Saalbach 1 Gyrocopter

Harald Saalbach, during “real existing socialism” living in Saxony/GDR, got the idea to construct and build a gyroplane. He was a motorcar mechanic and had the permission to fly gliders and single-engined planes .

First of all: he had have  n o  intention to escape from GDR, which was strictly forbidden and very dangerous at that time.

Just before the “Secret Police” of the GDR would have taken away his gyrocopter, he disaggregated the aircraft, hided it and reassembled it not before German reunification in 1990.

Harald Saalbach got great problems while he was looking for components to build the gyrocopter.

Here you can find the parts list (it is indeed not complete):

Scaffolding tubes , hand made wooden propeller , two-stroke engine from the car “Trabant 601 ” tank from the bike “Simson Star” , cockpit instruments from scrapped glider, etc. , etc.  . . .

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