Dornier Do P.406 Flying-Crane Helicopter Project

[hesham]

Hi,

the Dornier created many flying crane projects,the P.406
was one of them,it was large hot-cycle tip-driven flying-
crane helicopter,unfortunately no more info.

 

[Triton]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

Well this is the best stab I can make at translating the original German using Yahoo! Babel Fish and Google Translate. Perhaps German speaking members could come up with a better translation.

Dornier Do P.406


Program
The Dornier Do P.406 was a draft rotary crane capable of lifting external loads up to 40 tonnes in response to requirements by the West German Ministry of Defense (MoD) in the early 1960s. Dornier abandoned the project when the MoD decided instead to purchase twenty similarly capable Sikorksy S-64 rotary cranes in kits that would be assembled by a group led by VFW-Fokker.

Description
In appearance, the Do P.406 resembled other rotary cranes such as the Sikorsky S-64. The four long landing gear legs were covered with stabilizing surfaces, which served to stabilize the rotary crane at high speeds. The rotor design followed the already proven hot-cycle tip jet established by the Dornier Do 32. The advantage being that no tail rotor or rotor moving in the opposite direction is necessary, since this propulsion system does not produce counter torque. There are no shafts, gears, couplings, or freewheel required. The lower weight of the drive system resulted in a very favorable additional load relationship. The drive system would consist of three turbines, each with 18,000 HP, whose thrust gases were channeled by the thermally insulated hollow rotor mast, over the rotor head and down the thermally insulated rotor blades to the thrust nozzles at the blade tips, so they could be converted without major losses at the blade tip jets in thrust. Another smaller rear fan was intended for stabilization yaw control in hovering flight. Altogether the helicopter would have had a maximum take-off weight of over 80 tonnes dead weight and payload. Between the landing gear legs standard containers could be attached or a cable could be used to hang external loads.

Parameter data
Rotor diameter: 41.7 m, 3 rotor blades
Drive: 3 x turbines with 18 000 hp
Payload: 40,000 kg
Start weight over 80 tonnes

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Projekt_Do_P_406

 

[hesham]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

Hi,


here is a real drawing to Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter
project,I have the same drawing to it from anther reliable source,
so I can judge on this site and say; it has about 70 % real aircraft
and projects,also with some misprint and mistakes.

http://kulturserver-nds.de/home/hubtest/medien/Typenkartei3953xGUN7x9T3Z7.pdf

 

[Stingray]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

Bearing very close similarity with the Bolkow Bo-70, aside from the front landing gear arrangement.

 

[hesham]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

Yes my dear Stingray,


but different in landing gear and it was larger than Bo-70.

 

[Jemiba]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

I can confirm, that it actually IS the Do P.406. boxkite, vstol and me found this drawing in the
Dornier archives, too, back in 2005.

 

[Barrington Bond]

Re: Dornier Do P.406 flying-crane helicopter

 

[hesham]

Nice find Barrington.