German Luftwaffe Warplanes, 1939-1945: Flettner

German Luftwaffe Warplanes, 1939-1945: Flettner

Deutsche Flugzeuge: Flettner

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War that have been preserved.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Ziel dieser Website ist es, erhaltene Kampfflugzeuge aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zu lokalisieren, zu identifizieren und zu dokumentieren. Viele Mitwirkende haben bei der Suche nach diesen Flugzeugen mitgewirkt, um die Daten auf dieser Website.bereitzustellen und zu aktualisieren. Fotos gelten als gutgeschrieben. Alle hier gefundenen Fehler sind vom Autor und Ergänzungen, Korrekturen oder Ergänzungen zu dieser Liste der Überlebenden des Zweiten Weltkriegs sind sehr willkommen und können per E-Mail an den Autor unter hskaarup@rogers.com gesendet werden.

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Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri, reconnaissance helicopter.  (Luftwaffe Photos)

Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri, reconnaissance helicopter prototype with three vertical stabilizers.  (Luftwaffe Photo)

Flettner Fl 282V-23 Kolibri, reconnaissance helicopter, USA FE-4613, later T2-4613, tested in the USA.  This helicopter was damaged in an accident in April 1948.  (USAAF Photos)

Flettner Fl 282V-12 Kolibri, reconnaissance helicopter, USA FE-4614, later T2-4614, tested in the USA.  This helicopter was used for spare parts to service FE-4613.  (USAAF Photos)

One Flettner Fl 282 was captured at Rangsdorf, Germany by Soviet forces.  Two, which had been assigned to Transportstaffel 40 (TS/40), the Luftwaffe's only operational helicopter squadron at Mühldorf, Bavaria, were captured by U.S. forces.  One of these two, Fl 282 V-10, (Wk. Nr. 28368) has parts including a partial airframe with rotor head and wheels preserved in the Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England.  Flettner Fl 282 V-23, (Wk. Nr. 280023), CI+TW, USA FE-4613, later T2-4613, may be with the National Museum of the USAF, Dayton, Ohio.  Flettner Fl 282V-12, (Wk. Nr. 280008), CJ+SF, USAF FE-4614, later T2-4614 was also tested in the USA.  It was used as a source of spare parts for FE-4613, also reported as sold in 1955.

According to Roger Conner of the NASM Aeronautics Department, the rotor heads and transmission of the FL 282 V12 are currently with the Smithsonian.  The FL282 V23 was sent to Prewitt Aircraft for evaluation and has apparently disappeared.  It may have been stored in a barn but this is not confirmed.

According to Curator Brett Stolle of the NMUSAF, Flettner Fl-282, T2-4613,was acquired by the Museum on 12 August 1949.  After many years in storage this aircraft was placed on loan to Sampson AFB, New York on 23 June 1954.  When Sampson AFB closed in the summer of 1956, all items then on exhibit were returned to the Museum or disposed of in place.  The aircraft was not returned from Sampson AFB and information indicates it was de-accessioned on 29 May 1957.  Unfortunately, the method of disposal is not documented in existing records.  The aircraft was most likely scrapped at Sampson AFB as no public record of its current disposition has ever been located.

Flettner Fl 282 helicopter and Messerschmitt Me 163 FE-500 at Freeman Field, Indianna.  (USAAF Photo