The Luftwaffe’s WW2 Helicopter

A Nazi Combat Helicopter

The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri “Hummingbird” is a single-seat intermeshing rotor helicopter that was an improved version of the Fl 265. It was the very first helicopter in history to be utilized in a military role by the German Kriegsmarine. It could run for up to 400 hours without major servicing. The modern design needed moderate maintenance as often as 25 hours. 

Although initially 1,000 units were ordered, the company’s Munich plant was destroyed by Allied bombing missions after just producing 24 machines. Towards the end of WWII, most of the surviving planes were stationed at Rangsdorf in their role as artillery spotters but slowly became victims to Soviet fighters and anti-aircraft fire.

It’s amazing to see how advanced the German aviation industry even during WWII!