Manzolini Libellula

The Manzolini Libellula was a 1950s Italian co-axial twin-rotor helicopter designed by Ettore Manzolini. "Libellula" is the Italian word for "Dragonfly".

Design and development
Ettore Manzolini established a company in Rome, Italy to develop a helicopter he had designed. The design was the Manzolini Libellula an unusual co-axial helicopter. The co-axial arrangement eliminating the need for an anti-torque rotor allowed the helicopter to have a twin fin arrangement. The Libellula (Registered I-MANZ) first flew on 7 January 1952. An improved version was the single-seat Libellula II which went on to gain Italian certification on 15 October 1962. A three-seater version (the Libellula III) was built and a four-seat Libellula IV was planned but Manzolini stopped development in the late 1960s.

Variants

 * Libellula
 * Prototype, one built.


 * Libellula II
 * Prototype single-seat version powered by a 75kW (101hp) Walter Minor 4-III engine, one built.


 * Libellula III
 * Prototype two-seat version powered by a 104kW (140hp) Walter M 332 engine, one built but not flown.


 * Libellula IV
 * Proposed four-seat version powered by a 236kW (317shp) Allison 250-CT18 turboshaft, not built.