Focke-Achgelis Fa 225 rotary wing glider - photo

[Altair]

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 225 was an experimental rotary wing assault glider developed by Nazi Germany during WWII.




Previously:

SNCASE SE. 100 fighter - photo
He 111Z Zwilling - photos
Kyushu J7W1 Shinden - photos
1942 wooden P-51 Mustang airplane wheels - photo

[bruce.desertrat]

Looks like an unpowered autogyro. That actually makes some kind of sense as it would be more maneuverable than a conventional glider; they can make almost vertical landings.

I am kind of puzzled why autogyros aren't still in more widespread use they have excellent STOL performance, are virtually unstallable, and perform 70% of the stuff a helicopter can do while being vastly simpler to build and fly.