Luftwaffe ground crew servicing a Me-109.

Luftwaffe ground crew

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache ("Dragon" in English) was a helicopter developed by Germany during World War II. Noted for being the first helicopter to attain production status, Allied offensive actions limited production and only approximately 20 were made. It was powered by a 1,000 hp Bramo 323 radial engine which drove two, three-bladed 39 ft  rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the 40 ft long cylindrical fuselage. Although the Fa 223 could maintain a top speed of up to 175 km/h (109 mph), speeds as high as 182 km/h (113 mph) were recorded, and altitudes of up to 7,100 m (23,000 ft). The Drache could transport cargo loads of over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) at cruising speeds of 121 km/h (75 mph) and altitudes approaching 2,440 m (8,000 ft)

Focke Achgelis Fa 223

German air force soldiers of Nahaufklärungsgruppe 4 with Ukrainian girls, 1944.