BMW Fluegelrad III Saucer

[Vigilante]

I don't know how far this project got but, being fascinated with concept, I made and skinned a 3D model of it.

[adlabs6]

Wow, great model. Going to explore the corona?

I must say that the technical drawing is not being very up front about exactly how that nose gear is supposed to work.

[Vigilante]

LOL No, it really isn't too plain so I took some liberties - I think that the gear is supposed to be two front, two rear, rather than tricycle. The saucer body was apparently a rotor and takeoff-landing was VSTOL.

[adlabs6]

That's what it looks like it implies. Judging the cross section of the rotor, I'd guess the entire disc spins, forming similar to a turbo fan on a modern airliner engine. Variable pitch on the blades would allow them to close to a solid disc.

Thust vectoring too. In case you hadn't seen it, I found an entry at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Flugelrad

On the render, when I first saw it I thought it didn't show the model well enough. But seeing it again, the angle has a cool, stealthy, almost sinister form in that render. I like it.

[Vigilante]

Thanks Ads - that was the effect I was going for, more playing with lighting that displaying the model. Here's a rough 3-view I made while building it that shows off its lines better:

[1.JaVA_Platypus]

I Really wonder if this thing would work. Shouldn't you counter the torque from the big flying wheel?

[Vigilante]

I don't know. A diagram that (I think) was provided with a limited-run 1:144 scale model of the beast shows a strange, louver-like arrangement on the disk at about 250 degrees. Maybe this was a counter-torque mechanism?



I don't know what to think about the actual existence of a Nazi UFO project. I suspect that most of it is hooey, pure fantasy disseminated for consumption by whack-o's and paranoid conspiracy theorists. I'm only slightly whacko and I don't ascribe to conspiracy theories; I just made the model to illustrate a comic book plot I've been working on!

[adlabs6]

That Wiki link says the III saucer was to have 32 blade segments (same number as the louvers in the drawing), so perhaps those louvers are the actual blades? If they were variable pitch, they might be able to close up to form a solid flat disc like the drawing show.

In flight it appears to behave like an autogyro... unless I'm wrong. Lower engine exhaust ducts across the rotor to make it windmill and give a lifting cusion.

[1.JaVA_Platypus]

It is a nice project for you Vig. It has the same feel as the spaceship you modelled

[Vigilante]

Thanks, Platypus! I really enjoy 1950's comic-book style science fiction.