First flight of the Bölkow Bo 105

Description

The first successful flight of the Bo 105 was actually made by the second prototype (V2), which was equipped with the Bölkow rigid main rotor. The first prototype (V1) was tested in August 1966 with a Westland Scout main rotor but it was destroyed in a ground resonance incident.

The aircraft was later known as the “MBB Bo 105,” and today is the Airbus Bo 105.

The prototypes had different engines. The MAN Turbo (originally BMW) 6022 engine was originally intended for production but it ended up used two Allison 250 engines.

• Bo 105 V1: Allison T63 / 250-C18 — first flight attempt 14 Sep 1966 (destroyed)
• Bo 105 V2: Allison 250-C18 — first flight 16 Feb 1967
• Bo 105B (V3): MAN Turbo 6022A3 — first flight 20 Dec 1967
• Bo 105 S1 (V4 and V5, pre-production series): Allison 250-C18 — first flight 01 May 1969 

Sources:

'Bölkow's Bo105', FLIGHT International, 18 May 1967, Page 794

BO105 Milestones from 1963 until Today, Planet – Helicopter, accessed April 4, 2024