Category Archives: Fighter

Fighter

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P.1101/13 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 tubojet engines, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 652 mph at 19,658 ft

COMMENT: On July 15, 1944, the RLM submitted Proposal 226/II to Germany’s aircraft manufacturers. This “Emergency Fighter Competition” specified the following requirements for the second-generation of jet-powered fighters: powered by a single Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 turbojet, maximum speed of 621 mph at 22,966 feet, fuel capacity 30 minutes of sea level flying time, altitudes up to 45,931 ft, four MK 108 30mm cannon, and pressurized cockpit. Immediately Messerschmitt began to design the project Me P.1101 and nine days later the first blueprints were on the drawing board. The fuselage was short and wide, the cockpit was forward mounted, with the canopy integrated into the fuselage and forming part of the rounded nose of the aircraft. Two round air intakes on either side of the cockpit fed the single Heinkel-Hirth turbojet engine which was located in the lower rear fuselage. Mid-mounted wings had an inner sweep of 40 degree near the fuselage, and a shallower 26 degree outboard. The high tail was of a butterfly configuration, and was mounted on a tapered boom which extended over and past the jet exhaust. A tricycle landing gear was provided and the main armament of four cannon was located in the lower forward fuselage sides. Already on August 30, 1944, a new design was proposed, basically similar to the Me P.1101/13, but sleeker and a more pointed nose. The wing was “borrowed” from the Me 262 outer wing, was swept back at 40 degrees, and a V-tail was also to be fitted. As early as November 1944 the initial design phase of the final variant was started and simultaneously the construction of a prototype began resulting in the Messerschmitt Me P.1101 V1 (Ref.: 16).

Fighter

Messerschmitt Me P.1101 V1 (Huma)

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TYPE: Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

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

PERFORMANCE: 612 mph at 22,970 ft

COMMENT: In July 1944 the RLM released specification for second generation of jet fighters in context with the Emergency Fighter Program (Jäger-Notprogramm). Subsequently the Messerschmitt Company proposed a project designated Me P.1101. The initial design (Me P.1101/XIII)  had a short and wide fuselage, tricycle landing gear, and mid-mounted wings with an inner sweep of 40 degree near the fuselage, and a shallower 26 degree outboard. The single HeS 011 jet engine was to be mounted internally within the fuselage, being aspirated by two rounded intakes located on either side of the cockpit. The high tail was of a V configuration, and mounted on a tapered boom which extended over and past the jet exhaust, while the cockpit was forward mounted, with the canopy integrated into the fuselage and forming part of the rounded nose of the aircraft. This design was further developed, including a longer nose, and after the wind tunnel testing of a number of wing and fuselage profiles, the decision was made to undertake the construction of a full-scale test aircraft. This finalized design and associated test data were submitted to the Construction Bureau on 10 November 1944 and the selection of production materials was begun on 4 December 1944. In February 1945, the RLM settled on a competing design, the Focke-Wulf Ta 183, as the winner of the Emergency Fighter Program. Since considerable work had already been done on the P.1101 design, the RLM decided to continue reduced funding in order for Messerschmitt to carry out experimental flights testing the swept back wing at anticipated speeds up to Mach 1. The worsening war situation led to the expedited, but risky, approach of building a full-scale prototype in parallel with detail construction and continuing statistical calculation, while existing components such as the wings of the Messerschmitt Me 262, landing gear, based on that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and flight components were utilized where feasible. It was also intended for the test flights to be conducted with 35, 40, and 45 degree wing sweep. Production of the V1 prototype was begun at Messerschmitt’s Bavarian Oberammergau Complex with a projected first flight in June 1945. By the time an American infantry unit discovered the Oberammergau complex on 29 April 1945, the V1 prototype was approximately 80% complete. Wings were not yet attached and appear to have never had skinning applied to their undersides. The airframe was removed from the nearby tunnel in which it was hidden and all associated documents were seized. Later the prototype was shipped to the United States, first to Wright Patterson AFB, then in 1948 to the Bell Aircraft Works. Damage ruled out any possibility for repair although some of the Me P.1101’s design features were subsequently used by Bell as the basis for the Bell X-5, which was the first aircraft capable of varying its wing geometry while in flight (Ref.: 23).

Fighter, Fighterbomber, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P. 1101/99 (Unicraft)

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TYPE: Fighter, ground-attack fighter, destroyer. Project

ACCOMMODFATION: Pilot and observer

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

PERFORMANCE: 567 mph

COMMENT: The design of another Messerschmitt P.1101 project series, the P.1101/99, dates back to mid 1944. The wings were swept back at 45 degrees, with four Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 turbojets, were buried in the thickened wing roots. Each pair of turbojets was fed by an air intake in the leading edge of the wing. The main landing gear retracted inwards into the fuselage, and the front gear retracted backwards beneath the cockpit. A two man crew sat staggered side-by-side in the cockpit, which was located in the extreme nose of the aircraft. Armament consisted of one 75 mm PaK 40 cannon (PanzerabwehrKanone, anti-tank gun) in the nose and five MK 112 55mm machine cannon, one in the right wing root, four in the center fuselage firing obliquely upwards (Schräge Musik, Oblique or Jazz Music). It was expected that the prototype would be in the air by 1948.  Because of the worsening war situation in Germany, the design did not progress past the drawing board (Ref.: 16).

