Fly 1/32 Rotachute.

[Head in the clouds.]

The Hafner Rotachute was designed by Austrian Raoul Hafner who moved to the UK in the early 30's to carry out his research into flying machines, generally rotacraft. The idea of the Rotachute was to deliver a single soldier into battle with a weapon as at the time silk for parachutes was in poor supply.

 

The Mk1 started fly trials in 1942 on the back of a lorry, this is the version I have chosen although pictures of this version seem a little scarce. However, these trials showed that the short, stubby tail was inadequate resulting in the MK1 crashing. The design went through several iterations and was found to be practicable but the requirement faded away. Flights were carried out by being towed behind a Tiger Moth on a 300ft line followed by a controlled landing.

 

This was not the end though, further flights were made to assist and gather data for the next project, the Rotabuggy, basically a Jeep with a tail towed in a similar way. And yes, it did fly.....in the end, the firsts flights not being good for the test pilot.

 

Raoul Haffner had plans to go even bigger with the Rotatank, with a similar tail unit to the Rotabubby but bigger. To the best of my knowledge

this remained a paper project, probably for the best!

 

Even at 1/32 this is a small kit of few parts although you do get a resin Bren Gun and some PE, although all of it was not used on the MK1.

Assembly is fiddly and needs a little forethought to make assembly straightforward. If I get around to it I may add a soldier come pilot at a later date.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SAT69]

I like it! Well built, painted and presented and it's definitely different.

[Spitfire31]

That's a bit out of the regular run! Fascinating subject and background story, and excellent modelling!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Head in the clouds.]

Thank you.

[Dave Swindell]

2 hours ago, Head in the clouds. said:

Even at 1/32 this is a small kit

Luvverly Job!

I've got two versions in 1:72, they're tiny!

[Head in the clouds.]

11 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

I've got two versions in 1:72, they're tiny!

Blimey, I hope you have a good set of head magnifiers...😃

[swralph]

Nice one.😀

[Aeronut]

I've been a long time volunteer at the Army Flying museum and have researched the Hafner rotaplanes on display there including Hafner's personal papers in the archive. As a result I can 'bore for England' about Hafner and his designs.

Firstly that's a nicely built model. However, the setting would be impossible. The early Rotachute had no (other than a weighted and hinged keel beam) solid structure behind the pilot, it was merely a bag of balloon fabric that filled with air and so supporting the tail with a trestle would have been impossible (but acceptable using modeller's licence).

Being an Austrian Hafner was interned at the start of WW2 despite working with Shorts on two helicopter designs for the Royal Navy. He had many British friends (including Lord Brabazon) working for his release and British citizenship. When he was released in October 40 he went straight to RAF Ringway forming the rotary section of the Central Landing Establishment. Hafner's MI5 file for this time contains a letter I find hilarious, its from the senior policeman holding Hafner's passport, addressed to the Home Office complaining about the lack of access he has to an Enemy Alien under his control, as he (the policeman) doesn't have the necessary security clearance to enter the RAF base. 

The Rotachute is an important step in aviation as it was evaluated and developed by Igor Bensen and as such has a bigger claim to being the forerunner of modern gyro planes than any of the Cierva designs.

 

[FatFlyHalf]

Now that is different.  And interesting.

I wonder if the poor bloody paratrooper who would have got launched in such a device would have had extra wings added to his paratroopers brevet ?  He would have deserved them.

FFH

[Col Walter E Kurtz]

3 minutes ago, Aeronut said:

I've been a long time volunteer at the Army Flying museum and have researched the Hafner rotaplanes on display there including Hafner's personal papers in the archive. As a result I can 'bore for England' about Hafner and his designs.

Firstly that's a nicely built model. However, the setting would be impossible. The early Rotachute had no (other than a weighted and hinged keel beam) solid structure behind the pilot, it was merely a bag of balloon fabric that filled with air and so supporting the tail with a trestle would have been impossible (but acceptable using modeller's licence).

Being an Austrian Hafner was interned at the start of WW2 despite working with Shorts on two helicopter designs for the Royal Navy. He had many British friends (including Lord Brabazon) working for his release and British citizenship. When he was released in October 40 he went straight to RAF Ringway forming the rotary section of the Central Landing Establishment. Hafner's MI5 file for this time contains a letter I find hilarious, its from the senior policeman holding Hafner's passport, addressed to the Home Office complaining about the lack of access he has to an Enemy Alien under his control, as he (the policeman) doesn't have the necessary security clearance to enter the RAF base. 

The Rotachute is an important step in aviation as it was evaluated and developed by Igor Bensen and as such has a bigger claim to being the forerunner of modern gyro planes than any of the Cierva designs.

 

Juliet Stephenson wrote an excellent book on WW2  with a complete chapter on Enemy Aliens and Internment. It has numerous references to similar stories of bungled ill thought out policy as to who should be interned. A friend of mine his father was of Italian decent. Born in Amalfi and was held in Brixton Prison for 6 months aged 18. Upon release he joined the RAF and became a Lancaster rigger. An even better opportunity to be a '5th columnist' and wreak havoc by sabotage-  clearly !  Think Churchill issued a memo where he said.."Collar The Lot - W"

Lord Brabazon's wife if i recall correctly was a Black Shirt ( Her nickname amongst her society friends was 'Ba Ba Blackshirt' )and had a long time affair with Sir Oswald Moseley. Just goes to show what kind of a ill thought out policy internment was. 

[Col Walter E Kurtz]

5 minutes ago, FatFlyHalf said:

Now that is different.  And interesting.

I wonder if the poor bloody paratrooper who would have got launched in such a device would have had extra wings added to his paratroopers brevet ?  He would have deserved them.

FFH

 I think more likely given medals..Two crosses  - A military cross MC  and the one they put over you when your dead. 

Looks to be what Lyn Faulds Woods from Which? magazine  would have called "A potential death trap! " 🤣

[Head in the clouds.]

2 hours ago, Aeronut said:

Firstly that's a nicely built model. However, the setting would be impossible. The early Rotachute had no (other than a weighted and hinged keel beam) solid structure behind the pilot, it was merely a bag of balloon fabric that filled with air and so supporting the tail with a trestle would have been impossible (but acceptable using modeller's licence).

Thanks aeronut, some very interesting facts there, my knowledge of the kit I have made has doubled. 👍

 

And thanks to you all for your comments.