Rotorschmiede VA115

The Rotorschmiede VA115 is a German helicopter, designed and produced by Rotorschmiede GmbH of Munich, introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow in 2015. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The aircraft first flew in the summer of 2015.

Design and development
The VA115 was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations, as well as the German 120 kg class and European Class 6 microlight helicopter rules. As its designation indicates, the aircraft has a standard empty weight of 115 kg.

The VA115 features dual, coaxial main rotors with NACA 23012 airfoils, a single-seat open cockpit without a windshield, tricycle landing gear and a two-cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke, fuel-injected 50 hp Hirth F23 engine.

The aircraft fuselage is made from metal tubing, with a small cockpit fairing. Its dual two-bladed rotors each have diameters of 4.5 m. The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 115 kg and a gross weight of 275 kg, giving a useful load of 160 kg. With full fuel of 19 L the payload for the pilot and baggage is 146 kg.

Reviewer Werner Pfaendler, described the VA115 as "beautifully engineered".