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Hanna Reitsch & The Focke-Achgelis Fa-61
Hanna Reitsch was Nazi Germany's most famous aviatrix, by 1945 her flying experience encompassed a wide variety of aircraft - from gliders to piloted versions of the V-1 Flying Bomb. In addition to the V-1 (which used a pulse jet), Reitsch tested a bomber rigged to fly into (& sever) the steel cables of barrage balloons. Although Hanna showed that a skillful pilot could cut tethering cables with the huge cutting attachment which was fixed to the front of the aircraft, it proved to be a fuel-consuming deadweight which seriously degraded stability and range when tried over the British Isles. She also helped to improve the Me.163 rocket fighter (which she glide-tested). Reitsch was the only woman ever to be awarded the Iron Cross and Luftwaffe Diamond Clasp.
In 1945, she flew the last plane out of Berlin just hours before the fall of the city. Hitler had requested the presence of her lover General Robert Ritter von Greim, so not making the attempt was out of the question. Few could imagine anyone surviving the journey, until it was realised that Hanna Reitsch would be ferrying von Greim. One pilot commented, "If anyone could sneak a plane into Berlin, she was the lady." Reitsch and von Greim arrived on April 27th. While in the bunker, Hanna hoped to fly the children of propaganda minister Goebbels out of Berlin to safety. Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to rescue them.
Before the War, in 1937, Ernst Udet appointed her as a test pilot for the Luftwaffe experimental center at Rechlin. Post war historians were later to suggest that this was not an official post, but a private gesture made by Udet - the legendary World War One, movie, racing and stunt pilot who was persuaded to contribute his expertise to the developing Luftwaffe.
This interpretation is endorsed by the fact that she was apparently only allowed to make flights under the direction of Karl Franke, the chief test pilot at Rechlin. Her familiarity with different aircraft types did not then justify her appointment. Her background was mostly in sailplanes and light aircraft - in 1932, while still studying medicine, Reitsch became one of the first people to cross the Alps in a glider.
As a favourite of Hitler and a propaganda gift to a regime which did not tend to laud the abilities and exploits of women, Hanna seems to have enjoyed being a celebrity - but it cannot be denied that she worked hard and deserved her place in the spotlight; in 1937 she extensively test flew the Junkers Ju-87 'Stuka' and the Dornier Do-17.
The 'Stuka', a purpose designed dive-bomber, earned itself a dreaded reputation in the early stages of World War II. The Do-17 was dubbed the 'Flying Pencil' because of its narrow fuselage - originally designed as a fast mail plane but shelved when its shape precluded large amounts of cargo and offered only limited passenger seating, the Luftwaffe saw its potential and (as with many other bombers and fighters in its inventory) even tried to turn it into a dive-bomber - ultimately with little success. Surviving records show that Hanna took both these types through many dive brake trials.
Also in 1937, she visited the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen to see the Focke-Achgelis Fa-61 being put through its paces. This machine was arguably the world's first practical helicopter. A personal project of Professor Focke, the FA-61 was not merely an autogyro - it was capable of true and sustained hovering and could take off and land vertically. Based on the Fw-44 fuselage, the aircraft was fitted with a 160hp (119W) Siemans-Halske Sh 14A tractor engine driving, via a series of gears, two large rotors mounted on outriggers.
Karl Franke flew the Fa-61 first and then Hanna was invited to fly it. Franke did not adjust immediately to the new demands of the aircraft; it's said that he experienced difficulties in keeping the helicopter steady. However, Hanna took to the task instinctively, got the hang of the rotorcraft almost at once and was soon flying it fluently. Professor Focke and his staff were impressed by her ability; she was encouraged to make several more flights and established initial records for helicopters including altitude, speed, endurance and range.
The Nazi state was eager to demonstrate the world-beating nature of its new technology. At the Berlin Motor Show, held in the vast Berlin Deutschlandhalle during February 1938, Hanna Reitsch flew the helicopter nightly for three weeks inside the arena.
She performed a variety of set-pieces - normal take-off and hover, sideways flying, ascending to the ceiling and slowly descending. Holding the helicopter in a hover and slowly rotating through 360 degrees, she concluded her demonstrations with a Nazi salute from the cockpit. It was an impressive performance - though modern safety regulations would certainly allow nothing like it to happen these days. The World's press reported enthusiastically and there were no accidents to spoil the Reich's daring (and dangerous) publicity stunt.
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