components at Midland Air Museum.

Biographical / Historical

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird") is a single-seat open cockpit intermeshing rotor helicopter produced by Anton Flettner of Germany. In 1940, the German Navy made a request for a naval helicopter, and the FL 282 deliveries began in 1942; by the next year, 20 prototypes were in service. The prototypes were build in different variants, one or two seater, closed or open cockpit, and other modifications. Based on the prototypes success, plans to manufacture 1000 helicopters were approved; however, because the Kolibri was a Navy aircraft, they had little claim on production facilities. The plans to manufacture them were finally aborted due to allied bombing of the Flettner factories. Only three Kolibri survived the war; the rest were destroyed to prevent capture. Today only a few components still exist, including parts of the Fl 282 V-10, which is located at Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England.