Category Archives: Luftwaffe

Deutschland / Germany

Dornier Do P.252/2 (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Long range Bad-weather/Night Fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213J, rated at 1,750 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 577 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: The Dornier Do P.252 project dates back to 1943 as replacement of the Do 335 “Pfeil” (Arrow).  In January 1945 the design, that based on the Dornier Do P.247/6 project,  was submitted for the optimum Luftwaffe night fighter contract specification. Three studies P.252/1, P.252/2, and P.252/3 were made from this design, all were very similar despite little differences in dimensions and wing plan forms (straight, 35 and 22.5 degree, respectively). Two Junkers Jumo 213J , rated at 1750 hp each were located in tandem within the fuselage and coupled to an extension shaft that drove two  contra-rotating three bladed propellers that featured a blade sweep of 50 degrees, a novelty at that time. The P.252/2 had a slightly elongated fuselage and room for a crew of three. The wings were swept back at 35 degrees. Although the Dornier Do P.252 promised an excellent performance, equivalent to upcoming turbojet powered aircraft the design was abandoned reluctantly.

Dornier Do P.247/6 (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Fighter/Fighter bomber. Project

ACCOMMODATION:Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Junkers Jumo 213T, rated at 2,000 hp, driving four bladed pusher propeller

PERFORMANCE: 520 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: The excellent performance of the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil (Arrow) proceeded to several Dornier designs of pusher type fighters and fighter bombers. Among these is this Do P.247/6 project from autumn 1944. The swept back wing together with a powerful engine promised an excellent performance and the pusher type propeller offered an excellent visibility and allowed the installation of radar antennas for the adoption as a bad weather/night fighter. This furher development was the Dornier Do P.252 but the project was never realized.

BMW Strahlbomberprojekt I (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Heavy Jet Bomber. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and Bombardier/Gunner

POWER PLANT: Six BMW 003 turbojet-engines, rated at 850 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 510 m.p.h.

COMMENT: Besides four “Strahljägerprojekte I – IV” (Jet fighter projects I – IV) the BMW company worked on designs of two “Strahlbomberprojekte I and II” (Jet bomber projects I and II). Strahlbomberprojekt I was a tailless design, but in order to achieve sufficient stability  a tail boom with fin was installed. Six turbojet-engines were planned, four in the wing roots and two aside the cockpit. Project not realized.

BMW Strahljaeger P. IV (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Interceptor Fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: BMW 018 Turbojet, rated at 3,500 kp

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: BMW (Bayrische Motoren-Werke, Bavarian Engines Factory) was well known as an engine-building company. In the last stages of WW II BMW took part in aircraft designing via a construction company EZS, a subsidiary of BMW. Four designs of simple and easy to built interceptor projects were submitted to the RLM. The largest and most powerful design was the Strahljägerprojekt P.IV, powered by BMW 018 turbojet. No project was realised.

Junkers Ju 88G-7c, 5./NJG4 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and Bad-weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213E rated at 1,750 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 410 m.p.h. at 29,800 ft

COMMENT: This final version of the Ju 88G subtypes was equipped with a FuG 240 “Berlin N-1a” radar with centimetric wavelength and a concave reflector antenna, enclosed in a wooden nose cone. Furthermore this type was equipped with a FuG 217 rear warning radar as well as FuG 350Z “Naxos” radar for detecting AI Mk.IV radar equipped British night intruders

Junkers Ju 88G-7b, 2./NJG5 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and Bad-weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213E, rated at 1,725 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 402 m.p.h. at 29,800 ft

COMMENT: The Ju 88G-7 was the final version of the Ju 88 night fighter to attain production status. The Ju 88G-7b was equipped with a FuG 218 “Neptun VR” radar and a single-pole “Morgenstern” (Morning Star) aerial array and a FUG 220 “Lichtenstein SN-2” Tail warning radar

Junkers Ju 88C-6b, 2./NJG2 (Revell, Parts from Italeri)

TYPE: Night and Bad Weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 211J-2, rated at 1,350 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 303 m.p.h. at 19,700 ft

COMMENT: The Junkers Ju 88C-6b was the first radar equipped Junkers night fighter with either FuG 202 “Lichtenstein BC” or FuG 212 “Lichtenstein C-1”. Later variants were equipped with the  FuG “Lichtenstein SN-2” radar with “Hirschgeweih Antennen” (Stag’s Antlers)

Junkers Ju 88G-6c, 7./NJG5 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and bad weather fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

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

PERFORMANCE: 331 m.p.h. at 19,400 ft

COMMENT: The Junkers Ju 88G variants possessed various radar functions e. g. a forward searching radar for target acquisition (FuG 218 “Neptun GR”) , a rearward defensive warning radar, and a passive radar FuG 350Z “Naxos” for detecting the signals from the H2S ground-mapping radar, used by night-flying British Bombers

 

Junkers Schlachtflugzeug (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Close Support Fighter Bomber.  Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Daimler-Benz DB-ZTL 109-007 Bypass turbojet, rated at 1.150 kp each

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: Project of a heavily armed jet aircraft from 1941. Pilot’s cockpit, engines and ammunition compartments were heavily armoured from underside. Due to lack of experience with nose landing gear on earth fields a nose skid was planned. Thrust deflecting flaps behind the exhausts allowed short take-off runs

 

Focke-Wulf Ta 154A-0 (Pioneer) with Fw 190F-8 (Revell) “Mistel 7”, Mistletoe 7)

TYPE: Bomber Formation Destroyer (” Pulkzerstörer”) as as pickaback (“Mistel”) combination of a Ta 154 and a Fw 190

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only in the Fw 190

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213E, rated at 1,750 h.p. (Ta 154) and BMW 801D-2, rated at 1,700 h.p. (Fw 190)

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: Six  Ta 154 pre-production aircraft should be adapted for the “Huckepack” composite role. The Ta 154 had an explosive charge in the forward fuselage and was piloted by a Focke Wulf Fw 190 . It was proposed that the Mistel combination – reportedly designated “Mistel 7” (“Mistletoe 7”) – should be aimed at the bomber formation, the pilot detached his aircraft from the superstructure and then detonated the charge by radio signal. None combination was realized.