Fighter, Projects

Blohm & Voss Bv P.205 (RS Models, Resin)

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TYPE: High altitude interceptor

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only, in pressurized cockpit

POWER PLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB603V inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine with Hirth TJ KL 15 turbo-charger, rated at 1,609 hp at 32,808 ft

PERFORMANCE:  435 mph at 52,493 ft

COMMENT: : Immediately after transfer of the Messerschmitt Me 155-project from Messerschmitt to Blohm & Voss the layout and the arrangement of the radiator was a topic of intensive discussion between both companies. Dr. Vogt from Blohm & Voss Company suggested a solution to delete the unpopular complex underwing radiators. As a result the Bv P.205, as the designation was officially given to that design, the aircraft was quite different in appearance to the Bv 155B. The clumsy wing-mounted radiators of the Bv 155B were eliminated, and the main landing gear leg attachment points were moved inboard to retract inwards. The cooling was provided by an annular frontal radiator as in the Focke-Wulf Ta 152. Large circular intakes were attached to the fuselage sides above the wing roots. The engine cowling and turbo–charger were unchanged. With the wings now free of clutter, they were considerably simpler and were reduced in span. This also had the side effect of reducing the track, which would later prove to be a welcome change. The new design would be simpler, lighter and faster, and plans were made to make it the standard version of the aircraft. The project never left the drawing board, but further development led to the Blohm & Voss Bv 155C “Spezial Höhenjäger” (Special high altitude fighter) where all radiators were located underneath the engine, allowing an aerodynamically clean airfoil. A mock-up was under construction when the war ended (Ref.: 17, 23).

Fighter

Blohm & Voss Bv 155V-1 (Pegasus Models)

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TYPE: High altitude interceptor

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only, in pressurized cockpit

POWERPLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB 603A inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine with Hirth TJ KL 15 turbo-charger, rated at 1,610 hp at 32,808 ft

PERORMANCE: 429 mph at 52,493 ft

COMMENT: The Blohm & Voss BV 155 was a high-altitude interceptor fighter intended to be used by the Luftwaffe against expected raids by USAAF B-29 Superfortresses.  The B-29 would attack in a cruise at an altitude that no German plane could operate effectively. In the hope of countering attacks by this formidable bomber, the Luftwaffe would need new fighters and new destroyers as soon as possible. Work on a special high altitude fighter was started in spring 1942 by Messerschmitt as Me 155, but in 1943 the project was passed over to Blohm & Voss. In September 1943, an order for five prototypes was placed. The first prototype was designated BV 155 V1, and flew for the first time on September 1, 1944. Tests with the V1 showed that the outboard radiators were not sufficiently effective in providing cooling, especially at high angle of attack. The intakes on the next prototype were enlarged and underslung beneath the wing rather than placed over it. However, the enlarged radiators caused a several problems, which required moving the pressurized cockpit forward. The Blohm & Voss team took this opportunity to replace the original Messerschmitt Bf 109G canopy with an aft-sliding all-round vision canopy, and the rear fuselage decking was cut down. This in turn required that a larger rudder be fitted. The ventral radiator bath was also enlarged. All these changes were incorporated into the second prototype, the Bv 155V2, which flew for the first time on February 8, 1945 and which was the first genuine B series aircraft. The Blohm & Voss team was still not satisfied with the design, and before the V2 began its flight trials they proposed that the engine be switched to the DB 603U having the larger mechanically driven supercharger of the DB 603E. The DB 603U promised a power of 1,660 hp for takeoff and 1,430 hp at 49,000 ft. The ventral turbo-super-charger was retained. The Technische Amt decided to accept this proposal, and abandoned all work on the BV 155B in favor of the revised design, which was designated BV 155C (Ref.: 17, 23)

Fighter, Projects

Focke-Wulf Fw P.0310225-127 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Long-range fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 021 turboprop engine, rated at 2,000 hp, plus 750 kp thrust

 PERFORMANCE: 560 mph in 29,500 ft

COMMENT: This Focke-Wulf design was powered by a He S 021 turboprop, located within the fuselage just behind the cockpit. The jet engine was fed by two air intakes located in each wing root. The wing was swept back 31 degrees and was mounted mid-fuselage, and the tail planes were also swept back. A tricycle landing gear arrangement was fitted. Armament was to be a single MK 103 30mm cannon firing through the propeller hub and two MG 213 20mm cannon in the lower forward fuselage. This project never left the drawing board. As far as the appearance of this project is concerned it definitively has influenced the outline of the post-war development McDonnell XF-88 “Voodoo” (Ref.: 16)

Fighter, Projects

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

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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).

Fighter, Fighterbomber, Projects

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

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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).

Fighter, Projects

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

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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)

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me 109 TL (Planet, Resin)

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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).