Warbird Information Exchange

This talk of mid-air collisions with helicopters reminded me of one that may class as the first air to air kill of an aircraft by a helicopter.
In 1946 the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment were evaluating the R-4 Hoverfly 1 for the UK forces at RAF Beaulieu. One trial consisted of flying a Hoverfly towing a banner suspended on a cable below the helicopter. So as to not waste the opportunity the banner was used to advertise the upcoming Battle of Britain Airshow to be held at the airfield. I'm still looking for more information but the basic details I have of the incident are that whilst flying around with the banner flying well below the helicopter a Spitfire struck the cable, became uncontrollable and crashed, the Helicopter was undamaged. The copy of the trials report I have doesn't mention the accident but it does say the banner towing trial was successful.
RAF Beaulieu was also the site of another early helicopter crash when in October 1945 a Focke Achgelis 223E flown by its German crew crashed from a low hover, denying the RAF the opportunity to evaluate its flying qualities for themselves, although the engineering report I have is very informative. Incidentally in getting this aircraft to Beaulieu the crew and helicopter became the first helicopter to fly across the English Channel.

Grateful to have found this, my father is Mandel Lenkowsky (standing on left), in the photo at about age 26. He spent the next 30+ years with Sikorsky and others, eventually retiring from Consolidated Diesel after contributing to marine and land vehicle designs and high speed aircraft refueler designs.

/Steve