POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B-2 turbojet engines, rated at 900 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 510 mph at 32,800 ft
COMMENT: Another development of the Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a series was the Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a/U3 reconnaissance fighter. Several aircraft featured a bay in the nose for two side-by-side obliquely-mounted cameras. These could be two Rb 50/30s or an Rb 20/30 and a Rb 75/30. A small observation window was introduced into the floor of the cockpit. Due to the size of the cameras two bulge at both sides of the nose were installed. Because of the high speed all cannon armament was discarded. These aircraft were deployed to tactical reconnaissance groups (NAG = Nahaufklärergruppe) (Ref.: 7).
POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B-2 turbojet engines, rated at 900 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 624 mph
COMMENT: The Messerschmitt Me 262 V9 was the 9th prototype and had nearly the same airframe as the Me 262A. It was completed in January 1944, it’s primary task being high speed trials up to the fighter’s Mach limitation. During the course of these various aerodynamic improvements were introduced. The leading edge of the inner wing as well as of the vertical tail was increased to 45 degree, the leading edge of the horizontal tail was swept back to 40 degree, a shallow, low-drag cockpit canopy was installed, and the muzzles were faired over. The highest speed attained by this experimental aircraft being 624 mph which was clocked at Leipheim on July 1944 (Ref.: 7).
POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B-1 turbojet engines, rated at 900 kp each
PERFORMANCE: 540 mph at 19,700 ft
COMMENT: The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ‘Schwalbe’ (‘Swallow’) was the world’s first operational turbojet engine powered fighter aircraft. Design work started in late 1938 when deliveries the first brand new BMW and Junkers turbojet engines were expected. Immediately, Messerschmitt began design studies on a fighter project under the designation Messerschmitt Me P.1065. The RLM ordered to build a mock-up and the evaluation expected promising results. Delayed production of turbojet engines led to the installation of a Junkers Jumo 210 G piston engine into the first aircraft, now officially designated Messerschmitt Me 262 V1. In spring 1940 first BMW P.3302 turbojets were available (prototypes of the later BMW 003 jet engines) and – installed additionally to the piston engine – the first flight was made on March 1942. Because the BMW engines were not operationally at all the Me 262 V-3 was equipped with two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines and made the first pure jet flight in July 1942. All flight tests were promising and production order for the new fighter was placed. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II, the Me 262 was used in a variety of roles, including light bomber, fighter bomber, reconnaissance, and night fighter. The Me 262 was faster, and more heavily-armed than any Allied fighter, including the first British turbojet-powered fighter Gloster ‘Meteor’. But permanent engine problems and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. In total about 1,400 Me 262s were produced when the WW II ended. Primary production version was the Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a, usable as both fighter and fighter-bomber. The aircraft shown here belonged to the III./JG 7 (Third Group / Fighter Squadron 7) and has two Wfr.Gr. 21 (‘Werfer-Granate’, Rocket propelled shell) on bomb racks (Ref.: 20, 24).
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a ‘Schwalbe’ with Wfr. Gr. 21, III/JG 7
POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, rated at 1,300 kp thrust
PERFORMANCE: 617 mph
COMMENT: At the end of 1944, when the construction drawings of the Messerschmitt Me P. 1101 were completed, and in the light of the critical situation of Germany it became obvious that the production of that new fighter was too complicated and too expensive. Messerschmitt’s design bureau began work on a less advanced design that should be an intended improvement to the Messerschmitt Me P. 1101. This Messerschmitt Me P. 1106 based on the Me P. 1101 but went through several redesigns. The first version (Me P. 1106/I) had a short fuselage and a T-tail plane with cockpit faired into the vertical stabilizer, similar to the Lippisch Li P. 13a. The second (Me P. 1106/II) design had a short fuselage, too, the tail plane of butterfly style and the cockpit far aft. A third and final design (Me P. 1106/III) had a longer and slim fuselage with a V-tail plane and the cockpit moved slightly forward. In all designs the wings were swept back at 40 degrees. The planned power plant was a Heinkel HeS 011turbojet engine, and armament was to be two 30 mm MK 108 cannon. Since the cockpit had poor visibility and calculated performance had not been improved compared to the Me P. 1101, the Messerschmitt Me P. 1106/III project was abandoned (Ref.: 17, 22).
