Category Archives: Fighterbomber

Fighterbomber

Fighterbomber, Medium Bomber, Projects

Lippisch P.13-42 (Unicraft, Resin)

Gallery

TYPE: High speed bomber, fighter bomber. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: 2 x Daimler-Benz DB 605, rated  at 1,475 PS each

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: This design for a tailless high-speed bomber is dated November 25, 1942 and originates from Dipl.-Ing. Josef Hubert, head of Lippisch’s aerodynamics section in Department “L”, as part of Messerschmitt Company. Two Daimler-Benz DB 605B engines provided power. One was mounted conventionally in the front of the fuselage the other was placed in the rear and drove a propeller via a short extension shaft.  The wings were swept back at approximately 18 degrees and 38 degrees. Since this was a tailless design, there were no horizontal tail planes but a single fin and rudder was set at the rear and extended slightly below the fuselage.  The two main landing gear legs were mounted near the wing’s leading edge, and retracted towards the fuselage. A single tail wheel retracted forward into the fuselage. The pilot sat in a cockpit placed midway along the fuselage. No armament was to be fitted at this stage, as it was felt the aircraft’s speed would be sufficient to prevent interception. As there was no internal bomb bay, the bomb load had to be carried externally. Although calculations were promising, this project remained on the drawing board (Ref. 16).

Fighterbomber, Projects

Junkers Ju-187 (Unicraft, Resin)

Gallery

TYPE: Dive-bomber and close-support aircraft. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and rear gunner/observer

POWER PLANT: Junkers Jumo 213 A-1, rated at 1,750 h.p.

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: Needed as replacement for the shortcoming Ju 87, the design was faster, better armored and had a greater bomb load. The most unusual feature was the movable tail fin. In order to clear the field of fire for the remote-controlled rear turret the whole tail plane could be turned downwards by 180 degree. Although a full sized mock-up was built the OKL preferred the Focke Wulf Fw 190 as close-support fighter bomber

Fighterbomber, Projects

Blohm und Voss Bv P.207-02 (Unicraft, Resin)

Gallery

TYPE: Fighter bomber, ground support aircraft. Project

ACCOMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Junkers Jumo 213 inline engine, rated at 1.800 hp

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: This fighter design used a Junkers Jumo 213 buried in the fuselage just behind the cockpit. The air intake was located beneath the fuselage and the pusher propeller was driven by means of a long shaft. The rectangular wing was mounted at the bottom of the fuselage and had no sweep back or taper. The tail unit was of cruciform design and a tricycle undercarriage was fitted. Proposed armament was two MK 103 30mm cannon and two MG 151/20 20mm cannon located in the nose. A refined design was the Blohm & Voss Bv P.207/03 where the upper fin and rudder were deleted. But neither the BV P.207/2 or /3 proceeded past the design stage (Ref.: 16).

Fighterbomber, Projects

Blohm & Voss Bv. 237 (Unicraft, Resin)

Gallery

TYPE: Dive bomber, ground attack fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 801D radial engine, rated at 1,700 hp

PERFORMANCE: 360 mph

COMMENT: The Blohm & Voss Bv 237 was a proposed dive bomber with an unusual asymmetric design based on the Blohm & Voss Bv 141, as well as other projects like Bv P.194 and Bv P.204. In 1942 the Luftwaffe was interested in replacing the venerable but ageing Junkers Ju 87, and Dr. Richard Vogt’s design team at Blohm & Voss  began work on project P 177. The dive bomber version would have had a one man crew and was heavily armed with cannon, machine gun and bombs. A two seat ground attack version was also proposed. A final B-1 type was to incorporate a Junkers Jumo 004B  turbojet engine in a third nacelle slung underneath the wing, between the piston engine and the cockpit. In early 1943 a production order was issued for the P 177 now called the Bv 237. In the summer that year the RLM ordered all developmental work stopped. Work continued later and it was determined that construction could begin in mid 1945, but plans for a pre-production A-0 series were abandoned, leaving the project at the pre-production stage near the end of 1944, with only a wooden mock-up completed (Ref.: 23).