Focke-Wulf "Rochen"
Focke-Wulf "Rochen"
(1939)
Above. Illustration of Focke Wulf "Rochen".
Towards the last years of the Third Reich,
Heinrich Focke started design work on the Rochen, also known as
Schnellflugzeug, as soon as he had the relevant data for the new German jet engines .
In 1939, he patented the
idea of a circular aircraft with a large
airfoil section and an open center that acted as a huge propeller duct
for twin
contra-rotating propellers, driven by a projected Focke-Wulf
designed turbopjet engine via an axle and gearbox.
The Fw-Rochen would have achieved forward flight by vectoring the downwash from the propellers rearward
through a series of louvers
below them. The louvers themselves could also be completely closed for
gliding flight
in the event of engine failure. The exhaust nozzle forked
in two at the end of the turbojet engine and ended in two
auxiliary
combustion chambers located on the trailing edges of the circular wing.
When fuel was added, the
auxiliary combustion chambers acted as
primitive afterburners, providing horizontal flight. Control at low
speed
was achieved by varying the power to each auxiliary chamber
through two small nozzles.
The landing gear was very simple,
consisting of the two main gear legs on either side of the central
propellers and
a small tailwheel.
Towards the last years of the Third Reich,
Heinrich Focke started design work on the Rochen, also known as
Schnellflugzeug, as soon as he had the relevant data for the new German jet engines .
In 1939, he patented the
idea of a circular aircraft with a large airfoil section and an open center that acted as a huge propeller duct for twin
contra-rotating propellers, driven by a projected Focke-Wulf designed turbopjet engine via an axle and gearbox.
The Fw-Rochen would have achieved forward flight by vectoring the downwash from the propellers rearward
through a series of louvers
below them. The louvers themselves could also be completely closed for
gliding flight
in the event of engine failure. The exhaust nozzle forked in two at the end of the turbojet engine and ended in two
auxiliary combustion chambers located on the trailing edges of the circular wing. When fuel was added, the
auxiliary combustion chambers acted as
primitive afterburners, providing horizontal flight. Control at low
speed
was achieved by varying the power to each auxiliary chamber through two small nozzles.
a small tailwheel.
.
.
