Manzolini Libellula
Manzolini · Italy · first flew 1952 · helicopter
The Manzolini Libellula was a 1950s Italian co-axial twin-rotor helicopter designed by Ettore Manzolini. Libellula is the Italian word for dragonfly.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 4.85 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Co-axial twin rotors with no anti-torque rotor
- Twin fin arrangement
- Single-seat Libellula II with a Walter Minor 4-III inline engine
The co-axial arrangement eliminates the need for an anti-torque rotor and allowed a twin fin arrangement. The single-seat Libellula II has two 9 m rotors.
Specifications
- The Manzolini Libellula has a length of 4.85 m (16 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 110 km/h (68 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ettore Manzolini established a company in Rome to develop the helicopter. The Libellula, registered I-MANZ, first flew on 7 January 1952, and an improved single-seat Libellula II gained Italian certification on 15 October 1962.
Variants
The Libellula was a one-off prototype. The Libellula II was a single-seat prototype with a 101 hp Walter Minor 4-III, the Libellula III a two-seat prototype with a 140 hp Walter M 332 that was built but not flown, and the four-seat Libellula IV with a turboshaft engine was planned but not built.
Where you'll see it
Only prototypes were built, and Manzolini stopped development in the late 1960s.
Related aircraft
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