Category Archives: Luftwaffe

Deutschland / Germany

Nightfighter, Projects

Gotha P. 60C (Planet, Resin)

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TYPE: Night fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and radar operator

POWER PLANT: Two Heinkel-Hirth HeS-11 turbojet engines, rated at 1,500kp

PERFORMANCE: 596 mph, estimated

COMMENT:  In August 1944 the Gotha Aircraft Company was given the order of series production of the Horten Ho IX flying wing fighter, designated Go 229A. But additionally, in January 1945 the Gotha engineers proposed a series of altrenate all-wing design to the RLM which used many of the construction techniques as the Horten aircraft but had the advantage of being able to be modified with new equipment and engines without changing the flying characteristics. Three designs were proposed, and designation Gotha Go P.60A, Go P.60B, and Go P.60C was given. All were of delta-shaped., flying wing design, and powered by two turbojet engines at the rear end, one engine above the wing, the other slung under the fuselage. A two men crew sat in a pressurized and armored cockpit, located in the extreme nose. For its duty as night fighter the aircraft was equipped with the most modern radar available at that time. The Gotha Go P.60A was powered by two BMW 003A-1 turbojet engines, rated at 800 kp each, the crew laid in prone position. The Gotha Go P.60B was a further development of the P.60 series which simplified construction by utilizing an easier to build airframe and a conventional rudder. The two-seat cockpit was located behind the radar equipment in a fuselage section. The two engines were upgraded to Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojets. The RLM approved the construction of the project in 1945, but later construction of the prototype was halted in favor of the Go P.60C. This was the final design of the Gotha Go P.60 series, the P.60C night fighter. The fuselage was lengthened to accommodate the installation of the newest radar set with its “Morgenstern” (Morningstar) or the the FuG 240 “Berlin” antenna. The end of the war prevented further development (Ref.: 16).

Fighter, Projects

Heinkel “Lerche II” (“Lark II”) (Fruitbat, Resin)

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TYPE: Target defense interceptor. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only, in prone position

POWER PLANT: Two Daimler-Benz DB 603E inline engines, rated at 2.400 hp each, driving contra-rotating propellers

PERFORMANCE: 497 mph

COMMENT: This Heinkel Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) fighter/interceptor project was based on an earlier design, the Heinkel “Wespe” (Wasp). Work on the design started at the Heinkel Company in Vienna on February 25, 1945 and was completed on March 8, 1945. The “Lerche” (Lark) employed a ducted wing planform with contra-rotating propellers, powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 605E engines. This arrangement increased the effectiveness of the airscrews dramatically. During flight the pilot lied in a prone position in the extreme nose, while standing upright during take-off and landing. Projected armament was two MK 108 30mm cannon. The end of the war brought any realization to a termination. After the war this idea of a tail sitter was developed further by the US Navy, e. g. Convair XFY-1 Pogo and Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (Ref.: 16).

Nightfighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P.1101 NJ (Nachtjäger, Night fighter, Dragon)

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TYPE: Night fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS011 turbojet engine, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 570 mph at 20,000 ft

COMMENT: This night fighter project Me P.1101 NJ (Nachtjäger, Night fighter (or  Me P.1101B-1) was derived from the Me P.1101A-1. It was equipped with Siemens/FFO FuG 218 J3 Neptun interception radar. Although the radar antennae (Hirschgeweihantenne, Stag’s Antlers) was rather small compared those of twin engine night fighters such as Junkers Ju 88C,  Ju 388J-1, or Focke-Wulf Ta 154 the maximum speed was reduced by about 40 mph. This project was never realized.

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P.1101A-1 with Kramer X-4 missiles (Dragon)

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TYPE: Fighter, interceptor. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

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

PERFORMANCE: 612 mph at 22,970 ft

COMMENT: However, there is some evidence that a further production version of the Me P.1101 was on Messerschmitt’s drawing boards. All over dimensions, turbojet engines, tricycle undercarriage etc. are unchanged to its predecessor, the wing was swept back to 40 degree and a normal or horizontal tail unit – “T-Tail” was provided. Cockpit armor was fitted and up to four Kramer X-4 air-to-air guided missiles could be carried.

RUHRSTAHL/KRAMER X-4

The Kramer X-4 was the first air-to-air guided missile that entered the production lines. It featured a tapering, cigar-shaped fuselage, with four small swept wings and four smaller tail fins. At the ends of two of the opposing wings were small pods which held the wires that unwound during the X-4’s flight. On the wing tips of the other two main wings were simple flares to aid the pilot in keeping the X-4 on the intended path. The tail unit contained small spoilers which could control the missiles pitch and yaw. Power was supplied by the BMW 109-548 liquid-fuel rocket engine with 1,600 kp thrust for 33 seconds. A warhead weighing 20 with a destructive blast radius of 25 feet was mounted in the nose of the missile, being detonated by the pilot, impact or by an acoustical proximity fuse, tuned to the pitch of the bomber’s propellers. First air launched test took place on August, 1944 by a Focke-Wulf  Fw 190. Tests continued through early February 1945, also by Junkers Ju 88s as well as by a Messerschmitt  Me 262 jet fighter with two X-4 missiles under the wings outboard of the jet nacelle, but were not launched  (Ref.: 16).

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me. P.1101A-0 (Huma)

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TYPE: Fighter, interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

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

PERFORMANCE: 550 mph at 23,000 ft

COMMENT: Although the Messerschmitt Me P.1101 was from the onset designed as an experimental aircraft different production versions were planned, too. One design was very similar to the Me P.1101 V1 as far as all over dimensions, turbojet engines, tricycle undercarriage etc. are concerned, but the wing was in a fixed position at 40 degree and a horizontal tail unit – “T-Tail” was provided. The unconditional surrender of Germany brought all further work on this exceptional aircraft to an end (Ref.: 16).

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me P.1079/13 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Fighter, interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Lorin ramjets, rated at 900 kp each

PERFORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: The P.1079/13 was one of several Messerschmitt designs to meet the Luftwaffe’s late-War request for a small, cheap, single-seat target-defense interceptor. This design included two wing-mounted Lorin ramjets or conventional turbojet engines. For take-off a trolley-launch system was provided and solid fuel rockets were used for acceleration until the ramjets will work. After mission the aircraft landed on a skid. No further details are known.

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).