MiniArt 41003 Flettner FI 282 Kolibri

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri was a German WW2 fixed landing gear helicopter with two intermeshing rotors and no propeller on the tail boom. The drive was provided by a single Bramo Sh14A radial engine with 160 HP. The flight of the prototype took place in 1941, and serial production continued in 1941-1943. In total, about 20-25 helicopters of this type were built. The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament.

The Flettner Fl 282 was the first mass-produced helicopter in the history of aviation and the first helicopter in history used in combat operations. The Fl 282 was commissioned by the Kriegsmarine, which needed a light machine for reconnaissance and patrol flights, but the Wehrmacht also quickly expressed interest in the helicopter. In the course of serial production, two main development versions were created: Fl 282 A-1 (single-seat sea reconnaissance helicopter), Fl 282 (two-seat land liaison and reconnaissance helicopter). It was also planned to create a version of the Fl 282 A-2, which had an opera from submarines. The Flettner Fl 282 entered service in 1942 - in Kriegsmarine it served primarily in the basins of the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, while in the land forces it fought mainly on the Eastern Front, for example, a few examples took part in the Berlin operation in April-May 1945. In 1945, single copies of Flettner Fl 282 were intercepted by the Americans and the Russians.