Piston

Naglo D II

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The DII quadruplane built by the Naglo Werft of Pichelsdorf, near Berlin, was designed by Ing Gnädig (who was, at the time, still in the employ of the Albatros Werke) and participated in the second D-type contest at Adlershof in the summer of 1918 (the debriefing minutes of which indicating that it was to appear for further testing after modification). Powered by a 160 hp Mercedes six-cylinder water-cooled engine and inten¬ded to carry an armament of two LMG 08,15 machine guns, the Naglo DII appears to have been based on an Albatros DV type fuselage. The bottom wing, completely independent of the three main lifting surfaces, being attached to an extruded keel and braced with splayed struts. Official type testing was undertaken on 24 May 1918, and during the D-type contest, evaluation pilots praised the excellence of the construction and workmanship of the D II while calling for an improvement in the flight characteristics.

Engine: Mercedes 6 cyl, 160hp
Empty weight: 1,596 lb (724 kg).
Loaded weight: 2,015 lb (914 kg
Span: 29 ft 6 1/3 in (9,00 m).
Wing area: 241.12 sq ft (22.40 sq.m).

Nagler-Rolz NR 54

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Nagler-Rolz NR 54

Development of the NR 55 concept continued in 1941 with the generally similar NR 54 V1, in which reductions were made in size and weight. The engine power was reduced to 24hp and the rotor diameter to 7.8m with the engines mounted 1.2m from the centerline driving the propellers, which were 1.8m further out along rotor blade. The carburetor was never perfected to work satisfactorily and due to this no test flights were ever made. Performance with empty and loaded weights of 80 and 175kg respectively, was estimated to have a 55 mph cruising speed.

The NR 54 V2 was produced in 1941. The single-seat helicopter flew on remarkably little power. The 6.9m rotor consisted of two single blades, each of which had an 8hp motor driving a small airscrew at 6000rpm to give a torqueless drive, and the pilot’s controls consisted of two levers, one to alter rotor blade pitch and the other to control the engines. The entire airframe broke down for transporting and could carried by a single man. The little ship was said to cruise at 80km/h and climb at 140m/min.

Four of the NR 54V2 machines were built before the war ended, but it is not known how close the NR 54 was to being ready for production at that point. At least one of them was brought to the USA for evaluation and is now in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.

NR 54 V2
Engine: 2 x 8hp
Main rotor diameter: 7.92m
Max take-off weight: 140kg
Empty weight: 36.5kg
Cruising speed: 80km/h
Ceiling: 457m
Range: 48kg
Crew: 1

Nagler-Rolz NR 55

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The Nagler-Rolz Flugzeugbau built a helicopter similar in configuration to the RI and RII. This ship had an empty weight of 700 pounds and though it was flown in hover, it could not be lifted out of ground effect. With the coming of World War II, the company received contacts from the German Government for the development of small single-seat helicopters.

In 1940 the first machine from the new company appeared as the NR 55, which had a single-blade rotor. This rotor blade was counterbalanced by a 40hp engine which applied to it a torqueless drive by means of two small airscrews which pulled it round at about 135rpm. Because of gyroscopic forces at the engine location, the carburetor was mounted on the centerline of the rotor hub and fuel-air mixture was piped out to the engine cylinders. The rotor diameter was 10.5m, and the machine weighed about 338kg loaded, but, although a cruising speed of 97km/h was thought feasible, only hovering and lift test were undertaken because the machine was built purely for testing the rotor system.

Development of the NR 55 concept continued in 1941 with the generally similar NR 54 V1.

Nagler VG-1 Vertigyro

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The 1963 VG-1 Vertigyro (N5395Z) comprised a Piper Colt aircraft fuselage, complete with engine and prop. Its Sud Djinn rotor system was driven by a turbine engine, enabling the craft to be flown as a gyroplane, a helicopter, or a combination of both. Only the one was built.

The vehicle could take off and fly as a helicopter at 75mph, powered by a Garret-AiResearch GTC-85-90 gas turbine to feed compressed air to nozzles in the two-blade rotor, then convert into an autogyro to do 85mph powered by the one 108hp Lycoming O-235.

Engines: 1 x Garret-AiResearch GTC-85-90 gas turbine / 1 x Lycoming O-235, 108hp
Rotor diameter: 36 ft 0 in
Minimum gyro speed: 45 mph
Seats: 2

Nagler NH 160

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This version incorporates the lessons learnt from the NH 120, and while the general principle remains the same, i.e. the main rotor in the same alignment as the anti-torque rotor, their positions have been changed.

The two-bladed main rotor remains in its usual position, but the anti-torque rotor with three articulated blades is on the helicopter’s underside between the two skis acting as landing gear, and 1.83m away from the main rotor. The latter has cyclic and collective control and is mounted on an oscillating hub. In horizontal flight it turns at 400 r.p.m. and the lower rotor at 1.500 rpm, the latter consuming 55hp, the former 15hp of the engine’s total power.

Nagler has designed an unusual steering system: two disc brakes of the kind used in motor vehicles, one acting on the main rotor, the other on the shaft of the engine to which the anti-torque rotor is fixed. These brakes are pedal operated.

A fixed vertical surface at the end of the rudimentary fuselage ensures directional stability. The production model is planned to have an enclosed cockpit and fuselage.

