the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
so this is a bad thing?.......................
Hafner Rotabuggy - Flying Jeep
- Thread starter horseUSA
- Start date
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Dear Horse,
I found your post searching the net for Hafner Jeep.
I found the information on the History Channel show very interesting. Was the flying jeep section long and did it include actual images? I will try to buy the tape from HC.
Besides the two links you provided would you by chance have any other source of information. I would like to transform a jeep into to rotobuggy and would welcome any information.
Thks in advance for you help
J Stevens
I found your post searching the net for Hafner Jeep.
I found the information on the History Channel show very interesting. Was the flying jeep section long and did it include actual images? I will try to buy the tape from HC.
Besides the two links you provided would you by chance have any other source of information. I would like to transform a jeep into to rotobuggy and would welcome any information.
Thks in advance for you help
J Stevens
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
do you mean a model??
No, not a model, I would like to transform one of my jeeps to look like the rotobuggy. It's for an antique car show in Paris. Obviously, I don't plan to fly it; not after reading the story about the pilot remaining montionless on the floor for half an hour after fighting with the jeep's controls for his life. Although the experience must be quite unique.
Last year, I made a copy of Half-Safe, the amphibian jeep that sailed around the world. I was looking for something fun and unusual for this year's car show, I tought about the rotobuggy.
By the way, did you know the military in 1942 thought about an amphibian jeep version of the rotobuggy (with fixed wings actually). Blue prints were developed, with a plan to tract 10 flying GPA behind a Dakota !!! The project was cancelled after Horsa gliders were made available. Can you imagine flying in a flock of 10 amphibious jeeps, those guys were crazy. The project even mentionned the need to carry oxygen in the GPAs. This is not a joke, I will send you the research document with references of all firms and army committees involved.
Cordially
Jerome
Last year, I made a copy of Half-Safe, the amphibian jeep that sailed around the world. I was looking for something fun and unusual for this year's car show, I tought about the rotobuggy.
By the way, did you know the military in 1942 thought about an amphibian jeep version of the rotobuggy (with fixed wings actually). Blue prints were developed, with a plan to tract 10 flying GPA behind a Dakota !!! The project was cancelled after Horsa gliders were made available. Can you imagine flying in a flock of 10 amphibious jeeps, those guys were crazy. The project even mentionned the need to carry oxygen in the GPAs. This is not a joke, I will send you the research document with references of all firms and army committees involved.
Cordially
Jerome
Gemhorse
Senior Airman
You may all want to check-out about the 'Skycar' at www.moller.com
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
ok this thread aint been posted in since september '04, so i'm kgiving it the kiss of life............
there, it's back not the front page...........
you can all thank me for pushing what was proberly a more interesting discussion onto the second page later...........
there, it's back not the front page...........
you can all thank me for pushing what was proberly a more interesting discussion onto the second page later...........
cheddar cheese
Major General
Just how BORED were you? 
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
you obviously aint seen my boored thread in the misc section......
cheddar cheese
Major General
I have actually.
mosquitoman
Master Sergeant
I've actually a real one of these, it's at the Museum of Army Flying in Cornwall/Devon I think
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
we have a museum of army flying 
mosquitoman
Master Sergeant
Try Googling it, it's in an army base and you need some ID to get the pass to get in.
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
well is it open to the general public basically?? because i've seen comprihensive lists of aviation museums bown here but not seen that one...........
mosquitoman
Master Sergeant
Yes it is, it's probably in Devon, not Cornwall
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
even if it was in devon i should know about it............
The flying jeep was a dog in the air. Where the positive quote concerning its flying qualities came from is unbelievable and unknown. It nearly killed Squadron Leader Little and there is an account of him collapsing after a flight in the jeep. They reckon it made about 7 flights and its handling was appalling
Its genesis was the Rotachute developed by Doc Bennett, formerly of Weir/Cierva at Ringway. The Rotachute was a single man autogiro designed to be dropped by a Wellington bomber. Then Marcel Lobel came in and took over all development when Bennett went to America. Lobel was formerly with Fairey in Belgium and their chief designer - hence "ML Aviation" he owned the Malcolm Company. They built around 26 Rotachutes-again it was a dog in the air and development was not worth it.Though the design went to America in 1946
Eisenhower wanted the flying jeep for the Rhine crossing and then Hafner got involved. The blades were called the R35 blade and they were made here in Glasgow by the Morris Furniture Company. They made all the Weir helicopter blades and the blades for the Rotachute all these blades had the NACA aerofoil section and were made of moulded wood.
The Malcolm Jeep, for that is what it was always known as, was ably replaced by the glider. The R35 design went with Hafner to Bristol Helicopters and found its way into the Bristol Sycamore. Seems that myth generate more myths
Its genesis was the Rotachute developed by Doc Bennett, formerly of Weir/Cierva at Ringway. The Rotachute was a single man autogiro designed to be dropped by a Wellington bomber. Then Marcel Lobel came in and took over all development when Bennett went to America. Lobel was formerly with Fairey in Belgium and their chief designer - hence "ML Aviation" he owned the Malcolm Company. They built around 26 Rotachutes-again it was a dog in the air and development was not worth it.Though the design went to America in 1946
Eisenhower wanted the flying jeep for the Rhine crossing and then Hafner got involved. The blades were called the R35 blade and they were made here in Glasgow by the Morris Furniture Company. They made all the Weir helicopter blades and the blades for the Rotachute all these blades had the NACA aerofoil section and were made of moulded wood.
The Malcolm Jeep, for that is what it was always known as, was ably replaced by the glider. The R35 design went with Hafner to Bristol Helicopters and found its way into the Bristol Sycamore. Seems that myth generate more myths
