Messerschmitt Me 309 V1 (Huma)

TYPE: Short- and medium-range interceptor

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB 603A-1 liquid-cooled engine, rated at 1,750 mph

PERFORMANCE: 496 mph at 26,200 ft

COMMENT: During 1941 the Messerschmitt design bureau began work on a new fighter intended to succeed the Messerschmitt Me 109. Designated Me 309, the new fighter employed a nose-wheel undercarriage. The first prototype Me 309 V1 began taxi-ing trials on June 1942 and the first test flight was not attempted until July 1942. Subsequent flight tests revealed some instability, and the prototype was grounded for several modifications.
Despite continual modifications, the characteristics of the fighter were still not entirely satisfactory. On November 1942 a flight comparison between the Me 309 V1 and a standard Me 109G revealed the fact that the older fighter could turn-out its potential successor. In the meantime three further prototypes were ready for test flights but the results showed that numerous modifications were necessary. During summer 1943, however, the complete program was abandoned owing to the superior qualities of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D and Focke-Wulf Ta 152.
Prior to the termination of the program several variants of the basic design were proposed including different engines as Daimler-Benz DB 603H and Junkers Jumo 213. Another development, the Messerschmitt Me 609, with two Me 309 fuselages joined by a constant center wing, was not proceeded with (Ref.: 11).

Mitsubishi Ki-67-I KAI ‘Hiryu’ (“Flying Dragon”), To-Gō , (Special Attack), (LS-Models and scratch parts)

TYPE: Suicide attack aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: Two Mitsubishi Ha-104 radial engines, rated at 1,900 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 334 mph at 19,980 ft

COMMENT: The desperate situation of Japan in the last stages of World War II led the authorities of both the Japanese IAAF as well as INAF to unorthodox proposals. Not only ageing but also brand new aircraft were used for suicide (kamikaze) missions, So Mitsubishi proposed a special attack version of its Mitsubishi Ki-67 “Hiryu”(“Flying Dragon”, Allied code “Peggy”) bomber. As Ki-67 KAI or Sakura-dan models the aircraft were modified by Tachikawa Dai-Ichi Rikugun Kokusho for this new role. All turrets were removed and faired over and the crew reduced to three. A long rod projecting from the nose should trigger to explode on impact either two standard 800 kg bombs or a special charge of explosives weighting 2,900 kg. Only one aircraft was ready when Japan surrendered (Ref.: 1).

Blackburn B.20 (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Medium-range Maritime Reconnaissance Flying Boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of six

POWER PLANT: Two Rolls-Royce “Vulture” liquid-cooled engines, rated at 1,830 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 306 mph at 15.000 ft

COMMENT: One of the most interesting flying boats to be built and flown during the war years  was the Blackburn B.20 medium-range reconnaissance aircraft. The B.20 represented an attempt to reconcile the conflicting requirements for angles of incidence and correct streamlining between the conditions of take-off and level flight, and simultaneously provide adequate clearance between airscrews and water. The novel feature of the B.20 was the use of a retractable planning bottom. The pontoon was attached to the main hull by means of links so designed that when the pontoon was extended the hull and wings automatically assumed the best attitude for take-off. When the pontoon was retracted it presented a good streamline form with the main hull. The B.20 was first flown early in 1940 and a number of flights were made, the aircraft performing well both on the water and in the air, and the retractable pontoon operating successfully. Unfortunately, the B.20 was lost during a test flight and further development of the flying boat was abandoned in favor of the Saro “Lerwick”. However, during the war design work on a flying-boat fighter Blackburn B.44 employed the retractable pontoon principle, but this project never left the drawing-board (Ref.: 14).

Messerschmitt Me 209H V1 (Planet Models, Resin)

TYPE: High-altitude fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB 627B liquid-cooled engine, rated at 2,000 hp

PERFORMANCE: 460 mph at full boost altitude

COMMENT:  In April 1943 the Messerschmitt design bureau submitted proposals for a high-altitude fighter designated Messerschmitt Me 209H. This project envisaged the insertion of an additional rectangular center section in the wing to increase overall span and gross area, and the use of either Daimler-Benz DB 628A high altitude engine or the DB 603U which was a DB 603E equipped with a TKL 15 turbo-supercharger. Owing to the time element Messerschmitt was instructed to embody some of its proposals for the Me 209H into the Me 109H which, making extensive use of Me 109G components, offered a quicker solution to the requirement for a fighter of superior altitude capability.
Nevertheless, the Messerschmitt bureau persisted with the development of the Me 209H, detail design being completed on October 1943, and work on the prototype, the Me 209H V1, began shortly afterwards, but proceeded slowly, and was delayed as a result of an air attack in February 1944 in which the partly assembled prototype was damaged, and some of its components destroyed. Thus, the Me 209H V1 was not rolled out until June 1944, by which time the entire Me 209 program had been officially abandoned. It had been intended that the Me 209H V1 should receive the Daimler-Benz DB 627 which was basically a DB 603 G with aftercooler and two-stage mechanical supercharger, and afforded 2,000 hp for take-off. The engine drove a four-bladed wooden airscrew and the annular radiator was discarded in favor of radiators in the leading edge of the wing center section. No records exists of the results of flight testing or the ultimate fate of the sole Me 209 high-altitude prototype (Ref.: 7).