POWER PLANT: Two Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engines, rated at 1,300 kp thrust each
PERFORMANCE: 541 mph
COMMENT: A specification for a night fighter was issued by the RLM in late January 1944. Preliminary requirements postulated a top speed of 560 mph, an endurance of four hours, an internally mounted FuG 240 or FuG 244 radar, and an armament consisting of four cannon. Dr. Richard Vogt, chief engineer of Blohm & Voss Company, who designed the Blohm & Voss Bv P.212 jet fighter, contender of the “Jägernotprogramm” (Fighter emergency program), immediately began work of an larger aircraft to meet the specification issued for the new night fighter. On the basis of the Bv P.212 he designed the new aircraft, officially designated Blohm & Voss Bv P.215. The fuselage was short with an air intake in the nose leading the flow directly to the turbojet engines mounted in the rear fuselage. The wings featured a 30 degree swept back and 6 degrees of dihedral. The outer wing tips angled down at 23 degrees, and assisted stability and control. There were two small vertical fins and rudders located on the trailing edge of the wing, where the outer wing tips angled down. The nose landing gear was taken from a Heinkel He 219 “Uhu” and retracted to the rear, and the two main wheels retracted forwards into the fuselage. A pressurized cockpit held the three man crew seated on ejection seats. The defensive armament consisted on a remote controlled, rear-facing FHL 151 turret and two MG 151/20 cannon. Two bombs, SC 250 or SC 500 could be carried in a belly recess. On February 1945, the specifications for the future night fighter were upgraded, which none of the competitor’s designs were able to achieve. Although the Blohm & Voss Bv P.215 would have had good performance characteristics, it did not reach the new specifications either. Criticism concerned the short time of flight, stall at high speeds, caused by the short and thick fuselage, and uncertainty due to the unusual control units. Nevertheless, in March 1945, the design was chosen for further development. With the collapse of Nazi Germany any further work on that novel aircraft were stopped (Ref.: 17, 22).
POWER PLANT: One Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engine, rated at 950 kp thrust or one Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, rated at 1,300 kp thrust
PERFORMANCE: 598 mph at 25,800 ft (with HeS 011 turbojet)
COMMENT: In early 1944, the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Reich Air Ministry) became aware of Allied jet developments, and were particularly concerned that they might have to face the Gloster Meteor over the continent. In response, they instituted the Jägernotprogramm (Fighter emergency program) which took effect on July 3, 1944, ending production of most bomber and multi-role aircraft in favour of fighters, especially jet fighters. Additionally, they accelerated the development of experimental designs that would guarantee a performance edge over the Allied designs, designs that would replace the first German jet fighters, the Messerschmitt Me 262 and Heinkel He 162. Focke-Wulf Company proposed its design Focke-Wulf Ta 183 Huckebein, powered by the advanced Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet, although the first prototypes were to be powered by the Junkers Jumo 004B. The wings of the new design were swept back at 40° and were mounted in the mid-fuselage position. The wings appear to be mounted very far forward compared with most designs, a side-effect of attempting to keep the center of pressure (CoP) of the wing as a whole as close to the middle of the fuselage as possible. The original design used a T-tail, with a notably long vertical stabilizer and a seemingly undersized horizontal stabilizer. The vertical tail was swept back at 60°, and the horizontal tail was swept back and slightly dihedralled. Many problems beset the project, work therefore concentrated on the much less problematical Focke-Wulf Projekt VII “Flitzer”. However, when the RLM eventually rejected that design and in late 1944 the Focke Wulf Ta 183 Huckebein was again brought to the fore. Detailed blue-prints were readied in beginning of 1945 and construction of several prototypes began immediately. The first flight of the aircraft was scheduled for May 1945, but none aircraft was completed by 8 April 1945, when British troops captured the Focke-Wulf facilities.
The name “Huckebein” is a reference to a trouble-making raven (Hans Huckebein, der Unglücksrabe) from an illustrated story in 1867 by famous cartoonist Wilhelm Busch. (Ref.:24).
POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, rated at 1,300 kp thrust
PERFORMANCE: 615 mph
COMMENT: As part of the “Jägernotprogramm” (Fighter emergency program), at the beginning of 1945 a programme was launched by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe, (OKL, Luftwaffe High Command) in order to replace the Heinkel He 162 “Salamander”
(“Volkskjäger”, “Peoples fighter” ). The new aircraft was intended to have superior performance in order to deal with high altitude threats such as the Boeing B-29 “Superfortress”, first missions expected in summer 1945. To meet this requirement, power was to be a single Heinkel HeS 011 turbojet. Proposals were brought forward by other German aircraft makers so as the Blohm & Voss Bv P.212, Focke-Wulf Ta 183, Heinkel He P.1078,Junkers EF 128, and Messerschmitt Me P.1110. The designs of the official winner of the competition, the Junkers EF 128, were submitted in February 1945. This more advanced fighter attracted more interest than the austere Miniaturjäger (Midget fighter) among German aircraft manufacturers, but at the time of the end of WWII only models had been built. It had swept wings of 45 degrees which included wood in their construction. The air intake for the turbojet was with boundary layer suction aerodynamically refined, the air left the fuselage behind the cockpit. A model for wind-tunnel experiments and a mock-up of the fuselage are built. Estimated flight characteristics and performance were optimistic and led to an order for mass production starting in mid1945. There was a projected variant of a two-seater all-weather and night fighter with a lengthened fuselage, pressure-cabin and FuG 240 “Berlin” radar. (Ref.: 22, 24).
POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine, rated at 1,300 kp thrust
PERFORMANCE: 621 mph
COMMENT: Initial troubles with the Walter HWK 509 rocket engine caused a delay in production of the Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet”. To bring an effective interceptor into service as soon as possible chief designer Lippisch designed a turbojet engine equipped variant of the Me 163 that used, in order to speed up production and reduce costs, as many parts from other aircraft as possible. The nose of the aircraft was taken from the Heinkel He 162, the wing came from the Messerschmitt Me 163B and C, the tail plane from the Junkers Ju 248 (Messerschmitt Me 263), and the landing was taken from the Messerschmitt Me 109. A single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A turbojet or, as temporary solution, a BMW 003 turbojet was provided. A mock-up was finished when WW II ended (Ref. 17, 22).
POWER PLANT: One Junkers Jumo 004C turbojet engine, rated at 1.000 kp thrust
PERFORMANCE: 568 mph
COMMENT: The Lippisch P.20 jet fighter project dated from April 1943 and was a further development of the Messerschmitt Me 163 “Komet”. It was the final design of Dr. Alexander Lippisch for the Messerschmitt Company before his design department became an independent engineering office in Vienna. The P.20 was similar in appearance to the Me 163, with an air intake mounted low in the nose which fed a single Jumo 004 turbojet. Armament consisted of two MK 108 30mm cannon mounted in the forward fuselage sides and two MK 103 30mm cannon mounted in the wing roots. As the end of WWII became apparent this project was not pursued (Ref.: 17, 22).
POWER PLANT: One Daimler-Benz DB 605C liquid-cooled engine, rated at 1.475 hp
PERFORMANCE: Data not available
COMMENT: In spring 1943 Dr. Lippisch’s design team, part of the Messerschmitt Aircraft Company, was working on the fighter project Me 334 that originally was to be powered by new developed turbojet engine. But due to shortcoming of turbojet engines the design was modified to incorporate a Daimler-Benz DB 605 12 cylinder piston engine. A three-bladed pusher type propeller was driven via an extension shaft. The wings were mounted mid-fuselage and were swept back at a 23.4 degree angle. The main landing gear retracted inwards and the front gear retracted to the rear. In summer 1943 when deliveries of turbojet engines began slowly, all work on the Me 334 was abandoned in favor of the turbojet engine driven Lippisch Li P.20 (Ref. 17, 22).
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Messerschmitt Me 334
Scale 1:72 aircraft models of World War II
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