Folding portable helicopter - photos

The Soviet Kamov KA-56 folding helicopter. I don't believe it ever flew; these photos are of a full-scale mockup. Designed to be able to be launched out of a submarine's torpedo tube, and assembled in 15 minutes.

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/ka56_1.jpg

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/ka56_2.jpg

More: Kamov Ka-56 folding helicopter


Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...306#post135057
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...910#post133618
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...677#post132967

Looks like something Q would have come up with for James Bond.

Also that web link is malware infested, per our AV:

"High Risk Website Blocked
Location: Kamov Ka-56 folding helicopter
Access has been blocked as the threat Mal/HTMLGen-A has been found on this website.
Return to the page you were previously viewing.

Please click here to submit this site for reassessment by SophosLabs."

Then again Sophos flagged my dogs vet clinic as 'porn' so this may or may not be valid... :rofl:

Jalopnick has a explainer about it https://jalopnik.com/the-soviet-torp...copter-5602424

Apparently the 'almost worked' part is that they could never make an engine that could power it.

As Maxwell Smart used to say "Missed it by THIS much!"

"Designed to be able to be launched out of a submarine's torpedo tube, and assembled in 15 minutes"

Hummmmmm. So it shoots out of the torpedo tube and the proposed pilot climbs out the top of the submarine and quickly swims over to these parts contained in a 3 meter x 0.5 meter tube. While treading water with 1 hand the pilot quickly assembles the helicopter with his other hand in 15 minutes. HUUUMMMM?

Then.... the pilot quickly climbs up onto this helicopter which has no floats, manages to get the engine started and waits for the next wave so that he can take off?