Intended Operation
The Fw-Rochen would have achieved forward flight by vectoring the downwash from the propellers rearward through a series of louvers below them. The louvers themselves could also be completely closed for gliding flight in the event of engine failure. The exhaust nozzle forked in two at the end of the turbojet engine and ended in two auxiliary combustion chambers located on the trailing edges of the circular wing. When fuel was added, the auxiliary combustion chambers acted as primitive afterburners providing horizontal flight. The control at low speed was achieved by varying the power to each auxiliary chamber through the two small nozzles.
The landing gear was very simple, consisting of the two main gear legs on either side of the central propellers and a small tailwheel. A single fin and rudder would be provided to help with lateral stability at higher speeds. The lone pilot would sit in a cockpit nacelle that protruded from the front of the circular aerofoil section fuselage.
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