Category Archives: Fighter

Fighter

Heinkel “Wespe” (“Wasp”) (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Target-defense interceptor. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only, in seated position

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 021 turboprop engine, rated at 2,000 hp plus 750 kp thrust, driving six-blade propeller within a circular wing

PERFORMANCE: 497 mph

COMMENT: The Heinkel “Wespe” (“Wasp”) was designed in late 1944 as a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) interceptor. It should be used as a “Punktverteidiger” (Target defense interceptor) to protect factory complexes and military facilities which only had small or no airfields. The idea goes back to early 1939, when Werner von Braun proposed a rocket driven aircraft (Braun fighter) that should vertically take-off from a truck on two guide rails. Although the scheme was discarded as impracticable by the RLM, later during the war the Fieseler Company prepared a series of interceptor design studies under the generic designation Fieseler Fi 166 (a rocket-driven aircraft on the tip of a Aggregat 4  (A4, better known as V2) as booster. Finally, in late spring 1944, the RLM issued a requirement for a small and inexpensive target-defense interceptor that led to the development of the Bachem Ba 349 “Natter”(Colubrid). Other companies followed such as the Heinkel Company with projects like He P.1077 “Julia I” and “Julia II”, or the propeller-driven VTOL-projects “Wespe” (Wasp) and “Lerche II” (“Lark”), or Focke-Wulf with its Fw “Treibflügeljäger”  (thrust-wing fighter).

To the Heinkel “Wespe”. The aircraft was designed around a circular wing, with small wing tips protruding beyond the circular wing at the two lower wing support locations.  A single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 021 turboprop, rated at 2,000 horsepower plus 750 kp thrust, was fed by an air intake located below the cockpit.  The “Wespe” took off and landed on three landing gear, the pilot sat in a normal seated position in the nose under a huge blown canopy, and two MK 108 30mm cannon mounted in blisters on each side of the cockpit were envisioned for the armament. Further development was abandoned due to the approaching war’s end. A more aerodynamic VTOL interceptor project, the Heinkel “Lerche” (Lark) was on the drawing board (Ref. 16, 17).

Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/92 (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Heavy fighter, destroyer. Project.

ACCOMODATION: Pilot and Observer

POWER PLANT: Two Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engines, rated at 1,300 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 558 mph

COMMENT: Early in 1944, Messerschmitt undertook various design studies as part of the P.1101 project series. These designs had high speeds as their underlying concept and included aircraft with swing wings that could reach up to a 60 degree sweep back. The most famous of these projects and the one that almost reached flight testing was the Messerschmitt Me P.1101 V1. Among the Messerschmitt project studies was the Me P.1101/92 heavy fighter and destroyer, which was designed to carry a huge 75mm (3 inch) cannon as its main armament.  The Me P.1101/92 had a mid-fuselage mounted wing swept back at 40 degrees. Slung beneath each wing was a single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, each developing 1300 kp of thrust. A V tail was mounted in the rear, and a tricycle landing gear arrangement was chosen. The two man crew sat staggered side-by-side. Armament consisted of the single large BK 7.5 cm cannon in the nose, offset to the right side of the aircraft. As a result of production and delivery problems of the engine manufacturer and the imminent collapse of the “Third Reich”, all further development was stopped (Ref.: 16).

Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a with Lorin Ramjets (Matchbox and Scratch-built)

TYPE: High-altitude interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B turbo-jet engines, rated at 890 kp each plus two Lorin ram-jets, rated at 1,350 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 714 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: Dr. E. Sänger, a convinced supporter of ram-jet powered aircraft, e. g. Skoda-Kauba SK P. 14-01 and SK P.14-02, proposed to increase the performance of a Messerschmitt Me 262 by integrating two additional Lorin ram-jets. The ram-jets, each 5.90 m long, were mounted above the wing resp. the turbo-jet engines, the air intake was 45.1, and the exhaust pipe 85 cm in diameter, respectively. It was calculated that the Me 262 could reach 48,557 ft within 11.5 minutes. Finally, this project was not pursued (Ref.: 19)

Messerschmitt Me 109 TL (Planet, Resin)

TYPE: Turbojet powered fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engines, rated at 900 kp each

PERFORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: In early 1943 during a conference led by the RLM it was proposed to reconstruct a Messerschmitt Bf 109 into a jet powered fighter. Because the airframe of the Bf 109 was not suited for such a modification it was decided to use the fuselage of a Messerschmitt Me 109H high-altitude fighter, the undercarriage of the Messerschmitt Me 309, and the wing of the projected Messerschmitt Me 409. Nevertheless, soon it became clear that too many parts had to be changed so after two month the project was cancelled (Ref.: 19).

