The Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 was the US’s first successful and practical helicopter, which flew for the first time in 1939. But three years ago, a German helicopter, the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, already earned the title of the world’s first practical helicopter. And one of the people behind the development of this helicopter was Gerd Achgelis. Achgelis was born on July 16, 1908, in Golzwarden, Oldenburg. After training as an electrician, he became a stunt pilot in 1928. In 1930, he flew upside down for an hour over London. In 1931, he won the German aerobatic championship. Flying a Fw 44 Stieglitz, Gerd Achgelis finished third in the 1934 World Aerobatic Championships in Paris, while his fellow German, Gerhard Fieseler, took first place. He also placed fifth in the 1936 event in Berlin.
Starting in April 1932, Gerd Achgelis worked as a flying instructor at the Technikum Weimar. In 1933, he became the chief test pilot at Focke-Wulf in Bremen. On June 26, 1936, he flew the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 on its first flight, which became the first practical helicopter. Focke and Achgelis began designing the Fw 61 helicopter in 1932. They built a free-flying model in 1934, which used a small two-stroke engine. The German Air Ministry was very impressed with the Fw 61 helicopter. The ministry asked Focke to set up a new company dedicated to the development of helicopters and requested an improved design capable of carrying a 1,500-pound payload. To develop the new helicopter, Focke and Achgelis founded the Focke-Achgelis company on April 27, 1937. They began development work in Delmenhorst in 1938. Focke and Gerd Achgelis created a larger version of the Fw 61, called the Fa 226 Hornisse (Hornet). This version could carry six people. They worked with BMW’s Berlin factory to develop the engine, transmission, and rotor hub. The Fa 226 became the world’s first transport helicopter, and Lufthansa ordered it in 1938. In 1939, the Air Ministry took notice and renamed it Fa 223 before the first prototype flew. The Navy also showed interest in the Hornisse and briefly considered it as a replacement for its Schnellboote. After successful testing, the Focke-Achgelis factory at Delmenhorst began mass production of the Fa 223 in 1942, but an Allied air raid in June of that year destroyed the site, the last two prototypes, and the first seven almost complete machines. Allied bombing of the factory slowed down helicopter production, and only 20 were built.
In addition, Focke-Achgelis began work on a two-seat sports version of the Fw 61, designated the Fa 224. This version would have used an Argus AS 10C engine for better performance. However, the Fa 224 couldn’t be completed either as WWII began. In 1933, Hermann Göring asked Gerd Achgelis to become an instructor at the German Air Transport School. He wanted Achgelis to help establish and train an aerobatic team. Gerd Achgelis declined this offer. He also turned down Göring’s request to take the position of Luftwaffe Director-General of Equipment after Ernst Udet died in November 1941. Achgelis worked as a test pilot at an aircraft factory in Graudenz until the end of WWII. After the war, Achgelis returned to his family farm and, in 1952, started a business in Hude. He stayed involved in flying. In 1961, he helped found the Flugplatz Oldenburg-Hatten airfield in Hatten. In 1975, France honored him with the Légion d’honneur for his work in aviation. He also created the Kavalier der Lüfte trophy, awarded every November. Achgelis passed away at his home in Hude in 1991. As one of the pioneers of aeronautical engineering, Gerd Achgelis was not only a helicopter developer but also a skilled pilot, as evidenced by the number of races he participated in. Read more such articles HERE.
