The Focke-Achgelis Fa 330
This single-seat autogyro was a simple solution to a simple problem: U-Boats tend to sit low in the water, meaning the lookouts on the conning tower can only see a few miles out. But a lookout sitting in the Fa-330, being pulled along by the submarine and gliding at an altitude of 120 meters, could have a line of sight extending up to 25 miles!
Design and Functionality
The Fa-330 was not powered by any engine: It was a rotor kite. The airflow created by a moving submarine was enough to spin the blades and thus create lift!
In fair weather, assembling and disassembling the kit was an easy operation only taking a few minutes. In bad weather, it was an absolute nightmare.
Operational Use
As such, the Fa-330 was only used in the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf of Aden.
– RBM.
