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Old 8th Jul 2010, 20:07
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soggyboxers
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: In the Haven of Peace
Age: 79
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It looks interesting. I'll be near there next month, so maybe I'll make a visit. I also saw a Djinn in the Flieger-Flab-Museum in Dübendorf last month. It was standing right next to another model of the Hiller 12E which I learned to fly in. One of my friends had the Djinn on his UK licence as he flew it for crop spraying. The Djin was a clever idea despite Igor Sikorsky having doubts that it could work, but the system of cold tip jets means that there is no gearbox, no tail rotor, and no rear drive. Fewer parts, less complexity, lower weight, and lower cost. It was a bit slow at only 70 knots cruise, and was also unusual in that it required a little two-stroke petrol engine which was used to start it, which led to some jokes about it being the ALAT's first twin engine helicopter!

I believe it was nick named the 'siffler' (whistler) because of the noise the air made as it exited the blade tips. An interesting and innovative little helicopter, but with advancing technology the system was not efficient enough to continue.
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