The Bölkow Bo 103 was an ultralight experimental helicopter flown in West Germany in 1961. It was designed for reconnaissance and command-control purposes and constructed by Bölkow Entwicklungen KG as part of a research order by the German Federal Ministry of Defense.
| Bo 103 | |
|---|---|
 Bölkow Bo 103 prototype in flight | |
| General information | |
| Type | Experimental helicopter |
| National origin | West Germany |
| Manufacturer | Bölkow |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 14 September 1961[1] |
While the mechanics of the aircraft were based on the Bo 102 captive training rig, the Bo 103 was capable of fully independent flight. In configuration, it was absolutely minimalist - consisting of nothing more than a tubular frame to which the dynamic components and the pilots seat were attached, although a small fibreglass cabin was eventually attached. The aircraft retained the Bo 102's single-rotor of Glass-reinforced plastic, and proved that this was suitable for true flight. A single prototype was built, but work was stopped in 1962 due to lack of interest on the part of the West German armed forces.[2] The prototype is preserved at the Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg.
Specifications
editGeneral characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Height: 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in)
- Empty weight: 268 kg (591 lb)
- Gross weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Agusta GA.70 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 61 kW (82 hp)
- Main rotor diameter: 6.66 m (21 ft 10 in)
- Main rotor area: 34.8 m2 (375 sq ft) single bladed counter-balanced rotor
Performance
- Maximum speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
- Range: 100 km (62 mi, 54 nmi)
- Rate of climb: 5.7 m/s (1,120 ft/min)
See also
editRelated development
Related lists
References
edit- ^ First flight of the Boelkow #BO103 with test pilot: Werner Kurze, Twitter
- ^ "Bölkow Bo 103". History of Aviation. EADS N.V. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 192.
- Simpson, R. W. (1998). Airlife's Helicopters and Rotorcraft. Ramsbury: Airlife Publishing. p. 131.
- EADS website
External links
edit
- picture at Bückeburg helicopter museum.