page_title: Focke-Achgelis Fa 223
section_title: Cross-Channel flight
hierarchical_section_title: Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 / Operational history / Cross-Channel flight
caption_attribution_description: English: Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 helicopter of the Luftwaffe following capture by the United States Army Air Forces at the end of World War II. Note what appears to be pre-1943 U.S. national insignia, but may be U.S. Army "white star" insignia.
context_page_description: The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache was a helicopter developed by Germany during World War II. A single 750-kilowatt Bramo 323 radial engine powered two three-bladed 11.9-metre rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the 12.2-metre-long cylindrical fuselage. Although the Fa 223 is noted for being the first helicopter to attain production status, production of the helicopter was hampered by Allied bombing of the factory, and only 20 were built.
  The Fa 223 could cruise at 175 kilometres per hour with a top speed of 182 km/h, and climb to an altitude of 7,100 m. The Drache could transport cargo loads of over 1,000 kg at cruising speeds of 121 km/h and altitudes approaching 2,440 m.
context_section_description: The US intended to ferry captured aircraft back to the US aboard a ship, but only had room for one of the captured Drachen. The RAF objected to plans to destroy the other, the V14, so Gerstenhauer, with two observers, flew it across the English Channel from Cherbourg to RAF Beaulieu on 6 September 1945, the first crossing of the Channel by a helicopter. The V14 later made two test flights at RAF Beaulieu before being destroyed on 3 October, when a driveshaft failed. The accident was thought to be due to a failure to correctly tension the steel cables which secured the engine, despite warnings from Gerstenhauer.
caption: Captured Fa 223
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