Nagler’s Model NH-160 single-seat helicopter first flew in 1955.

NH 160
Crew: 1
Engine: McCulloch 4 318, 70hp
Upper rotor diameter: 6.1m
Lower rotor diameter: 2.13m
Length: 3.66m
Weight empty: 190kg
Weight fully loaded: 399kg
Cruising speed: 192km/h

Nagler NH-120

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This 1954 ultra-light single-seater has two rotors: one main rotor with collective and cyclic pitch control, the latter by a hanging stick, and one smaller anti-torque rotor. Nagler’s ingenuity in this design consists in placing the latter above the main rotor, which is thus surmounted by the driving engine directly above it and a two-bladed, much smaller diameter fixed-pitch rotor. This compact unit, two rotors with the engine between them, is supported by the helicopter frame made of tubes and containing the pilot’s seat with fuel tanks behind it. The 45hp engine originally planned for proved insufficiently powerful and has been replaced. The tricycle landing gear has three wheels held at the end of legs fitted with shock absorbers.
When folded this rotorcraft will go into a container measuring 0.77 by 2.13m.

NH 120
Engine: Nelson, 40hp
Upper rotor diameter: 2.13m
Lower rotor diameter: 6.1m
Length: 8 ft 2 in
Height: 2.74m
Weight empty: 127kg
Weight fully loaded: 340kg
Max speed: 80 mph
Cruising speed: 112km/h
Range: 210 mi
Endurance: 3h
Crew: 1

Nagler Convertocrapt 130

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This 1954 convertiplane consisted of an Aeronca fuselage minus the wings and plus a two-bladed rotor powered by six solid fuel rockets placed three at the tip of each blade and each providing a 41-68kg thrust.

The airscrew used for forward flight was powered by a Continental reciprocating engine.
After the rocket power take-off, the Convertocraft flies forward with the rotor freewheeling.

Engine: Continental, and 6 rockets
Rotor diameter: 30 ft (9.14 m)
Weight fully loaded: 1,450 lb (658 kg)
Cruising speed: 80 m.p.h. (128 k.p.h.)
Number of seats: 2

Nagler XNH-I Heliglider / XNH-2 Heligyro

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This, the first rotorcraft (1952) which Nagler designed after his arrival in the United States, was of the ‘strap-on’ variety. Its intended use was to cross rivers or other obstacles. The required height was to be reached by power from six solid-propellant rockets, fired in pairs and providing a 9kg thrust for about twenty seconds. Slow descent was ensured by the auto-rotation of the rotor. The six rockets could be replaced for later use.
The wearer’s legs were to be the landing gear.

With the addition of a 2 cylinder opposed engine driving a pusher prop also in 1952, the XNH-1 was re-designated XNH-2 Heligyro.

XNH-I Heliglider
Engine: 6 x 9 kg rockets
Weight empty: 29.5kg / 67 b
Crew: 1

XNH-2 Heligyro
Max speed: 60 mph
Crew: 1

NA Design NA-40 Bongo

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Design work of the (formerly Unis, Obchodni Spol, Sro) Bongo began in 1992 followed by model tests in 1993 with construction of a technology demonstrator started in 1996.

A public debut was at Ârno International Machinery Fair 1997 (then called TINTS NA40 and with two-blade main rotor) by the first prototype, OK-CIU. The prototype began 70 hours of tethered hover flights in March 1998, and two further prototypes were completed by mid-1998.

NA Design planed Normal category certification to FAR Pts 27, 33, 34 and 36 by late 2003, subject to finding joint venture Western partner to share certification, manufacturing and marketing costs. In 2002 financial support of US$2.5 million was still being solicited. The project was put on hold in late 2002 while finance was sought but, despite this, a new version, the four-seat NA50, was announced in late 2002.

Nothing further had been heard by early 2003.

The NA Design NA 40 Bongo two-seat ultralight helicopter features a three-blade teetering rotor and pod and boom fuselage with an inverted Y-tail unit. A Cocomo patented anti-torque system eliminates the need for a tail rotor, reducing transmission complexity and operating noise level.

Flying controls were conventional cyclic and collective, with a ducted air anti-torque system. The structure is mainly composites, including the rotor blades. Some aluminium is in the fuselage, otherwise it is a double-curvature monocoque sandwich, with a laminated, vacuum-formed elastomeric rotor head. The landing gear is a tubular twin-skid gear with ground handling wheels. Inflatable permanent or emergency floats are optional.

Power is from two 86kW Prvni Brnenska Strojina PBS Velka Bites ÒÅ 50Â turboshafts, with FADEC and dual ignition. The engines are mounted side by side behind the cockpit with transmission via a combining gearbox. A single self-sealing fuel tank is beneath the engines, with a capacity of 210 litres.

A baggage space is aft of the two seats and gull-wing window/doors are on each side, hinged on the centreline and opening upward. A dual 27V DC electrical systems and external power receptacle are provided.

NA40 Bongo
Rotor diameter: 7.48m
Fuselage length: 6.15m
Height to top of rotor head: 2.35m
Empty weight, equipped: 480kg
Max load on external sling: 250kg
Max take-off weight: 950kg
Never-exceed speed: 280km/h
Max cruising speed: 250km/h
Econ cruising speed: 230km/h
Hovering ceiling IGE: 4,000m
Max range: 500km