Blohm & Voss Bv P.203.01 (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Long-range fighter, fighter-bomber. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two

POWER PLANT: Two BMW 801D radial engines, rated at 1,750 hp each and two Junkers Jumo 003 turbo-jet engines, rated at 880 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 571 mph

COMMENT: This Blohm & Voss project from 1944 was designed as a general purpose/long-range fighter. The wing was straight and unswept, with the section between the two engine nacelles being thicker and having increased chord, to house the main wheels of the tricycle landing gear. Two BMW 801D radial engines were mounted at the forward end of the nacelles, and two Junkers Jumo 004 turbo-jet engines were located in the rear of the nacelles. Provision was made for use of other turbo-jet engines, e.g. BMW 003 (Bv P. 203.2) and Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 (Bv P. 203.03) The aircraft was heavily armed including a remotely controlled twin MG 131 13mm machine guns in the tail firing to the rear. Due to the “Jägernotprogramm” (Fighter-emergency-programme) all work was cancelled (Ref: 23)

 

Heinkel He 162D (A+V Models, Resin)

TYPE: Target-defence interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A turbojet, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 565 mph at 19,685 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: The Heinkel he 162D was a parallel development  to the Heinkel He 162C what was essentially similar but featured a swept-forward wing. There appeared to be certain advantages to be gained by sweeping the wing surfaces forward towards the tips, the critical Mach number being similar to that for an equal angle of sweepback but the tip stall tendency being removed and thus permitting higher taper ratios in both planform and thickness.
Swept-forward wings were also tested or designed in Germany by Junkers with Ju 287, EF 122, 125, EF 131, by Blohm & Voss with Bv P.209.02, and in the United States with Cornelius XFG-1 fuel-transport glider.
Neither the Heinkel He 162C nor the He 162D took-off into the air. But when the Heinkel factory at Schwechat, Austria, was occupied by Allied troops, a half-completed prototype for the Heinkel-Hirth HeS 0114A-powered B- model was found, this having interchangeable swept-back (He 162C) and swept-forward wings (He 162D). (Ref.: 7)

Heinkel He 162C (A+V Models, Resin)

TYPE: Target-defence interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS-0114A turbojet, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 565 mph at 19,658 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: Progressive development of the basic Heinkel He 162 design led to the He 162C. This project utilized the B-series fuselage and the more powerful Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A turbojet, had wings swept back 38 degrees at the leading edge, and a V-type or “butterfly” tail. This latter was tested by the He 280 V8. The new wing featured a coarse anhedral angle from two-thirds span.
The He 162C was envisaged as a target-defence interceptor and it was proposed to equip the fighter  with a variation of “Schräge Musik” (Jazz music, Luftwaffe term for fixed weapons firing obliquely upward) with a pair of 30-mm MK 103 cannon on special mountings enabling them to be tilted upwards at a fine angle from the horizontal. This enabled the guns to be fired while the fighter underflew the target.
The He 162C project was not realized, but when the Heinkel factory at Schwechat, Austria, was occupied by Allied troops, a half-completed prototype for the Heinkel-Hirth HeS 0114A-powered model was found, this having interchangeable swept-back (He 162C) and swept-forward wings (He 162D). (Ref.: 7)

Heinkel He 162B Single Argus (A+V Models, Resin)

TYPE: Interceptor Fighter, Fighterbomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Argus Ar 044 pulse jet, rated at 500 kp thust

