Fend Flitzer
Encyclopedia
The Fend Flitzer was a three-wheeled invalid carriage
designed and built by Fritz Fend
. The Flitzer established many of the basic concepts on which Fend's later Messerschmitt Kabinenroller
microcars were developed.
In 1948, Fend, a former aircraft
designer and technical officer in the Luftwaffe
, began production of a tricycle
invalid carriage
in his workshop in Rosenheim
, Germany
. The tricycle had a front wheel that was steered by handlebars and powered by a mechanism actuated by pushing back and forth on the handlebars. Shortly afterward, it was offered with a 38 cc Victoria
two-stroke proprietary engine normally used for motorizing bicycles.
Fend then designed the Flitzer, a larger, better-enclosed invalid carriage. It was designed from the start to be powered by a gasoline engine. Whereas the earlier tricycle was both steered and powered by a single front wheel, the Flitzer had a pair of front wheels linked to the steering mechanism and a powered rear wheel.
The Flitzer was initially powered by a 98 cc Fichtel & Sachs
two-stroke engine, but the engine was later changed to a 100 cc Reidel/Imme engine.
The Flitzer was made with aluminium panels over a steel frame and was enclosed at the front, sides, and back. It had a hatch at the top that was hinged at the front and tilted forward for the operator to get in. The first version of the Flitzer was open, with a hole and a windshield in the hatch for the operator's head and shoulders to stick through and be protected from the wind. A closed version was later offered that included an enclosure on the hatch to enclose the operator fully. The enclosure included the windshield and side windows.
About 250 Flitzers had been built when production stopped in 1951. Many of these invalid carriages had been bought by able-bodied individuals seeking basic personal transport. This led Fend to believe that there would be a mass-market for a larger, transport-oriented version of the Flitzer. Fend began to design and develop a two-seat vehicle similar in concept to the Flitzer. He also began looking for a manufacturer to mass-produce this vehicle. He came to an agreement with aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt
for Fend's company to build Fend vehicles in the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg. Part of the agreement was that the cars carried the Messerschmitt name, with Fend's new design being designated the Messerschmitt KR175
.
Invalid carriage
An invalid carriage was a low cost, low maintenance vehicle, designed specifically for people with physical disabilities. The last ones were withdrawn from the road in 2003, 27 years after the end of production, though some are still in existence...
designed and built by Fritz Fend
Fritz Fend
Fritz Fend : was an aeronautical engineer. He worked for Messerschmitt and designed the famous Kabinenroller KR175 / KR200.Fend was a technical officer with the Luftwaffe during World War II....
. The Flitzer established many of the basic concepts on which Fend's later Messerschmitt Kabinenroller
Messerschmitt Kabinenroller
Messerschmitt made two Kabinenroller three-wheeled microcars in association with Fritz Fend:*the Messerschmitt KR175 , and*the Messerschmitt KR200 These were conceptually based on the Fend Flitzer invalid carriage....
microcars were developed.
In 1948, Fend, a former aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
designer and technical officer in the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, began production of a tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
invalid carriage
Invalid carriage
An invalid carriage was a low cost, low maintenance vehicle, designed specifically for people with physical disabilities. The last ones were withdrawn from the road in 2003, 27 years after the end of production, though some are still in existence...
in his workshop in Rosenheim
Rosenheim
Rosenheim is a town in Bavaria at the confluence of the rivers Inn and Mangfall. It is seat of administration of the district of Rosenheim, but is not a part of it.-Geography:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The tricycle had a front wheel that was steered by handlebars and powered by a mechanism actuated by pushing back and forth on the handlebars. Shortly afterward, it was offered with a 38 cc Victoria
Victoria (motorcycle)
Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany that made motorcycles from about 1901 until 1966. It should not be confused with a lesser-known, unrelated Victoria Motorcycle Company in Glasgow, Scotland that made motorcycles between 1902 and 1928....
two-stroke proprietary engine normally used for motorizing bicycles.
Fend then designed the Flitzer, a larger, better-enclosed invalid carriage. It was designed from the start to be powered by a gasoline engine. Whereas the earlier tricycle was both steered and powered by a single front wheel, the Flitzer had a pair of front wheels linked to the steering mechanism and a powered rear wheel.
The Flitzer was initially powered by a 98 cc Fichtel & Sachs
ZF Sachs
ZF Sachs AG is a German manufacturer of automotive parts, producing powertrain and suspension components. It was formerly known as Fichtel & Sachs, Mannesmann Sachs and Sachs...
two-stroke engine, but the engine was later changed to a 100 cc Reidel/Imme engine.
The Flitzer was made with aluminium panels over a steel frame and was enclosed at the front, sides, and back. It had a hatch at the top that was hinged at the front and tilted forward for the operator to get in. The first version of the Flitzer was open, with a hole and a windshield in the hatch for the operator's head and shoulders to stick through and be protected from the wind. A closed version was later offered that included an enclosure on the hatch to enclose the operator fully. The enclosure included the windshield and side windows.
About 250 Flitzers had been built when production stopped in 1951. Many of these invalid carriages had been bought by able-bodied individuals seeking basic personal transport. This led Fend to believe that there would be a mass-market for a larger, transport-oriented version of the Flitzer. Fend began to design and develop a two-seat vehicle similar in concept to the Flitzer. He also began looking for a manufacturer to mass-produce this vehicle. He came to an agreement with aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt
Willy Messerschmitt
Wilhelm Emil "Willy" Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer. He was born in Frankfurt am Main, the son of a wine merchant...
for Fend's company to build Fend vehicles in the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg. Part of the agreement was that the cars carried the Messerschmitt name, with Fend's new design being designated the Messerschmitt KR175
Messerschmitt KR175
The Messerschmitt KR175 bubble car was the first vehicle built by Messerschmitt under its 1952 agreement with Fritz Fend. In concept, although not in actual design, it was an extended version of the Fend Flitzer invalid carriage...
.