Love the Dark Docs (and their sister channels, Dark Skies etc.)
In this case, I learned that (thanks to Sikorsky, no surprise) the US had a functioning military helicopter helping out during WW2's Burma campaign. (Flown by Britain thanks to Lend-Lease. It showed up some other areas, too, like Navy S&R.)
Thanks! O0
That is awesome.
There is a WW2 German helicopter in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum when I visited it 5 or so years ago. I don't know if it was used in combat.
I knew they were developing one -- I saw a short doc on it (maybe from the same producer, he has two or three channels) a few years ago, seems like it was being developed in the alps somewhere? But I don't recall them getting it into service, no.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Achgelis_Fa_223
This particular helicopter was the first helicopter to cross the English Channel, September 6, 1945.
I remember seeing this one at the Smithsonian, but its more of a heli-kite; towed by the U-boats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Achgelis_Fa_330
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F2%2F22%2FFA-330_Bachstelze2.jpg%2F600px-FA-330_Bachstelze2.jpg&hash=1facf014fa98530ac85ddd1d2f48045c725bbcab)
Oh, cool, I didn't know about that unpowerered gyrocopter thing deployed by a U-boat! That's pretty clever!
Kind of a 'Cloud Car' in reverse (or upside down...)
Or the rotary collective/cyclical version of a towed parasail!