PERFORMANCE: 410 mph at 9,850 ft

COMMENT: In November 1944, the RLM issued a requirement for a very simple, rapidly produced small fighter aircraft. This Miniaturjäger (Miniature Fighter) program was to use the simplest and cheapest power plant available, and to have the minimum of strategic materials and practically no electrical equipment. As power unit the Argus Ar 014 or Ar 044 was proposed and the Miniaturjäger was to take-off – rocket assisted with two Schmidding 109-533 solid-fuel rockets, rated at 1,000 kp thrust for 12 sec each – and land conventionally. Only three firms participated in this design competition, Heinkel He 162B Single Argus,  Junkers EF 126 and Blohm & Voss Bv P.213. As the best design the Junkers EF 126 Lilly was selected but in December 1944 the  Miniaturjäger-program was cancelled. (Ref.: 7)

Heinkel He 162B (Twin Argus) (A+V Models, Resin)

TYPE: Interceptor Fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Argus As 014 pulse jets, rated at 333 kp thrust each

PERFORMANCE: 484 mph at 9,850 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: From the outset of the He 162 programme, the Heinkel team had envisaged the eventual use of the Heinkel-Hirth 011A (HeS 11A) turbojet in the He 162 aircraft as the He 162B-1. Possessing a similar structure to that of the A-series fighter, the He 162B had a lengthened fuselage which permitted an increase of internal fuel capacity. Due to the slow production rate of that engine, in early 1945 the Nazi Party Leader Saur’s Fighter Air Staff requested proposals for the adaptation of the He 162 to take the Argus-Röhre, a simple pulse jets or intermittent propulsive ducts. Heinkel as well as the RLM’s Technische Amt found that the Argus-Röhren were totally unsuited for fighter installation. But nevertheless, project studies were started by adapting a He 162B-series airframe to take either one or two Argus-Rohr units. The first arrangement called for the two Argus-Röhren As 014 with 333 kp thust each to be mounted side-by-side over the rear fuselage. Apart from excessive vibration the aircraft needed two Schmidding 109-533 solid-fuel take-off rockets with 1,000kp thrust for 12 sec. each. The high fuel consumption of the pulse jet militated against its used as a “Volksjäger power plant. As Heinkel had little enthusiasm for the Argus-Rohr-powered He 162, this programme advanced no further than the drawing board. (Ref.: 7)

 

Heinkel He 162A-2 “Spatz” (“Sparrow”), Stabsstaffel JG 1 (Revell)

TYPE: Interceptor fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 003E-1 turbojet, rated at 800 kp

PERFORMANCE: 521 mph at 19,690 ft

COMMENT: The so-called “Volksjäger (Peoples Fighter) project was started on September 8th, 1944 when the basic project requirements were issued by the Technisches Amt des RLM (Technical Office of the State Ministry of Aviation) and the Jägerstab (Fighter Staff) to several aircraft companies as Arado, Blohm & Voss, Fieseler, Focke-Wulf, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and Junkers. It was envisaged a simple, inexpensive fighter, suitable for quantity production from easy-available materials by semi-skilled and unskilled labour. The Volksjäger was to be powered by a single BMW 003 “Sturm” (“Storm”) turbojet and had to be ready for mass production by January 1st, 1945.
Messerschmitt had refused to submit any proposal and nearly all other designs – e. g. Arado E 580, Junkers EF 123 – were found unsuitable. Only Blohm & Voss’s project Bv P.211 being adjudged the best of those submitted. On September 19th, a further conference was held at which all proposals were reviewed. This time the Siebel Aircraft Company took part instead of Messerschmitt. Again it was decided that the Blohm & Voss contender, the Bv P.211, was superior in every respect to all other contenders. But after misunderstandings and disputes it was decided that the Heinkel design He P.1073 was best suited for the future Volksjäger. Immediately construction of the P.1073 began, work on detailed drawings in parallel. In October 1944 the design was redesignated as He 162, code name “Spatz” (“Sparrow”). Orders were given for immediate quantity production with an output of 1,000 aircraft monthly. Within 90 days the He 162 was conceived, designed, built and flown. The first unit to train on the He 162 was the I Gruppe/JG 1. Only 320 He 162 were built before the end of the hostilities, 800 more had reached advanced stages of assembly. There are no veritable reports that the He 162 was involved in combat. (Ref.: 7)