Jose Pena of PRE-Flight reports they have released another free add-on model for their RC sim, the Focke-Wulf Triebflügel. “………  The Focke-Wulf Triebflugel’s tailsitter design coupled with the ramjet-powered rotor made it one of the most unique aircraft ever concieved. It had only reached wind-tunnel testing when the allied forces put an end to its development – no flying prototype was ever built…..”.

“……… Conceived in the final months of World War II, it was thought to have been a solution to the increasing bombing raids by the allies, as well as a response to the lack of flying fields for normal aircraft operation.

The Triebflugel’s main propulsion consisted of a single, large-diameter, 3-bladed rotor powered by ramjets positioned at the tip of the blades. Take-off is similar to a helicopter then the craft is nosed over to a normal attitude with the blades providing forward thrust as well as lift.

The theoretical specs are impressive: 3 wingtip ramjets giving it a speed up to Mach 0.9 or about 1000kph; 2 X 30mm cannon and 2 X 20mm cannon on the nose.

Designed primarily as a bomber interceptor, it would take only a few minutes to reach a high enough altitude to engage its target. Little thought seems to have been put into the landing of such an aircraft – with the pilot not seeing much of the landing wheels behind him.

This PRE-Flight model of the Triebflugel has an operating rotor, animated flames at the ramjet exhausts and even “3D” sound coming from the rotating engines. Flying the model is similar to flying a helicopter, up to the point where enough forward speed enables the model to fly more like a conventional aircraft. As in the real thing, landing is exceptionally challenging.

To download this and other models and to download the PRE-Flight demo, visit PRE-Flight RC Flight Simulator web site…..”.

Jose Pena
PRE-Flight RC Simulator